Horus Heresy.

[Pureferret]

I am confused. This occurred in a surprisingly short time, I doubt I've ever been confused so easily before....

Which side meets who? Who is saying who isn't the emperor? It's just a tad confusing.....

[Chronosidal Maniac]

i get the feeling that that opening was designed to befuddle, and if you're not already familiar with the WH40k background it's probably a no-hoper.

give me time ti skim over that chapter and i'll explain it to you at some point

[~]

<sigh> It's easier if you read on and basically ignore it, it's really an example of the Great Crusade's imperialist brutality rather than a confession of heresy, there's just a coincidental similarity in titles which makes the whole invasion into a bad pun.

Actually, hats off to Abnett for making the subjugation of a world of billions into a bad pun.

[~]

...or did you mean the series in general? That gets rather more complex than just chapter one of Horus Rising.

[Talkie Toaster]

I am confused. This occurred in a surprisingly short time, I doubt I've ever been confused so easily before....

Which side meets who? Who is saying who isn't the emperor? It's just a tad confusing.....

Yeah, it's designed to play on your expectations. But if you don't know what to expect, then it's just confusing.

The big people from space fuckin' shit up are the servants of the Actual Emperor. The other people are following a random guy who's declared himself Emperor of mankind despite the fact he lives on like one world. It'd be like the soldiers of the king of England meeting the town mayor of warwick, who declares himself king of England.