Alpharius - Head of the Hydra

by Mike Brooks

As a long time reader of Warhammer, I rate the primarchs series highly. It has seen some really strong books. Sometimes the shorter length forces the author to be more compact and efficient, and forces them to streamline parts that often seem extraneous in horus heresy series or the siege of terra books.

Alpharius, Head of the Hydra by Mike Brooks, takes this efficiency to new levels. It’s a book utterly focussed on the Primarch, something I know hasn’t always been the case in the series. Let’s face it, these books are aimed at fans. These fans are either those who just read a lot of Warhammer, or more likely those who are particularly interested in a specific Primarch. If these books don’t live up to their eponymous titles then, they’re probably going to disappoint a lot of people.

That certainly isn’t the case here. Mike Brooks writes in an efficient way, and manages to avoid removing so much of the mystique of the Alpha Legion that they no longer hold interest. Instead, it fills in blanks as to why they are the way they are, and does a good job of building the character of Alpharius at the same time.

Although the primarchs books are usually standalone, it’s recommended you read the primarchs book Valdor by Chris Wraight first, as there are minor spoilers there for this book.

Alpha Order

Alpharius is pragmatic, a proponent of staunch utilitarianism, a doctrine he instilled in his legion. They are willing to die for him and he, (at least at this stage in the timeline) - if it would lead to a better result for the Imperium – for them. He decries the arrogance of some of his brother Primarchs, and yet throughout this book Brooks injects hints about Alpharius or his legion obsessing over honour, recognition or establishing a legacy. It’s well executed, especially when producing contrast and then ironically alluding to similarities between Alpharius and Dorn, the Lion or Fulgrim. I think some could find some of these elements slightly overdone but this is probably to signpost to readers the hypocrisy of his criticism of arrogance of the other primarchs.

It is human to have faults, and Alpharius is likeable. He acknowledges some of his flaws, and, although his methods are very much ‘the ends justify the means’ he has a strong sense of duty. You can tell he would staunchly defend his principles be it verbally or physically. Although his ethics might often be questionable, he has reasons for it, something that comes up repeatedly in this book. I would argue this is the best exploration of a Primarch I’ve ever read, because they can often come across slightly one-dimensional or a bit too perfect. This isn’t the case here – he’s multi-faceted, likeable, and even conveys the sense of wonder or confusion he has about himself and his place in the world – wondering how humans perceive his Primarch proportions, or what exactly they see when he uses his Emperor-given ability to misconstrue the image he portrays in the eyes of others.

One of Many

His philosophy filters down into how his legion acts too. The one of many epithet is borne out within their tactical discussions, with any member within the legion hierarchy being a valid voice. His legionaries sometimes take Alpharius’s own place, in disguise, and they embody the ethos of the primarch. We see this displayed throughout the book through: it’s not just as if we’re told how they act and then there is little evidence to show it, as sometimes can be the case.

Omega

The action sequences are exciting. Alpharius conveys power but is often in very real danger. He does do some of the outrageous things befitting his hero status and yet gets into trouble. I really thought the balance was right here – there is always the risk of making the hero too powerful – the example often discussed is Superman - and thus reducing the tension as a result of their invincibility. But here there was enough danger and craft in the situations or enemies that the action was plenty engaging.

It's not just Alpharius, though he of course dominates the book and it is told from his perspective. He gives his thoughts on several prominent Alpha Legion commanders and figures: Armillus Dynat, Autilon Skorr, Ingo Pech, Herzog. He encounters several of the biggest characters from the whole universe in this book, and descriptions and interplay between them is done well.

Some of the descriptions in the case of xenos are suitably disgusting, and the way Alpharius launches knives, glass and his spear makes manifest the speed and supernatural ability of a true superhuman. It leaves you asking what more you wanted from this book: great action, evocative imagery and most of all, a brilliant portrait of an enigmatic figure.

Final score

Perhaps one could argue more time should be spent on other characters. But the focus, as we begun the review with, should be on the primarch himself, and this casts a dynamic and interesting portrait, one that absolutely has to be read by fans of the Alpha Legion and one that other Warhammer fans should probably read regardless.

This book is well rounded, evocative, interesting and more. It really is how to do a primarch book. I was curious about the Alpha Legion but this book excelled so much it made me a fan. In fact, I might say that now…

I am Alpharius.

9/10