Inquisitors, assassins, astropaths, navigators – these and many other agents of the Imperium are celebrated in this glorious full-colour art book.
What's all this then eh? After quite some time Black Library has at long last released a new art book. All in all it is a nice hardback(!) tome of the same proportion as the old Inquis Exterminatus art book (not the current softback reprint) and from what I've seen so far it's a collection of more recent codex art, role playing game source book art, Specialist Games art and new art by John Blanche. A perfect companion to Inquis Exterminatus really.
Most of the art is spread across a whole page, in some cases two to best showcase just how gorgeous their stuff is really and to show off the talent both BL and GW have at their disposal for this line of work. My only lament is a lack of artist feedback, something that's in most cases always fun to have alongside the art itself.
Another thing that might annoy some people, though the cover really does give it away, is that the book is centred around the Imperium. Not Space Marines, not Imperial Guard, but the Imperium as a whole, mostly showing off interesting character designs for nobles, scum, inquisitors and everything in between alongside classic pieces of codex art, again, all centred around the Imperium of Man.
Who knows, we might get a traitor and xenos edition at a later date?
Final verdict: This isn't something for everyone, especially not with the €40,-- / £25,00 / $40,00 price tag attached to what is basically a compilation of book covers, codex art and character art from role playing books. Personally, I really enjoy these books. Both as a source of inspiration, something to flip through from time to time, or to show to friends and family when trying to explain what this forty thousand hammers of war is all about really.
I give the Emperor's Will gaia_star gaia_star gaia_star gaia_star out of five stars and proudly display it alongside my much loved copy of Inquis Exterminatus.
