Talon of Horus
The Talon of Horus is the lightning claw formerly wielded by Horus, now wielded by Abaddon the Despoiler. After the Warmaster was killed in his confrontation with the Emperor, Abaddon took the weapon from his father's body and has used it since. Unlike most lightning claws, it has an integrated combi-bolter.
The weapon has an incredibly impressive kill count, including Sanguinius and Fabius Bile's clone of Horus. According to Iskandar Khayon, the psychic aura the weapon projects is overbearing, and any Blood Angel that confronts Abaddon goes completely berzerk due to it having been used to kill their Primarch.
Crunch-wise, it's a Sx2 lightning claw with a combi-bolter attached.
The Novel
It's also a book by Aaron Dembski-Bowden about the founding of the Black Legion, and part 1 of his rehabilitation of Abaddon's reputation. The novel follows Iskandar Khayon, a former Thousand Sons sorcerer, and his involvement in the hunt for Abaddon and the Vengeful Spirit.
What's awesome
- A good part of the story is a somewhat longer What it's like, about how politics, power and daily life for a Chaos Marine works in the Eye of Terror.
- The protagonist and his confederates aren't portrayed as one-dimensional cartoon villains, but as calculating demi-gods who have their own reasons for wanting the Legion Wars to end.
- Sheds a good light on Abaddon, making him seem like a man who warriors would want to follow. Either he's much less arrogant than he was portrayed during the Horus Heresy novels, or he was putting on an act for Khayon and co. Either way, shows he's at least somewhat capable.
- Features a good example of a (relatively) reasonable Khorne devotee: Lheor.
What's not awesome
- It's pretty clear that ADB is a Chaos fanboy from this work (if it wasn't before).
- Obviously, since he wrote a Grey Knights book, a Ragnar book, a Helsreach book (considered the best book for the Black Templars), Cadian blood...he clearly only likes chaos and only writes for them.
- There's a fair amount of skub around Khayon's two companions: a Dark Eldar Scourge/Incubi who Khayon is keeping alive with psychic powers, and a benign daemon or warp-creature that acts as his familiar.
- Seeing as the entirety of the book is dictated to the Inquisition while the narrator is in custody, many of the things he says are suspect (such as his claim that Chaos is fated to eventually overthrow the Imperium.)