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Valdor: Birth of the Imperium

Written by: Chris Wraight
Narrated by: Steven Pacey,Jonathan Keeble,Katy Maw,Toby Longworth
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Publisher's Summary

A Horus Heresy character novel.

Constantin Valdor is the chief of the Emperor's Custodian Guard and is among the closest of His companions. As the wars of Unity come to their end, Constantin faces his greatest challenge, as dark deeds are required to pave Mankind's road to the stars.

Listen to It Because:

Delve into the era of the Unification Wars and discover Constantin Valdor's role in bringing about the Imperium of Mankind in an unmissable novel by Chris Wraight!

The Story:

Constantin Valdor. It is a name that brings forth images of heroism, honour and peerless duty. For it is he who commands the will of the Legio Custodes that most esteemed and dedicated cadre of elite warriors. He is the Emperor’s sword, His shield, His banner and he knows no equal. Clad in shining auramite, his fist clenched around the haft of his Guardian Spear, he is the bulwark against all enemies of the throne, within or without. Nearing the end of the wars of Unity, Valdor’s courage and purpose is put to the test as never before. The petty warlords and tyrants of Old Earth have been all but vanquished, and the Emperor’s armies are triumphant. What now for the nascent Imperium and what fate for its forgotten soldiers, its Thunder Warriors and armies of Unity? A new force is rising, one which shall eclipse all others and open the way to the stars. But change on Terra is seldom bloodless, and for progress to be ensured darker deeds are necessary. 

Written by Chris Wraight. Narrated by Steven Pacey, Jonathon Keeble, Katy Maw and Toby Longworth.

©2019 Games Workshop Limited (P)2019 Games Workshop Limited

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What listeners say about Valdor: Birth of the Imperium

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Great for context on the beginning of the Imperium

Fantastic narration with a great story. While it doesn't actually talk much about Valdor himself, it's a great little background on the imperium itself and it's beginning.

1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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THUNDER WARRIOR LORE

Honestly for a 6 hour title it was great, good story, a little more indepeth on Valdor witch is nice and some history into the thunder warriors.

If I could give it 6 stars I wouldb

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great story!

excellent story dealing with the twilight of the thunder warriors. some good twists and turns, schemes and. over ups made absolutely authentic by Steven Pacey's godlike narration.

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Don't recommend.

The voice actor performance is great but the book is just so unbelievable dry. The best comparison I can make is Star Wars prequels. You get your origin story, alright, but it feels like the focus was on mundane details.

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Valdor, but mostly the burgeoning of the Imperium

Keeble delivers a stellar performance. Nice to learn more about the formation of the Imperium

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VALDOR

it wasn't what I expected it to be and I'm pleasantly surprised of how it was written.

the voice acting and how the entire story played out was great.

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5th 40k book and it's my favorite

this book was amazing, while I think the narration can be kinda played out. as every 40k seems to have the same narrator. I thought the book it's self was very good, Valdor is a very interesting character and his final battle with the primarch of the thunder warriors was unforgettable

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Great Book I've listened to it multiple times.

Honestly an amazing book great expansion for the Imperiums history and story with great insight into its Founding and a rich plethora of interesting tales with valdor acting as a sort of pre destined fulcrum acting as a great storyteller as well.

And furthermore a thanks to the authora the voice actor and to Luetin for encouraging his community to listen or read it again.

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  • Ethan
  • 2020-04-03

Can Chris Wraight please have a team of lore nerds

I get very conflicted with Chris Wraights books because they are well written by themselves but the are not consistent with the greater 30k/40k lore. In this book we get a lot of good lore but then suddenly we’re told that the legions had their icons before finding their primarchs? Also apparently the emperor thought of the primarchs as sons? Those two things not only are out of character but they have books that address those issues. I get wanting to hint at the dark angels helping with the conflict but anyone who knows 30k will know that a Roman numeral 1 on the pauldron would be more of a name drop than the legion heraldry. Overall kinda annoyed/ disappointed because it was good up until the last 2-3 chapters where all this happened.

21 people found this helpful

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  • E. M. Weisberg
  • 2021-03-08

Misleading title

I really liked this novella, but given that I wanted to learn more about Valdor, I was disappointed. As a story about an event in the early part of the Imperium, it is very good, but Valdor features in less than half the book. The reader's performance was fantastic as always.

4 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Ralph
  • 2020-05-07

It was okay

Honestly was hoping for more about Valdor and have the book actually be about him instead of the slew of other characters who got far more attention I feel. I honestly feel the title is somewhat misleading to those wanting to know more about the man, rather than whats given in this one.

4 people found this helpful

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  • James Anacleto
  • 2020-04-22

No revelations, just an awesome story

While most of us already know the beginning of the Imperium proper: end of the Thunder Warriors, the Primarch project, the Legions it's nice to have a character perspective about these events in finer detail, especially through Constantine Valdor.

4 people found this helpful

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  • K. Winter
  • 2020-07-28

Incredibly boring filler book

Performance was fantastic but could not save this bad book. Incredibly boring, book worst of the Imperium or Horus books I've read. it feels like it was a book they wrote just to write a book.

3 people found this helpful

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  • Christopher Bruner
  • 2020-04-01

Well done. I was hoping for more lore.

I was hoping for more Lore about the old battles, a discription of the battle between the thunder warrior and the custodes. I didn't learn anything I didn't already know. I wish more artistic licence was used towards the character development. The only real character with a story were ultimately inconsequential.

3 people found this helpful

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  • Sam Breitenbauch
  • 2020-04-01

wooow! Amazed and I want more!

Excellent narration and performance. As is the norm for black library works. The story was great. Very enlightening. I would advise not to introduce some to the grim dark with this however. A great book though for fans and players of 40k 30k and any one who loves the lore especially.

2 people found this helpful

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  • Lorgar
  • 2020-05-14

Avi Imperator

The Emperor Protects, great story about the founding years of the Imperium after the Unity Wars.

1 person found this helpful

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  • Tyson Danger
  • 2020-05-08

excellent.

I loved it because one of the most hated characters in all of 40K is finally cast down from her Summit and portrayed as the villain she rightly is.

1 person found this helpful

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2023-03-11

I liked it.

I decided to get this story and I'm glad. I think I'm enjoying storied around the Custodes more and more. Also I love early glimpses of the Imperium and tales of the Unification. This story does a good job of filling in some details left out of the rest of the HH so far.