Well, its for authors to create interesting characters and plots - GW just gives some baselines for Chapter specifics. Uriel Ventris was made up by Graham. James Swallow pushed BA vampirism aside and created two interesting, rank and file Marine brothers - and all that ended in BA civil war. So its really up to writers to make Chapter look interesting, at least fluff-wise. As to Imperial Fists, I see several points why they could look: 1. The only Codex Chapter that is allowed to grow beards and moustaches!! 2. When Black Templars are Teutons, Imperial Fists looks much like nobility of medieval Holy Roman Empire (same yellow/black colors, germanic names like Sigismund, Vorn Hagen, Grenzstein). 3. Deep relations with Terra - it could be joint operations with Adeptus Terra, Navigator houses, Adeptus Custodes. All those mentioned are really rear in fluff and should be exploited more.. 4. Phalanx- biggest known starship in Imperium. It could travel more, assault some planets, even face Eldar Craftworld one on one. For all we have now are Iron Warriors, Iron Warriors and Iron Warriors. Its boring...Leave Lysander to it, rise new company like second or fifth with new hero and push it. So many options to explore
For the Kyme - I have read his Damnos novel, but pretty liked it. People were hammering him for it, rating low, but I enjoyed it. Apart from that, that there was no idea behind the book, he handles every scene well and makes the reading smooth. So Im sure, that when he is in a good idea, he can do very very well. And Counter. I would choose simple mediocre book with easy flow, instead of strange one with ups and downs, where downs are so bad and against everything we know about W40 universe and against simple logic For example - Imperial Guard is atacking one rebellious planet with multibillion population. IG drops there an invading force of 100 000 troopers. And author says, that this amount is a lot bigger than any possible army in the planet. While that very same planet has its own techs, billions of fanatics, tanks, special forces and so on. What? WHAT? My grandmother could muster 110 000 from multibillion planet.
Eh I'm kinda right there with you on this. The only book I have actually been able to finish that was about the fists was space marine. And even that was hard at times lol. While I understand it may be harder to write them, tbh it's all up to the writer. Like Graham for instance he created Uriel, who although is a ultramarine he doesn't follow the codex to the letter. Same could be done with the fists. Sadly it hasn't yet (at least that I have found). And don't get me started on how the fists keep taking a beating and being left as fodder for lore lol.
The things that I've read from Ben Counter focus on Lysander more than the Imperial Fists as a whole, and he is abnormal compared to his chapter. I enjoyed reading those books, even more than the 2 Blood Angels' omnibuses. I find books that try to make the main characters out to be walking examples of their chapter to be very boring (e.g. Hunt for Voldorius). I think this is why it doesn't happen very often. For example, in the Space Wolves' [second?] omnibus, the main character is put on a diplomatic/body guard - like mission and has to learn how to adapt to that role. Salamander's omnibus does something more extreme, but I don't want to give spoilers. The main character in the Iron Warriors' omnibus doesn't even have IW gene seed. The Night Lord's omnibus focuses on a idealistic character in a chapter that is known as being a bunch of sociopathic murderers. In that line of thinking, I think that Ben Counter does what all the other 40k writers do. Do you dislike the focus on Lysander (as opposed to books that focus on an entire company)? Do you dislike Lysander? What aspects of his writing style do you dislike? I will also say that I have a hard time getting into most 40k books, because of the sheer amount of characters that are introduced. That makes it hard for me to care and pay attention to what's happening to all the random people. Once I get into them though, I am really into them.
Though its not current time line i've read The Crimson Fist short novel (on the shadow of treachery horus heresy anthology) and i thought it was pretty epic. Its all about Alexis Polux the first Crimson Fists chapter master, and of the battle of Phall. Just a little heads up to you Imperial fists fans (and from what i heard it continues on Unremembered Empire and we will get even more from alexis polux in the next Horus Heresy novel, Pharos, coming next year)
I've begun listening to audiobooks, so the first book I picked out was actually by Ben Counter. His "Galaxy in Flames" audiobook. I'm halfway through it and liking it, but a complaint I have about the author (or perhaps the guy reading it?) is that the way the book jumps from group to group is incredibly confusing for me, as I'm bad with names. So several times, the book will jump from group A (in a battle) to group B (on a ship), or to Group C (Doing whatever they are doing), and I'll be completely lost for a bit. I know thats not a book about the Fists, but its still a book by the author in question.
For Imperial Fists and successors I would go for the following: The brand new "I am slaughter" by Dan Abnett, based on M33 actions The Crimson Fists - Rynn's World and Traitor's Gorge, recommend the latter as audio Black Templars - Hellsreach All of these books go deeper than the surface in terms of characters and paint the Astartes in competent and Demigod-like fashion, as they should be portrayed.
I had the pleasure of meeting Ben at the BL last year, we had a great talk about Imperial Fists. He really understand them and their way of warfare.
I generally like Counter, but the whole Soul Drinkers series was horrible. Not well thought out. The only part I really liked it was the end where you discover they aren't Imperial Fists successors. In other books he has some good ideas but usually doesn't flesh them out enough.
