One of a growing number of Horusian Wars short stories each focusing on a different member of Inquisitor Covenant’s warband, John French’s The Mistress of Threads is a compelling, if unusually constructed, story centred on Viola von Castellan. Told through the medium of correspondence between Viola and (mostly) a wayward member of her extended family, it’s the tale of a commercial empire’s ups and downs in the wake of the Great Rift, a sinister cartel, and the strange relationships that underpin the von Castellan dynasty. Plus a typically dark glimpse of a mystery lurking beneath the surface of the Imperium.
Structurally it’s the prose equivalent of a found-footage tale, so everything we learn about events taking place comes at a remove – even the snippets of transcribed dialogue offer up little context for what Viola is thinking. Rather than being restrictive, that imbues the story with far greater mystery than a traditionally-told narrative would have, and in French’s capable hands the plot gradually comes together into a captivating tale that really captures the essence of the Inquisition in 40k. Even if you figure out what’s going on in advance, it’s deeply satisfying to watch the story unfold and Viola’s careful plans come to fruition.
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Whats the difference between horus heresy and horusian wars? I have not come across the term yet???
The Horusian Wars is a totally separate series to the Heresy. It’s set in the ‘current’ 40k timeline and is about Inquisitor Covenant and his warband.