The "Ultramarines series" Graham McNeill: brutal sci-fi with a soul. ITC.ua review

The “Ultramarines” series by Graham McNeill is one of those literary layers of the epic Warhammer 40,000 universe that managed to go beyond the narrow fan circle and become a noticeable phenomenon. Even for those who have only heard something about the distant gothic dystopia of the 41st millennium. This is not just a set of action novels about space marines — genetically modified Astartes warriors. This is a story where non-stop action, bloody battles, and demonic horrors are combined with themes of honor, inner struggle, and those rare glimpses of humanity that break through the steel discipline of the Imperium. We have already written about the novels «Ghoulfighter» and «Gadfly» — vivid stories in the fantasy world of Warhammer. Now it’s time to travel to a distant and very unhappy future where humanity conquers galaxies.

“Ультрамарини”

Pluses:

good publication quality and great genre covers; evolution of the main character with deep inner conflict; atmospheric and diverse world with planets, spaceships, other universes, alien races, etc.; skillfully described battle scenes; unusual combination of action with deep complex themes

Minuses:

some characters are poorly revealed superficially; someone will definitely not understand the local cruelty and constant wars, battles and death

9/10

Rating
ITC.ua

“Ultramarines”

Author Graham McNeill
Publisher Molfar
Language Ukrainian
Number of pages 376, 432, 432, 432
Cover Solid
Year of publication 2025
Size 145×205 mm
Website molfar-comics.com

The series starts with the novel “Nightbringer“. In it, the newly minted Captain Uriel Ventris and his company face political intrigue, xenos, and an ancient evil on the planet Pavonis. It’s a measured start to the series that gives you a sense of the scale and atmosphere of the Imperium before plunging you into the nonstop action of “Warriors of Ultramar”. This book, also the second novel in the series, is a real benefit for the Tyranids, described so skillfully that their alienness and relentlessness are literally felt physically by the reader.

Next, we move on to the novel “Dead Sky, Black Sun”. This is the culmination of the local horror, a journey into the heart of the Eye of Terror, into the world of Medrengard, where all reality is distorted by Chaos. In this story, the writer reveals his talent for creating an atmospheric, disgusting, and at the same time hypnotic picture that in some places resembles the works of Lovecraft and Clive Barker.

The fourth book, titled “The Killing Ground“, reduces the degree of demonic horror, but instead deepens the theme of the moral consequences of war. Here, the author emphasizes the psychological dimension of events, and it is this shift in tone that becomes a kind of milestone in the series: from cosmic horror and large-scale battles to an intimate examination of how war deforms human souls.

This is definitely a down-to-earth story. It’s not so much about battles and alien races as it is about what war does to people. It touches on war crimes, genocide, and the blurring of the lines between heroism and cruelty. Ventris and Pasanius are no longer just the heroes of Astartes from the first installments — they are tired soldiers trying to make sense of the surrounding chaos.

The Ultramarines series consists of a substantial number of novels and short stories in English, but only four stories have been published in Ukrainian so far.

At the center of “Ultramarines” is Captain Uriel Ventris, at first a model follower of the Astartes Code, a strict set of rules created by the legendary Primarch Robot Gilliman. Graeme McNeill relies on the evolution of the hero, and this is one of the greatest strengths of the series. With each book, Ventris moves away from blind adherence to the rules and begins to act more creatively and flexibly, even if it means breaking dogma, for which he is then severely punished.

The protagonist’s internal conflict between the dogmas of the Ultramarines and the reality of life runs through all the novels, sometimes bringing to the surface painful moral questions: is it possible to win by staying within the rules if the enemy does not know such concepts? And if victory requires crossing the line, what is the price of victory? And most importantly, is victory worth the sacrifice?

