Author Archives: Michael

Warhammer 40,000 Legends Issue Six – Crossfire by Matthew Farrer

The sixth book of Hachette/Black Library’s Warhammer 40,000 Legends Collection is Matthew Farrer’s Crossfire, his first novel for Black Library and the opening book in the Shira Calpurnia trilogy. Similarly to Dan Abnett’s Eisenhorn series, this book and the others in its trilogy take a look at life in the Imperium away from the big battlefields, this time exploring what it’s like being a member of the Adeptus Arbites. The 40k universe is a big place, with plenty of conflict on the street level, as Shira finds shortly after landing on a new world right at the beginning of this book.

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Black Library Audio Week 2017 with Gav Thorpe

It’s Audio Week 2017 on the Black Library website – two brand new audio dramas serialised over five days beginning Monday 17th April. This would be cause for celebration on its own, but when you add in the fact that these two stories are the very first to be set in the post-Gathering Storm 40k universe…it’s very exciting indeed!

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Cult of the Warmason – CL Werner

Set on the Imperial shrine world of Lubentina, CL Werner’s Cult of the Warmason is all about the clash of fanatics. With militia patrols going missing, Sister Superior Trishala of the Order of the Sombre Vow learns that the growing unrest is not caused by rioting workers but an infestation of genestealers. Despite her warnings, Lubentina’s government refuses to react accordingly…until it’s too late. When the insidious Cult of the Apocalypse rises up, the city’s defenders find themselves beset on all sides while their leaders bicker and procrastinate, risking the safety of the Warmason Vadok Singh’s priceless relics.

Just to be clear – that’s the guy who designed the Imperial Palace alongside Rogal Dorn! The Cult of the Warmason refers to the Imperials…sneaky title, there…

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Black Library Weekly – W/C 10/04/17

Hello and welcome to another instalment of Black Library Weekly, my regular look at what’s been happening in the world of Black Library. We’re already on week fifteen of 2017 if you can believe it, and this week brought with it a pair of seconds – the second full (i.e. numbered) Horus Heresy book of the year, and the second Horus Heresy: The Primarchs book of the year. As always let’s start at the beginning…

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QUICK REVIEW: The Skeleton Key – David Annandale

Another Blood Bowl story from Black Library, The Skeleton Key is David Annandale’s first contribution to this growing collection of highly entertaining tales. This time the story is told from the perspective of mummy Ramtut the Third, as his Champions of Death undead team take on the honest-to-a-fault Bright Crusaders in the Dungeonbowl. Unlike a standard Blood Bowl game this involves a search for both the ball and the end zones, along with traps, teleporting skeletons, interfering goblins, and even a little cross-dimensional travel. It’s a clash of heroes against monsters even while Ramtut despairs at how far he’s fallen.

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Black Library Weekly – W/C 03/04/17

Hello and welcome to another instalment of Black Library Weekly, my regular look at what’s been happening in the world of Black Library. It’s April already (how did that happen?), which means this is the fourteenth instalment of Black Library Weekly so far in 2017! As weeks go, it’s been a pretty interesting one, so let’s start at the beginning as usual and have a look at what’s been happening…

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Crossfire – Matthew Farrer

Matthew Farrer’s debut novel for Black Library, Crossfire is the first book in the Shira Calpurnia trilogy and introduces us to the character of Shira, newly-arrived Arbitor Senioris of the Hydraphur system. Fiercely devoted to the ideals of the Adeptus Arbites, Shira faces an uphill struggle to adapt to the swirling political waters on Hydraphur where nothing is black and white. After surviving an assassination attempt after just three days on the surface, her investigations soon bring her into conflict with the many political players on Hyrdaphur, the Inquisition, and her own concepts of what it means to be Arbites.

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Forgotten Texts: Snares and Delusions by Matthew Farrer

“You will set your eyes on the heart of Varantha, and all will come to an end”

Matthew Farrer’s second story for Black Library, and his first Warhammer 40,000 tale, Snares and Delusions sees Chaplain De Haan of the Word Bearers corrupting an Eldar Exodite world in his search for the craftworld Varantha and his foretold destiny. Possessed of boundless reserves of hatred and convinced he’s on the path to glory, De Haan is utterly focused on bringing the loathed craftworld to heel in spite of the Eldar’s reputation for trickery. Even when his words of fire and hate fail him before a sermon to his flock, his self belief remains absolute…

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QUICK REVIEW: Terminal Velocity – LJ Goulding

Another instalment in LJ Goulding’s growing body of Scythes of the Emperor stories, Terminal Velocity is a micro-short story that tells an unusual tale. Told from the first person perspective of an unnamed Scythe, it’s a dizzying depiction of a Space Marine’s absolute dedication as our nameless protagonist survives the destruction of his transport ship only to freefall from fourteen thousand metres. To say too much more would spoil the fun, but suffice to say his options are limited, without a functioning jump pack or any way of calling for support from his embattled brothers.

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Black Library Weekly – W/C 27/03/17

Hello and welcome to another instalment of Black Library Weekly, my regular look at what’s been happening in the world of Black Library. It’s been an interesting week, with March of the Titans continuing for the weekend’s big release but replaced for Digital Monday, and changes taking place midweek with the Black Library website. As always, let’s start at the beginning… Continue reading →