I do like a good ‘best-of’ list, even though they’re tricky to put together! I was recently asked by the Warhammer Community team to write a ‘best Black Library novels of 2019’ article, which was fun (you can find that here), while back in July here on Track of Words I published a series of articles looking back at the first six months of 2019 and highlighting my favourite BL novels, short stories, audio dramas and anthologies that published up to then. It’s almost the end of the year now, so it’s time to do the same thing for the second half of 2019 – July to December. In this article I’m going to focus solely on the novels which stood out to me as the best reads.
As with last time, I’ve gone for three top picks along with a handful of honourable mentions, and I’ve stuck with books which were published for the first time (i.e. no paperback reprints) between July and December. I also decided not to include anything that has only been available in Limited Edition hardback – so no Valdor, although I’ve included one novel below which was released in standard and Special Edition hardback simultaneously. I couldn’t go for any one of these over the others, so I’ve not chosen a ‘top pick’ or anything like that. Instead, I’ve listed them in alphabetical order by author. Your mileage may vary, of course, but these are the books that I personally enjoyed the most!
Rites of Passage by Mike Brooks
Returning home after the death of her husband (which she herself arranged), Chettamandey Brobantis’ careful plans for the future of her house are interrupted by inter-house politics, mysterious disappearances and the looming threat of warp-based disaster. As danger builds, Chetta comes to realise that all of her meticulous planning and all her skill in diplomacy might not be enough to save her house from what’s coming.
What’s not to love about the first EVER Black Library novel to focus solely on the Navigator Houses? Last year, in Inferno! Volume 2, I read a Necromunda short story called A Common Ground, which briefly – intriguingly – introduced the character of Lady Chetta. That was enough to whet my appetite, never mind the thought of a WHOLE NOVEL about Navigators, but I had no idea just how much I was going to come to love this character with her sharp tongue, cunning wit, sore hip and lack of patience with all this foolishness! She’s an absolute balm to the soul after endless stoic Space Marines and plucky Guardsmen (both of which are cool, don’t get me wrong), and it’s just a joy to read about such a well-written character who also happens to be an old, disabled woman!
It’s not just about Chetta, either (although I would blind-buy any story she features in). This offers a rare and welcome opportunity to learn more about the workings and political machinations of the Navigator Houses, in a ‘domestic 40k’ setting that’s previously only been the domain of the Inquisition or, occasionally the Adeptus Arbites. If you like a bit of investigative 40k with great characters (including an unusual but very interesting antagonist), sharp dialogue and the looming threat of Chaos-fuelled disaster, I would strongly suggest that you make sure this is high up on your list!
Check out my review of Rites of Passage here.
Gloomspite by Andy Clark
Grief-stricken Hendrick Saul and his Swords of Sigmar make for Draconium to deliver a hard-earned warning of dark omens and death to the city’s protectors, and honour a fallen comrade. Finding themselves trapped in a city beset by sinister disturbances and dire portents, the mercenaries begrudgingly join the defences but aren’t prepared for the darkness that’s rising to engulf Draconium.
I’ve followed Andy’s Black Library career with interest, from Warhammer Quest to Imperial Knights by way of Stormcast Eternals and even Alpha Legion, but this story of human adventurers suffering under the attention of the Bad Moon is, in my opinion, unquestionably the best – and most gut-clenchingly disgusting – thing he’s written to date. By the time I picked it up I had seen comments saying that it was a bit gross, so I went in expecting that, but at first I was puzzled. It was great, I liked the characters and the looming threat they were trying to prevent, but it wasn’t what I would call disgusting. And then it kicked in.
There are a few moments in this book which, four and a bit months after reading it, still make me feel a bit ill. Genuinely. And you know what? That’s exactly what this book SHOULD do – Age of Sigmar grots are categorically not funny little rascals, they’re nasty little buggers who turn up following waves of creepy crawlies and horrible squiggly beasties and turn the Mortal Realms upside down. Impressively, Andy manages to convey that incredibly well while also telling a characterful, hugely entertaining story which perfectly encapsulates the Age of Sigmar setting. I very much hope Andy writes more about these characters, although next time I’m going to be ready for the nastiness.