The second character in the series is Sergeant Pasanius, Uriel Ventris’s loyal friend. He is the one who will always have his back and say the right word in times of doubt. Their duo works like a perfect military machine, but also like a friendship that has been tested by more than one war. Passanus definitely lacks depth compared to the protagonist, but he fulfills his role as a conditional plot anchor for Captain Ventris.

An important aspect of the series is the view of the Human Empire. Yes, the Ultramarines are considered conventional «good guys», but even they are only part of a totalitarian machine that destroys billions in the name of the abstract “survival of the species” and for the glory of God the Emperor. The writer shows the Imperium not as a bright ideal, but as a harsh, ruthless regime where kindness is always a luxury and mercy is often tantamount to betrayal.

Graham McNeill’s writing is easy and straightforward, so even a Warhammer novice can get into this series and not be able to put it down. In these novels, the local terminology is used intelligently and is mostly understandable, the dialog is realistic and engaging, and the events are presented with a sufficient degree of context. This is definitely a major plus for those who are just discovering the Warhammer 40,000 universe. At the same time, seasoned fans will enjoy the deeper layers — both in the portrayal of the tyranids in «Warriors of Ultramar» and in the critical look at the Imperium as a totalitarian structure where people are just a resource.

The writer’s style is very dynamic. He knows how to write in such a way that the battle scenes live in the mind like the frames of a blockbuster movie. That is, these books can definitely be called cinematic. The author often changes points of view, which allows him to show events through the eyes of different participants and enriches the overall picture.

At the same time, not all plot decisions are flawless. In my opinion, sometimes there were far-fetched twists and turns, small “holes” in the logic, and sometimes I came across artificial descriptions of something or someone. However, all these are trifles, because in general, the novels achieve exactly the combination of epic and emotional that keeps the reader engaged until the last page. Of course, some people will like some more, others less, but in general, their level is high, the books are easy and interesting to read.

The trademark brutality of the series, and the entire Warhammer 40,000 universe, deserves a special mention. Graham McNeill doesn’t shy away from details. His descriptions always include cracked bones and gushing blood, and the local body horror sometimes reaches a level that even experienced space action readers will find creepy and uncomfortable. And yet this brutality never seems to be an end in itself, because it logically follows from the context of a universe where war is just a constant state of being.

It is important to know that in Ukraine, books on the Warhammer universes were published by Molfar Publishing House. But recently it became known that Games Workshop, which holds all the licenses for these universes, took away the right to publish books from Molfar. Some attribute this to the Russian footprint and the favor of some influential circles among Games Workshop to the russians, while others talk about the possible replacement of one Ukrainian publishing house by another. There are also a few other versions and theories, but for now, the main thing is this — Ukrainian readers will not have new books on this wonderful universe in the near future. That’s why I urge you to run to the Molfar publishing house’s website and buy up all the remaining books, because they will be gone soon. And they are now being given away at great discounts.

As for the book edition itself, it’s beautiful. I really like the pictures on the covers, which immediately tell you about the genre, style, and relation to a particular universe. And they are also designed cooler than many American and Western publications. At least in my opinion. That’s why it’s a rare case when I like a Ukrainian cover better than a Western one.

There are also no questions about the quality of printing, fonts, and paper. I cannot say that these are perfect editions, but they are definitely not bad. Everything here is simply done well and this is more than enough for a pleasant reading and a place for these books in the library of a modern science fiction lover.

Conclusion:

The Ultramarines series is a high-quality combination of a heroic space saga and a harsh military drama. These novels are definitely spectacular and brutal, but at the same time they can make you think about what honor, duty, and the price of victory are. The author has created a story that not only entertains, but also leaves a bitter but rich aftertaste.

These works set in the Warhammer 40,000 world are characterized by a flexible and «human» view of space marines, a combination of large-scale space opera and personal drama, and a willingness to ask uncomfortable questions that are usually shrugged off in this, and many other fantasy universes. For Warhammer fans, these are must-reads, and for newcomers, a good start if they are ready to immerse themselves in a world where war is constantly going on.