On the seventeenth day of Christmas, Black Library gave to us…a Horus Heresy short story by Gav Thorpe. A 1000-or-so word micro short, The Value of Fear features the Raven Guard as they fight to quell an Alpha Legion-led rebellion alongside an unlikely ally in the shape of a still-loyal Night Lord. Striking as ever from the shadows, as the mission progresses Sergeant Ashel has cause to question the methodologies of his ally, compared to those of the Raven Guard.
Gav cleverly uses the concept of a Raven Guard and Night Lord working together to look at both the differences and similarities in these two legions, and the way in which they use the fear of the unknown to their advantage. Working within the constraints of the 1k-length story, he focuses on the back and forth dialogue between the two characters, putting them in a situation where both are comfortable and instinctively think to follow their own methods. As with all similar length stories it’s very much short and sweet, but it delivers a satisfying impact and (as happens so often in the Heresy) raises some interesting questions about what might be coming next.
Click here to go to the main Black Library Advent Calendar post and see the other reviews.
Or…
2 comments