Author Archives: Michael

QUICK REVIEW: The Emperor’s Grace – Nicholas Alexander

Nicholas Alexander’s Imperial Navy short story The Emperor’s Grace depicts the intense stress a rookie Marauder bomber crew are placed under during an all-out attack on an ork air base. Part of a huge squadron tasked with striking a decisive blow in the war for Balle Prime, Captain Mikal and the crew of the Emperor’s Grace wrestle with a complex cocktail of emotions as they embark on their first mission. Tensions are high within the Marauder, but once they reach the target all their focus is on surviving long enough to complete the mission and return home in one piece.

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Dark Run – Mike Brooks

Mike Brooks’ debut novel, and the first in the Keiko trilogy, Dark Run is a characterful, fast-paced sci-fi adventure featuring smugglers, pirates, hitmen and hackers, in a not-so distant future where people travel fast, information travels slow, and if you’re lucky you can keep moving and stay ahead of your past. To the crew of the Keiko, Captain Ichabod Drift is a rogue and a scoundrel, but also a largely reliable and usually friendly face. When Drift’s history finally catches up with him, however, he’s forced to take on a mission which endangers everyone’s lives and risks revealing some dark secrets from his past.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Warden in the Mountain – Eric Gregory

Eric Gregory’s Age of Sigmar short story The Warden in the Mountain – his second Black Library release – is billed as a Warhammer Underworlds story, although it’s much more than a straight tie-in to the game. Upon the slopes of the Beastgrave, a vast mountain in the Realm of Ghur, Greatwarden Tythrae leads five aspirants to the Ruinhorn for their final challenge before being ordained as Wardens-in-the-Wild. The test is to endure the whispered voice of the Ruinhorn for a full night, but for Maethys, Laeren and Weheol the mountain’s voice is only the beginning of their trials.

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RAPID FIRE: Darius Hinks Talks The Beast Inside

Welcome to this instalment of Rapid Fire, my ongoing series of quick interviews with authors talking about their new releases. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read or listen to it.

In this instalment I spoke to Darius Hinks about his latest Black Library release – the Blackstone Fortress audio drama The Beast Inside, which is Darius’ first Black Library audio! It’s available to order in CD or MP3 formats right now – if you’re a Blackstone Fortress fan, now’s the time to explore it even further.

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RAPID FIRE: CL Werner Talks Beastgrave

In this instalment I spoke to CL Werner about his latest Age of Sigmar novel for Black Library, Beastgrave, which is available to order in hardback, ebook and audiobook right now. Fancy exploring the ongoing narrative of Warhammer Underworlds? This is the book for you…

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QUICK REVIEW: Acceptable Losses – Gav Thorpe

First published way back in 1998 in issue 9 of Inferno! magazine, Gav Thorpe’s Imperial Navy short story Acceptable Losses is a slice of vintage Black Library which still feels relevant and entertaining over 20 years later. Flight Commander Jaeger’s new command, the Marauder crews of Raptor Squadron, are a little rough around the edges to say the least, but he’s determined to whip them into shape. When they’re dispatched on a dangerous mission against a vast ork hulk, Raptor Squadron have the opportunity to prove their worth in battle and justify Jaeger’s faith in them.

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QUICK REVIEW: Martyr’s End – Alec Worley

Alec Worley’s third Adepta Sororitas short story for Black Library, Martyr’s End continues Sister Adamanthea’s story as the redeemed ex-Repentia – idolised by her Sisters for surviving her penance – searches for martyrdom in glorious battle. With her Sisters embattled against the T’au, Adamanthea is tasked with leading her youthful squad of Dominions on a hunt for an enemy leader, but her strict orders conflict with her own desire for battle. As she hurls herself into danger, she struggles to understand the purpose she’s been given by the Emperor – to fight and die, or survive and lead her Sisters to victory?

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QUICK REVIEW: Sturmhex – EJ Davies

Currently available only within the On Wings of Blood anthology, EJ Davies’ debut Black Library short story Sturmhex sees the entire First Brotherhood of Grey Knights launch an aerial insertion to combat a gathering daemonic incursion. Techmarine Aegir leads his Stormraven squadron into battle despite his misgivings at the unusual tactics, braving enemy fire to deliver his brothers into the thick of the action. The Grey Knights take the fight to the Lords of Decay, but even as they drive the enemy back Aegir can sense that there’s more to this conflict than he was led to believe.

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The Quantum Garden – Derek Künsken

The Quantum Garden, Derek Künsken’s second novel, picks up directly after the conclusion of The Quantum Magician and offers another compelling and thought-provoking hard sci-fi adventure. Having pulled off the con of a lifetime and escaped with the time gates, Belisarius and Cassie are quickly thrown back into danger when the lives of the entire homo quantus population are threatened. Enlisting the sceptical assistance of Colonel Iekanjika and risking an irreparable paradox, they put the time gates to hazardous use and travel back in time to search for answers in the history of the Sixth Expeditionary Force, while the implacable Scarecrow dogs them every step of the way.

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The Quantum Magician – Derek Künsken

Derek Künsken’s debut novel The Quantum Magician wraps a classic heist story up in hard sci-fi stylings, and delivers everything you’d want from both of those elements. In a distant future where competing Earth nations have expanded into the stars, engineering strange new branches of humanity, opportunities are still rife for hustlers. Belisarius Arjona is homo quantus, engineered to see into the quantum realm without disturbing it, which makes him a superlative con man. When he’s commissioned for a complex job requiring some very specialised help, he recognises the dangers but his pattern-seeking brain can’t resist the intricacy of the challenge.

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