Check out my review of Gloomspite here.
Mark of Faith by Rachel Harrison
After losing everything in defence of Ophelia VII, Sister Evangeline is sent on a divine quest to seek out the Shield of Saint Katherine in Imperium Nihilus. To Inquisitor Ravara of the Ordo Malleus, Evangeline’s mission offers the opportunity to serve her own ends and undo a terrible wrong. Haunted by ghosts of the past and wrestling with their duties, both find their faith tested and their paths profoundly challenged.
The Sisters of Battle have, for a long time, been an element of Warhammer 40,000 that I’ve absolutely loved, but often been a touch disappointed by how they’ve been portrayed. In recent years that’s been getting better and better, with great stories by authors like Danie Ware and Alec Worley, and then in November the first full Sisters of Battle novel for YEARS came along…and absolutely took my breath away. On the one hand it’s a pretty straightforward story, with Evangeline and Ravara setting out on a quest to fetch the Shield only to face all manner of horrible warp nastiness on the way. That’s cool, but nothing we haven’t seen before.
I often say this, but the benefit of a straightforward plot is that it gives the author lots of room to play with the characters, and that’s exactly what Rachel does here. Forget about the plot for a moment – this is a story which delves into two wildly divergent characters who nevertheless want (loosely) the same thing, and in which every single character is hurting, grieving for something and driven in at least some way by love. That’s right, love – how often can you say that about 40k characters? It’s one of the most emotionally brutal Black Library stories I’ve ever read, and in typical Harrison style it’s no less physically brutal as well! I’m not even going to say that this is for Sisters fans – if you like 40k stories, and you have any interest in complex, three-dimensional characters, then do yourself a favour and buy this!
Check out my review of Mark of Faith here.
Honourable mentions
As I said earlier, I could easily have included several other books in my top three, all of which are fantastic reads. Here are a few of those other books which I’d suggest are well worth checking out (click on the links below to read my reviews):
The House of Night and Chain by David Annandale – the first full Warhammer Horror novel, this gives Annandale the chance to properly flex his horror muscles and give us a 40k haunted house story packed full of broken characters and sinister atmosphere in the halls of Malveil.
The Court of the Blind King by David Guymer – a tale of power, privilege and intrigue amongst the Idoneth Deepkin, as Prince Lurien travels the deep places of the Mortal Realms in search of allies to support his claim for the throne of Briomdar. The Deepkin are pretty cold characters, but this is an atmospheric, entertaining read.
Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work by Guy Haley – he might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Belisarius Cawl is one of my favourite characters in all of 40k. A full novel exploring his idiosyncratic adventures AND wrapping up the ongoing Scythes of the Emperor arc, this is tremendous fun and also impressively insightful (although don’t expect straight answers).
Ghoulslayer by Darius Hinks – everyone’s favourite slayer gets his first Age of Sigmar novel, as Gotrek Gurnisson rampages through Shyish in search of a confrontation with the God of Death himself, battling vast numbers of – you guessed it – ghouls along the way. It’s an absolute must-read for any Gotrek fan, as Darius NAILS the character and the tone.
The Hollow Mountain by Chris Wraight – the follow-up to 2017’s The Carrion Throne, this continues the adventures of Crowl and Spinoza down in the depths of Terra, picking up right where the previous book left off. It’s another fabulous look at the Inquisition, the decaying grandeur of Terra, and the dark heart of the Imperium itself.
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There you are then, my personal favourites out of the Black Library novels released in the second half of 2019. If you haven’t already, make sure you check out my article looking back at the best novels from the first half of the year as well! You can also check out the article I wrote for the official Warhammer Community website, in which I take a brief look at my 10 favourite BL books of the year in total.
How many of these books have you read? Did you enjoy them too? Have I missed your favourites off the list? I’d love to hear what your favourite books of the year have been – you can leave a comment below, or come find me on Twitter to let me know!