Category Archives: Black Library

QUICK REVIEW – Yarrick : The Wreckage – David Annandale

The sixth story in Black Library’s Summer of Reading campaign features another big-name character, this time Commissar Yarrick, in David Annandale’s The Wreckage. Previously only available in an event-only anthology, it’s a smart little story looking at what most will see as one of the core elements of being a commissar – the decision of whether or not to deliver the Emperor’s Judgement to an officer. In this case it’s an inspirational, much-loved Captain whose recklessness has led his men into a lethal trap and threatens to doom them all.

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QUICK REVIEW : Dishonoured – Ray Harrison

The fifth story in Black Library’s Summer of Reading is that rare beast, a 40k story where the Space Marines actually lose. In the case of Ray Harrison’s Dishonoured it’s High Marshal Helbrecht and the Black Templars on the receiving end of some serious punishment handed out by the soulless Necrons as they try, and fail, to recapture the outpost of Blight’s Edge. Outfought and outmanoeuvred at every turn, Helbrecht’s fury is directed at himself as much as the Necrons, as he and his men attempt to avert disaster and at least retain their honour.

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QUICK REVIEW : Hollow Beginnings – Mark Clapham

Four days into Black Library’s Summer of Reading and the Space Wolves are back, in Hollow Beginnings by Mark Clapham. Following on from In Hrondir’s Tomb (way back in 2012’s Hammer & Bolter 20, now released as an e-short) it sees Anvindr and his pack braving a burning ork fortress to make sure the warboss is really dead, unwilling to trust to the guns of the Imperial Guard. Billed as looking at the Wolves’ objectives and whether they’re really there to help the Guard, it’s actually much simpler than that – it’s a case of Marines doing what mortals can’t.

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QUICK REVIEW : Monolith – Chris Dows

The third short story in Black Library’s Summer of Reading, Monolith sees Chris Dows return with a second tale of Veteran Sergeant Zachariah and his Elysian Drop Troops (see Hammer & Bolter 21 for the first – The Mouth of Chaos). Here we see Zachariah and his squad attempting a daring high-altitude drop to reinforce a beleaguered Cadian outpost situated at the summit of the titular monolith, facing off against the Traitor Marine Raptors of the Blood Disciples. Forced to fight in the air and on the ground against superior opponents, things look bleak for the Elysians.

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QUICK REVIEW : One Bullet – Ben Counter

Ben Counter’s contribution to a loose series of Deathwatch-themed stories from Black Library, One Bullet looks at the Ultramarines of Third Company as they face off against a vast army of orks among the wreckage of an industrial city. Led by the fiery rhetoric of a young Chaplain Cassius, and supported by a squad of experienced Sternguard veterans, the Ultramarines must make use of every weapon in their arsenal if they are to emerge victorious.

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QUICK REVIEW : Whiteout – Andy Clark

The second of Black Library’s Summer of Reading stories sees a new name added to the author pool in Andy Clark, whose story Whiteout sees a Deathwatch team launching a pinpoint strike against a vast ork Waaagh! that’s threatening to overwhelm the Imperial defences. When their insertion goes wrong the Marines find themselves in the midst of a blizzard, battling against time as well as a vast tidal wave of orks as they attempt to destroy a vital bridge and deny the enemy an easy route into the Imperial lines.

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QUICK REVIEW : The Cost of Command – Sandy Mitchell

The first in a week’s worth of new short stories for Black Library’s Summer of Reading campaign, Sandy Mitchell’s The Cost of Command features the Astral Knights way back before their fateful all-out assault on the necron World Engine. Here we see two of their number duking it out in an honour duel, the reason for which gradually becomes clear as the protagonist looks back on his squad’s last mission and the toll it incurred on each of them.

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Cybernetica – Rob Sanders

[This review was originally written after the release of the Limited Edition version of Cybernetica, although it’s now available in standard formats as well.]

While most recent Horus Heresy releases have moved the story forward chronologically, for the latest Limited Edition novella, Rob Sanders’ Cybernetica, Black Library have taken us back to an earlier point in the timeline. Set on Mars just as the Heresy begins, we follow a Raven Guard known as The Carrion, sent to train as a Techmarine after he was grievously wounded and left unable to follow his legion’s way of war. Alongside brothers from other legions he finds himself fighting to survive against the might of the Mechanicum, while on Terra, Rogal Dorn looks for a way to deal with the escalating situation on Mars.

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Warhammer Age of Sigmar : The Gates of Azyr – Chris Wraight

Warhammer is dead, long live Warhammer! That’s right, the old Warhammer is gone and in its place is Age of Sigmar, and Black Library have got straight in on the action with Chris Wraight’s latest novella, The Gates of Azyr. This is a whole new chapter for Warhammer, set thousands of years after the events of the End Times, with endless scope for brand new storytelling. Running to the usual 120-ish pages, the book introduces the new Stormcast Eternals led by Vandus Hammerhand and the Khorne forces of Khorgos Khul, as Sigmar’s forces make their first strike into the Realm of Fire and finally strike back against the armies of Chaos.

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Deathfire – Nick Kyme

Please note – if you haven’t read Vulkan Lives and The Unremembered Empire, this review will contain spoilers.

Twelve months after the release of the last full Horus Heresy novel (Damnation of Pythos), book 32 in the series is finally here, in the form of Deathfire by Nick Kyme. Following on directly from The Unremembered Empire, and bringing back characters from Vulkan Lives and Know No Fear, it sees the few Salamanders involved in Imperium Secundus choose brave the Ruinstorm, risking everything in order to return the body of their primarch to their home world of Nocturne.

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