Returning to my Warhammer 40k reading, I aimed to delve deeper into the story behind the creation of the Imperium. Luckily, I discovered the book “Valdor – Birth of the Imperium,” by Chris Wraight.
For a brief review: the hardcopy quality is quite average, and I was expecting more. Given my familiarity with the standards of the Horus Heresy books, I anticipated a similar quality, but upon receiving this one, it gave the impression of an unofficial copy produced by CreateSpace from Amazon—a type of book typically printed on demand. However, to my surprise, it turned out to be an official book printed in the UK by Black Library.
The book is short, with only 200 pages—about half the length of a typical Horus Heresy book. It contains some unnecessary fluff that could easily be deleted, but I believe the author had to meet a minimum page requirement.
Aside from that, the book is an easy read and progresses quickly. It sheds light on a different aspect of the Emperor that I was unaware of. Additionally, it was intriguing to learn about life on Terra and how the first Adeptus Astartes underwent their initial battle trials. Without giving away any spoilers, I had no idea who created the Astartes before reading this, but now I know.
In conclusion, if you are immersed in the Horus Heresy series and desire more insight into the origins of the Imperium, this concise book is a must-read.