Category Archives: Black Library

The Last Wall – David Annandale (The Beast Arises Book Four)

IMPORTANT: This is book four in a series – there will be spoilers unless you’ve read I Am Slaughter, Predator, Prey or The Emperor Expects.

For book four in Black Library’s The Beast Arises series – The Last Wall – the baton passes to David Annandale to carry on the story started by Dan Abnett and continued by Rob Sanders and Gav Thorpe. At this point in the series Terra’s reeling from the shock of an ork moon appearing in orbit – with the Navy much too far away to intervene and the Imperial Fists wiped out, the home world is left essentially defenceless. Much to the relief of the population, and the bafflement of the High Lords, the orks don’t immediately attack, which gives Juskina Tull – Speaker for the Chartist Captains – the opportunity to put into action an audacious plan to arm the population and take on the attack moon with sheer weight of numbers.
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The Emperor Expects – Gav Thorpe (The Beast Arises Book 3)

IMPORTANT: This is book three in a series, so if you haven’t read I Am Slaughter or Predator, Prey you may find spoilers below.

Book three in Black Library’s The Beast Arises series, The Emperor Expects sees the reins handed over to Gav Thorpe for the first proper look at the Imperial Navy during this time of intense upheaval for the Imperium. The spotlight falls on Captain Rafal Kulik of the Colossus as he navigates the treacherous waters of naval politics, caught between two antagonistic fleet admirals as the Navy launches a desperate assault on an ork attack moon. Meanwhile the politicking continues amongst the High Lords back on Terra, while Second Captain Koorland – sole surviving Imperial Fist – calls a gathering of power that hasn’t been seen for a thousand years.
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Asurmen: Hand of Asuryan – Gav Thorpe

The first novel in what will, hopefully, eventually be a full Phoenix Lord series, Asurmen: Hand of Asuryan sees Gav Thorpe delve into the mythology of the eldar to tell the tale of the titular Asurmen, first and greatest of the fabled Phoenix Lords. Set in the midst of a conflict against the chaos forces of the Flesh Thieves, instigated by a Farseer of Anuiven craftworld in order to reclaim an artefact of great power, it sees Asurmen co-opting a peaceful eldar pilot to help him as he steps in to try and avert a disaster unforeseen by the reckless Farseer. Realising his warrior spirit is troubling the pilot, Neridiath, he talks to her of his path and the events which saw him take his first steps along it.
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Curse of the Wulfen – David Annandale

Released to tie in with Games Workshop’s latest 40k campaign supplement of the same name, David Annandale’s short novel Curse of the Wulfen sees him tackling that rare beast – an event which moves the 40k storyline forwards. In this case it’s the return to the Imperium of Man of the Space Wolves 13th Company, long-lost heroes from ten thousand years ago who emerge from the Warp much-changed, as the Wulfen. When Harald Deathwolf leads his Great Company to the rescue of a world plagued by daemons and finds aid from feral, beastly creatures still clad in scraps of slate-gray ceramite, the Space Wolves welcome their ancient brethren back (with some reservations) and proceed to seek out as many of the Wulfen as they can. Meanwhile other elements of the Imperium don’t see things in quite the same light.
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Predator, Prey – Rob Sanders (The Beast Arises Book Two)

IMPORTANT: Don’t read this review if you haven’t yet read I Am Slaughter – there will inevitably be spoilers.

Following on closely from I Am Slaughter by Dan Abnett, Rob Sanders’ Predator, Prey is the second novel in Black Library’s 12-book The Beast Arises series. With the Imperial Fists annihilated on Ardamantua and the High Lords of Terra preoccupied with jockeying for political power, the Imperium is unprepared for the sudden assault of The Beast, quickly finding itself beset on all sides by the impossible arrival of colossal attack moons. No world is safe, even space marine chapter homeworlds and Adeptus Mechanicus forge worlds coming under devastating attack as the orks rampage through the Imperium. In amongst the devastation however, there are still some Imperial forces fighting back and clinging desperately to survival, and vengeance.
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The Realmgate Wars: Ghal Maraz – Black Library

The second novel-length Age of Sigmar release from Black Library, and the second title in the ongoing Realmgate Wars series, Ghal Maraz combines novellas from Josh Reynolds and Guy Haley into a single volume. Both novellas follow on from the stories in War Storm, moving the wider Age of Sigmar story arc a little further forward as the Stormcast Eternals continue to make inroads into the Mortal Realms. Specifically it follows events taking place in the realms of Ghyran, where the forces of Nurgle blight the realm of Life; and Chamon, where the legendary weapon Ghal Maraz has been located.
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QUICK REVIEW : Cepheus – Braden Campbell

Cepheus by Braden Campbell, the eleventh and final short story in Black Library’s Deathwatch mini-series (now also available in a single volume entitled Deathwatch : Ignition), sees the return of Chaplain Cassius and serves to loosely tie the whole series together. Petitioning a council of Watch Captains for approval of a rescue mission, Cassius finds himself retelling the events on Port Cepheus that led to him being there and the necessity of going in search of his absent brothers. Under the scrutiny of three Watch Captains however he finds his decisions being questioned, and starts to see the undercurrent of politics that runs through even the Deathwatch.
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QUICK REVIEW : The Known Unknown – Mark Clapham

The tenth title in Black Library’s Deathwatch short story series, Mark Clapham’s The Known Unknown introduces not just the first Librarian to the series but also the first Marine from a non-First Founding chapter in the shape of Jensus Natorian of the Blood Ravens. Joining a mission to cleanse a space hulk of genestealers, he finds the lone survivor of a doomed Blood Ravens force and is reunited with his old mentor from the chapter. As the Deathwatch’s investigation continues and the horrific nature of their enemy is slowly revealed, Natorian sees his loyalty to the Deathwatch come into conflict with the purpose of his chapter.
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QUICK REVIEW : Inheritor – Gav Thorpe

Set during the Shadow Crusade on the Imperial world of Kronus, Gav Thorpe’s short story Inheritor is the latest in the Heresy Series to return to the 500 Worlds, but this time the focus is on the fragile bond between the Word Bearers and the World Eaters. Under orders from their primarchs, Eliphas of the XVII and Eres of the XII Legion have forged a tenuous alliance in pursuit of a common goal, in spite of their clear differences. Despite its billing on the Black Library website, this isn’t a story of outright conflict between legions but rather an exercise in tension as the ties between them are tested.
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Dark Hunters : Umbra Sumus – Paul Kearney

Better known for his own epic fantasy series, Paul Kearney is a relatively new name in terms of Black Library, having just two short stories to his name before the ill-fated (more on this later) release of his novel Dark Hunters : Umbra Sumus. The first novel to feature the titular chapter of Space Marines it sees Captain of Third Company (or Mortai) Jonah Kerne sent to investigate reports of a raid on Imperial territory by the Hunters’ old enemy, the chaos Space Marines known as the Punishers. While Kerne and his men make haste to the planet of Ras Hanem to intervene, the local Imperial forces under the command of General Dietrich dig in against the brutal assault of the Punishers.

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