Category Archives: Black Library

QUICK REVIEW: A Tithe of Bone – Michael R Fletcher

The Black Library debut for both author Michael R. Fletcher and the Ossiarch Bonereapers as a faction, A Tithe of Bone is a cleverly thought-out and constructed Age of Sigmar short story which introduces something new to the setting without compromising on the quality of storytelling. Chaos champion Lord Markash has conquered the city of Knazziir at the edge of Nagash’s domain, in the name Tzeentch. Utterly loyal to his god, and with total confidence in himself and his destiny, when faced by the Ossiarch legions come to claim their bone tithe Markash strides out to confront them head on.

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Rites of Passage – Mike Brooks

Rites of Passage isn’t only Mike Brooks’ debut Black Library novel, it’s also the first 40k novel ever to focus entirely on the Navigator Houses, a crucial but previously under-explored element of the Imperium of Man. Returning home to Vorlese after the death of her husband (which she herself arranged), Chettamandey Brobantis’ careful plans for the future of her house are interrupted by inter-house politics, mysterious disappearances and the looming threat of warp-based disaster. As danger builds, Chetta comes to realise that all of her meticulous planning and all her skill in diplomacy might not be enough to save her house, and Vorlese itself, from what’s coming.

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RAPID FIRE: Chris Wraight Talks Valdor: Birth of the Imperium

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 Black Library author Chris Wraight about his new Horus Heresy novel Valdor: Birth of the Imperium, which was briefly available to pre-order as a Limited Edition hardback before it quickly sold out. If you’re interested in knowing more about Constantin Valdor and the role he played in the early stages of the Imperium, this looks like being the book for you – read on to find out a little more about what to expect from this new novel!

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QUICK REVIEW: The Karsharat Abomination – George Mann

Marking the first prose appearance of Inquisitor Sabbathiel (who previously appeared in various comics from Titan), George Mann’s Black Library short story The Karsharat Abomination sees the inquisitor on the hunt for a renegade Mechanicus priest in possession of a dangerous weapon. Exploring an abandoned Ecclesiarchy outpost on the moon Karsharat, interrogator Bledheim wonders why Sabbathiel has included him in the group alongside her other, more militaristic, companions. As they get closer to the heart of the citadel, the specifics of what they face gradually become clearer, and Bledheim finds his mind being tested as much as his body.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Serpent’s Bargain – Jamie Crisalli

In her second Black Library short story, The Serpent’s Bargain, Jamie Crisalli explores the consequences of making unwise alliances in the Mortal Realms. After her village is attacked by Slaaneshi raiders, Laila fears that the seekers aren’t done yet with Varna and will return to inflict even more damage. Against the wishes of the village elders, she sets out with just two companions to find the Valley of the Oracle’s Eye and petition the Fair Ones to come to their aid. Little does she realise, however, that the cost for their protection may be more than she’s willing to pay.

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The House of Night and Chain – David Annandale

David Annandale’s Warhammer Horror novel The House of Night and Chain is a bleak tale of trauma and the spiralling descent into paranoia and madness, a 40k haunted house story set far away from the big plotlines. Wounded, traumatised, widowed and grieving, Colonel Maeson Strock returns to the agri-world of Solus to take up the governorship, and the city of Valgaast to take up residence in his family’s ancestral seat, Malveil. Duty-bound to stamp out the growing corruption in the ruling council and determined to rebuild his fragmented family upon Solus, Maeson soon finds himself drawn into a sinister mystery with Malveil at its heart.

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RAPID FIRE: David Annadale Talks The House of Night and Chain

In this instalment I spoke to Black Library author David Annandale about his new Warhammer 40,000 novel The House of Night and Chain, which is the first full novel released under the new Warhammer Horror label. It’s available to order in paperback and ebook right now, so if you’re in the mood for your next 40k novel to be of the darker, spookier variety, read on to find out more about what you can expect from this book.

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QUICK REVIEW: Runner – Alan Bao

Marking his Black Library debut, Alan Bao’s Warhammer Horror short story Runner takes a close look inside the head of a lone Guardsman faced with a long, dangerous journey. Taking his role in the regiment entirely literally, the unnamed runner races across the endless tundra of a frozen world, carrying a desperate message of warning to regimental command. Behind him lies a broken hive, the bodies of his comrades and things in the fog. As the journey takes its toll on his body, familiar voices pursue him and long-forgotten memories surface in his mind, but he knows he must endure.

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The Black Library Weekender 2019 – How to Prepare and Avoid Spoilers

The 2019 Black Library Weekender is fast approaching, and looking at the schedule there’s an impressive range of seminars lined up for the weekend, covering multiple settings and series, writing skills, audio dramas…there’s a lot of variety. With so many topics on offer, not only are there going to be some tricky decisions to make regarding which sessions to attend, but it’s not going to be easy to make sure you’re up to speed on all of the books being discussed. In this article I’m going to go through the schedule and talk a bit about how to prepare for each of the sessions – i.e. which books to try and make sure you’ve read beforehand so that you know what’s being discussed and can avoid spoilers.

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QUICK REVIEW: Doom Flight – Cavan Scott

A high-octane aerial combat story, Cavan Scott’s Doom Flight sees Sergeant Kerikus of the Doom Eagles piloting his Stormtalon gunship in battle against the orks in the skies over the embattled Imperial world of Quadcana. Facing appalling odds after losing his entire squadron to the guns of the greenskins’ ramshackle dakkajets, the dour Kerikus is determined to sell his life dearly and make his death count for something. When hope returns and the opportunity arises to complete his mission after all, Kerikus prepares to strike a telling blow against the orks even if the prospect of survival remains unlikely.

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