#39 Warhammer 40K Fulgrim: The Perfect Son by Jude Reid

Fulgrim: The Perfect Son was released in 2025, and it’s the first book by Jude Reid I’ve read. I have to say, I really enjoyed her writing. It was unexpectedly good, and I emphasize that because I rarely come across Black Library authors whose style truly resonates with me. Usually, I enjoy the stories more than the writing itself. But in Reid’s case, I got the whole package, substance and execution, so it was a real treat.

So what do we have here? On the planet Crucible, which is under the protection of a Black Templar named Berengar, Fulgrim launches an attack. His reasons are entirely in character, by that I mean his post-transformation personality as a Chaos Primarch, since we’re deep in the 41st Millennium.

Wanting to cull the weak from his ranks, he sends his warriors there with a simple rule: whoever survives is worthy to serve him. Classic Fulgrim, charming in his own deranged way. The Phoenician is thoroughly entertaining, even if he’s completely under Slaanesh’s spell, which leaves him with little choice.

One of the book’s central characters, almost the protagonist, is Tamaris. He leads the Perfecti and spearheads the invasion of Crucible. The tragic part is that he has no idea what Fulgrim truly intends. In Tamaris’s mind, he is a god, which makes him a tragic hero by definition, his unwavering faith is placed in something false, or at the very least, something far removed from what he believes it to be.

As expected, the conflict is bloody, with betrayals and growing tensions among the Emperor’s Children. And here's the irony: they still carry that name, even though they no longer resemble the “children” they once were. Yet, they cling to the title. What’s fascinating is how they continue to fight for Fulgrim’s favor, for his approval, because that validation means everything to them. But gradually, Tamaris begins to see things for what they are. That’s when the futility of the entire mission starts to surface, a recurring theme in Black Library novels and one of the main reasons I keep reading them, that endless, darkly imaginative, brutally honest madness, peppered with moments of literary brilliance. Especially when writers like Graham McNeill, Dan Abnett, and Aaron Dembski-Bowden are at the helm.

Jude Reid is a relatively new addition to the Warhammer lineup, and I read that besides being an excellent writer, she’s also a surgeon, which is not something you come across very often. She’s written at least three other novels in the universe, and I definitely want to get my hands on them: Morvenn Vahl: Spear of Faith, Creed: Ashes of Cadia, and Daemonbreaker. Based on The Perfect Son, she’s a perfect match for my tastes.

Until next time — be well, and keep reading.

It’s important!

Accompanying Notes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkYJMXVRdCs

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