Rather than review Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work (2020), Genefather (2024) and Archmagos (2026) separately, I am lobbing Guy Haley’s trilogy for Games Workshop together here, for it is, after all, a trilogy. Although one can read these in the wrong order (I did) and I would even say you can read the first one as a standalone. With minimal questions of who and what the blazes is happening.
For those wondering why I’m babbling about Warhammer 40K at Never Was: its “Adeptus Mechanicus” are steampunk as all hell. Just look at their miniature range and you know exactly what I’m talking about. As such, a setting absolutely filled to the brim with diesel- and steampunk influences is very much of interest to us. So let’s talk Cawl.
Belisarius Cawl is not your regular member of the Adeptes Mechanicus. He is sassy as all hell, does as he pleases (infamously states he can do anything) and gets himself and everyone near him — usually his more-or-less bestie Friedish Qvo and Frankensteined “son” Alpha Primus) into all sorts of wacky (mis)adventures. With all sorts of outcomes, which I shan’t spoil.
The books are not exclusively focused on Cawl and his clique, however. Each books contains several other groups of characters and switches between them. Only for things to either come together at some later point or to lay the groundwork for the next story. (The latter is definitely the case in Archmagos and, yes, I would like another trilogy, thank you and please!)
The first book takes us to the ruins of the planet Sotha. Once home of the Scythes of the Emperor chapter of Space Marines, now an empty husk fallen to the ravages of the Tyranids, for space bugs devour all. Here we find that both the remnants of the chapter, as well as Cawl, have their own agenda. Caught in the middle of the ensuing and rising problems of various kinds, is Decimus Felix and his squad of Space Marines.
The story isn’t linear, but it unfolds through flashbacks, interwoven background information and current events.
I would say this is maybe even more about Felix than it is about Belisarius Cawl. I read this one last, and I must admit I’m kind of glad I did, as it was less my kind of story and I’m not sure I would have picked up the rest of the books if I’d started with it. It read more as a Space Marine story than it did a Belisarius Cawl book. But that reflects my personal preference.
Genefather is the book I read first. It focuses on Cawl preparing the events of the final book, ploys by the Dark Mechanicum as well as Fabius Bile. Bile is a Warhammer grimdark character that has been very well established in both the Horus Heresy and 40K, and is written in a way here that you need no prior knowledge about him at all, and you still understand what he’s about. I knew only the basis about the character, and I had absolutely no problem following along with his parts. Events of the previous book are referenced, but in a way that if you’ve not read The Great Work, you’re not missing out.
It’s very well paced, and with an excellent mix of political scenes and action-packed moments. I feel that we get to know the personalities of the main three, Cawl, Primus and Qvo, a little better here. There’s real depth to several of the characters, and their development is expertly woven into the larger narrative.
And it sets up beautifully for further events with Fabius Bile as well as those of the third book.
The final book in the series (which I read second) follows along a warband of traitor space marines of The Iron Warriors, and that same lot of Dark Mechanicum characters from Genefather in their own plots and ploys that conclude near the end of the book. I did feel like this book hit harder if you had more background knowledge. But even without it, you’ll be fine, and it’s a delightful mad romp kind of time heist on the level of the best episodes of Doctor Who.
We get introduced to a new character for Cawl’s retinue: Solana of Mars, and her levels of absolute fed up with Cawl and his bullshit are comedy gold. Cawl is as sassy as ever, frighteningly clever and this book just proves why he’s a bit of a fan favorite.
We see the return of Felix and his men but also meet the Wolfspear chapter. The difference between Space Marine chapter cultures is very well portrayed without taking away from the main storyline and adds an interesting new element.
The back and forth between points of view was really well done here. And while I’m not really here for the Space Marines (with exception of a few), I found that it didn’t bug me with this book like it did with the first book. But if you do read them in the right order, you will fully grasp the exasperation of some characters with Cawl, as well as the relationship between Cawl and Felix.
I have, fairly often now (do not make it a drinking game!) mentioned different levels of lore knowledge and how you can go in pretty much blind into this trilogy. There is a reason for this: Warhammer 40K books often have the issue that the writer expects that every reader is well-versed in the setting, or at the very least the faction they are reading about. I have, in the past, put books down because I was so fed up with apparently being required to know the entire chronology and every single detail about a faction.
This is thankfully not the case about these books. Haley has found the right balance between brushing over the most basic information about well-established factions and characters, so readers new to the setting have enough to go on. While at the same time not making it repetitive for those who are better versed in the lore.
So if you want to read about a steampunk mad scientist who is sassy, clever and up to no good and all the good in one go, give one of these books — or all three — a try!
