The Emperor first undertook the Primarch Project, the creation of 20 superhuman infants whose genomes had been designed using His own genetic code as the foundation, who were intended to mature into powerful generals and statesmen for His armies. For example, the Emperor, in this book, refers to the primarchs almost exclusively by their numbers. A few age old questions are even answered, at least to a limited degree, balancing out certain aspects of his character. Even without the Titan battles, the Mechanicus storylines and flashbacks to past eras, all of these are weighty events which could have crushed a weaker narrative or less skilled author.

Such points are especially evident when it comes to the Imperial Knights involved and the presence of a lone Blood Angel, both of which could have easily seemed obtrusively tacked on points to the story, but instead they enhance the tale and grant a few moments of insight per page. Having been created from adult troops who had undergone a rapid process of genetic, bionic and chemical augmentation, many did have difficulty coping with the physiological changes.The stage is set for the dogged defenders’ last stand, and both setting and atmosphere are rendered beautifully. The odd unity they can manage despite their individuality is a key part of the story's core themes, and unlike past outings it is rarely presented as a major failing. The thousands of shamans, as one, took poison, and as one, they died, their souls flowing into the Immaterium in a rush of psychic power that overwhelmed those Daemons who sought to feast upon it with a cleansing, purifying fire, a flame imperishable that became one soul out of many.

The Emperor prepared extensively for the Great Crusade in the years after Unity was achieved on Terra; He created the special astro-telepath ( astropath) corps to link his eventual interstellar dominion together through the use of telepathy, and engineered the creation of the Astronomican. Metabolic collapse leading to rapid death was not uncommon, and many Thunder Warriors were also prone to mental instability and even psychosis as they aged. As such, despite his incredibly well-written nature, the Emperor is unfortunately where the book stumbles most.The character aspect itself might have been a minor problem were it not for how it seems to have effected other aspects as well.

Since they are psychic blanks, with no soul to speak of, none of his guiles and illusions work on him, and they see him as he truly, truly is.I believe ADB's intention was to, like the Emperor, present a portrayal that could be all things to all readers. This could all be part of an act as well, something he's doing to distance himself any painful realities, but I think there is more truth in this tyrannical portrayal than lies.