Another month has rolled by, and we’re somehow into November already. As usual I want to take a look back at everything I’ve read and listened to in October and pick out a few highlights, the stories that have really stood out to me across the month. For this particular Monthly Highlights post I’ve gone for a novel, a short story anthology and a standalone short story, and while most of those selections are Black Library stories I’m going for something non-BL in there as well. I’ve read and listened to some really great stuff in October, but these were comfortable highlights.
I’ll start off with a non-Black Library novel – Priest of Bones by Peter McLean. If you regularly read my reviews and blog posts then you’ll know how impressed I’ve been with Peter’s first few Black Library short stories – Baphomet By Night, Lightning Run and No Hero – so it’s probably no surprise to learn that (in my opinion, at least) his latest novel is an absolute cracker of a book. Right from the start there’s a fresh, exciting tone to this novel, even in the dramatis personae section which pulls no punches as it introduces characters in no-nonsense, blunt as you like terms. That tone carries on throughout, with a voice that’s unlike anything I’ve read before, and a setting that’s as powerful as it is imaginative.
Of all the books I’ve read this year, this was one of the most gripping and compelling of the lot, and had me hooked from the get go. I’ve seen it described elsewhere as a fantasy Peaky Blinders, and certainly if you want a fantasy book about mobsters battling it out for territory in the grim aftermath of a great war then this should be right at the top of your list. Despite being set in an obviously fantasy world there’s something grounded about it – there’s a bit of magic here and there, and a LOT of violence, but the focus is on the characters and what drives them. Strip all the fantasy elements away and what you’d be left with is a bunch of brilliantly written characters determined to find a way to survive. Have a read of my review for a bit more info, but ultimately I’d say just go out and buy it!
Next up I’m going to slightly cheat, by going for an anthology containing MANY stories – Inferno! Volume 1. I’ve talked a lot about this over the last few weeks, but I really can’t overstate how important the original Inferno! magazines were for me when I was younger, nor how happy I am to see Black Library reviving the concept. To be honest I’d built up my own hype for the new anthology so much that I started to feel nervous before I read it, worried that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations…but I’m delighted to say that I needn’t have worried. There’s a real variety of stories included in this anthology, covering 40k, Age of Sigmar, Necromunda and even old-school Warhammer (Warhammer Chronicles as it’s known these days), so there should be something for everyone!
That variety is a hugely important aspect of this sort of anthology to my mind, so I’m really pleased to see it here. To me, Inferno! has the chance to be two things – an entry point to BL for new fans, and an exploration of slightly unusual stories and concepts that offers existing fans something a bit different. In this volume that’s nicely achieved, with the nostalgia of Josh Reynolds’ two Warhammer Chronicles stories, a wide range of 40k stories featuring Marines, Guard and even some unusually talkative orks, a couple of very different Age of Sigmar stories and a Necromunda tale showing an unexpected side to House Goliath. Have a read of my review to see more, but do also check out my article about Inferno! Volume 1 which features comments from all of the authors about their stories.
For my last pick I’m going for a single short story, in the shape of Repentia by Alec Worley. I’ve been a Sisters of Battle fan for many years – I’ve even got a half-decent collection of the old metal miniatures – but I haven’t always enjoyed the way Sisters have been portrayed in Black Library stories in the past. Too often I’ve felt that they have been shown as little more than disposable, power armoured Guard, so it’s been great to see some very strong portrayals of late. Worley’s previous story Whispers was a powerful story which really did the Sisters justice, but Repentia goes one step further, taking the concept of Sisters Repentia and incorporating it into a brutal, bonkers story full of action and entertainment.
Of all the Battle Sisters archetypes, the Sisters Repentia were always the one I felt I understood the least, so I was genuinely surprised by where Worley took his unnamed protagonist in Repentia, and the way he made her not just a valid character but a hugely satisfying one. This is a character whose faith burns so hot that it drives her to incredible feats but also edges her close to what we would consider insanity, and despite how crazy it might seem for her to be facing off against Flesh Hounds or Chaos Space Marines, somehow Worley made me believe that she could do it. It’s a relentless, action-packed story and I absolutely loved it! Check out my review here. I’m now just keeping my fingers crossed for more like this from Worley.
So there you have it, my top three picks for October’s Monthly Highlights – in no specific order Priest of Bones by Peter McLean, the Inferno! Volume 1 anthology, and Repentia by Alec Worley. I’d love to know what you thought of these stories if you’ve read any of them, so let me know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter. I’ll aim to write another one of these posts at the start of December, looking back at what I’ve read (or listened to) and reviewed in November!