Author Archives: Michael

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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QUICK REVIEW: The Neverspike – Darius Hinks

A prequel to his Age of Sigmar novel Ghoulslayer, Darius Hinks’ short story The Neverspike sees the Celestial Vindicator Trachos stumble upon Gotrek Gurnisson in the mountains of Aqshy. Troubled by temperamental memories and an unnatural voice in his head, accusing him of weakness and cowardice, Trachos sees in the doom-seeking Slayer an opportunity to return to Azyr in glory. Accompanying Gotrek and Maleneth on their search for the Neverspike – a dangerous fragment of Shyish – he plots how to part the Slayer from the Master Rune embedded in his chest, without quite realising who he’s dealing with.

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Blood Rite – Rachel Harrison

Rachel Harrison’s novella Blood Rite, the second in Black Library’s Space Marine Heroes series (after Phil Kelly’s entertaining Death Knell), is a mournful, characterful exploration of the Blood Angels’ twin flaws and what it takes to resist them. Luminata, an Imperial world protecting a chalice said to have been crafted by Sanguinius himself, has fallen to the corruption of the Word Bearers and their warp magic. Captain Donato leads his Archangels in a lightning assault to destroy the heretics and retrieve the chalice, but to succeed they’ll have to battle their own flawed nature as well as the Word Bearers and their tainted allies.

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QUICK REVIEW: Last Flight – Edoardo Albert

For his second Black Library story – Last Flight – Edoardo Albert delivers a tale of courage and survival in the skies over a war-torn water world. The war on Sagaraya reaches a turning point when the heretic fleet is forced into attack range of the Imperial Navy…just. Pilot Commander Baruch Neriah leads his Marauder squadron on a daring attack run against a gargantuan aircraft carrier that forms the backbone of the Chaos forces, despite knowing that his bomber, the Spirit of St. Pascale, doesn’t have the range to safely return to the following Imperial fleet.

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