Category Archives: Reviews

Angels of Caliban – Gav Thorpe

Book 38 of the Horus Heresy series, Gav Thorpe’s Angels of Caliban continues the Dark Angels’ involvement in the series that began with Descent of Angels, and caps off the ongoing Imperium Secundus arc. In his role as Lord Protector of Ultramar, Lion El’Jonson focuses his attention on what he considers the gravest threat – the continued survival of his wayward brother, Konrad Kurze. Meanwhile back on Caliban, the Dark Angels tasked with garrisoning the homeworld, led by Luther, Astelan and Zahariel, are a mess of conflicting loyalties, ambitions and mysteries. Secrets abound and questions of loyalty become ever more important.

Keep reading…

Cadia Stands – Justin D. Hill

Justin D. Hill’s previous Black Library works have included three Ursarkar E. Creed short stories, including The Battle of Tyrok Fields – the story of a key event at the outset of the 13th Black Crusade. His novel Cadia Stands tells (some of) the story of what happened next, although it’s a very different beast, not least because it isn’t Creed’s story. Instead it tells the tale of Cadia’s stubborn defence against the Black Legion, during the events of the Gathering Storm, via a wide spread of characters across the breadth of the Cadian forces.

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: Execution – Rachel Harrison

The first Black Library short story published under the name Rachel Harrison, rather than Ray Harrison, Execution is a powerful depiction of the human cost of war for the Imperial Guard, and the burdens placed upon their political officers. Having executing the captain of the 11th Antari Rifles for refusing to follow orders, commissar Severina Raine takes command of a daring mission to break the siege of a rebel-held fortress. After her uncompromising show of authority, Raine has to maintain her grip on the morale of her troops while leading them into ferocious battle.

Keep reading…

Jain Zar: The Storm of Silence – Gav Thorpe

2015’s Asurmen: Hand of Asuryan, the first Phoenix Lords novel, was a short, tightly-written book from Gav Thorpe that gave us the first proper glimpse of both a Phoenix Lord’s thought processes and the time immediately before and during the Fall – the pivotal moment in eldar history. Fast-forward to 2017 and Jain Zar: The Storm of Silence carries on the series with a tale of the first Howling Banshee as she uses any means necessary to reach the craftworld Ulthwé and prevent them starting on a path that will lead to disaster far in the future.

Keep reading…

Skaven Pestilens – Josh Reynolds

As the title suggests, Josh Reynolds’ Age of Sigmar novel Skaven Pestilens – available as a standalone novel or within the Legends of the Age of Sigmar omnibus – focuses on the disease-ridden skaven of the Clans Pestilens. Taking place in the realm of Ghur, the plot revolves around the machinations of Verminlord Skuralanx, who manipulates two rival plague priests into attacking Shu’gohl the Crawling City in order to retrieve one of the Thirteen Great Plagues on his behalf. Standing in their way are Zephacleas Beast-bane and his Astral Templars, and the natural skaven inclination to treachery and deceit.

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: The Path Unclear – Mike Brooks

The debut Black Library story from Mike Brooks, The Path Unclear is an Inquisitorial tale of action and intrigue that bodes well for future stories. Told from the perspective of Alyss Nero, newly recruited acolyte of Ordo Xenos inquisitor Zaretta Ngiri, it sees the inquisitor and her retinue investigating a mysterious artefact recently uncovered from an archaeological dig amongst xenos ruins. While Ngiri is determined to ascertain the artefact’s true provenance, Nero is keen to prove her value to her new mistress and companions, but things are never simple when xenos are involved.

Keep reading…

Lorgar: Bearer of the Word – Gav Thorpe

For the fifth instalment of the ongoing Horus Heresy-set The Primarchs series, Gav Thorpe takes a look at the primarch of the Word Bearers in Lorgar: Bearer of the Word. When disgraced preacher Kor Phaeron finds a strange infant – clearly touched by the gods – in the company of a band of ragged nomads travelling the arid lands of Colchis, he instantly recognises the potential for his own gain represented by Lorgar. We watch as he exerts his influence upon the impressionable Lorgar, and how their relationship develops as Lorgar himself changes.

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: The Laurel of Defiance – Guy Haley

Available as a standalone e-short or within the Sedition’s Gate and War Without End anthologies, Guy Haley’s The Laurel of Defiance sees Ultramarines Captain Lucretius Corvo honoured by Guilliman for his role in the defence of Ultramar. As he mingles with the great and good of the realm, uncomfortable with the esteem in which he’s held and the message behind his recognition, he recalls the events which led there. Events, on the world of Astagar, which saw him lead his men against the forces of the Word Bearers and World Eaters, and their horrific allies.

Keep reading…

Watchers of the Throne: The Emperor’s Legion – Chris Wraight

In their first full non-Heresy outing, the Talons of the Emperor – i.e. the Adeptus Custodes and the Sisters of Silence – take centre stage in Chris Wraight’s novel Watchers of the Throne: The Emperor’s Legion. With word from Cadia looking bleak, and crises springing up throughout the Imperium, calls grow for the Custodes to end their self-enforced seclusion and fight once more at the forefront of the Imperium’s armies. Set predominantly on Terra it deals with the events leading up to the Gathering Storm, both military and political, from the perspective of the Custodes, the Sisters of Silence, and the High Lords.

Keep reading…

Daemon World – Ben Counter

2003’s classic Black Library novel Daemon World, by Ben Counter, is something of an iconic 40k novel despite being about as un-40k as you can imagine…but in a good way. On the titular daemon planet Torvendis, deep within the Maelstrom, Lady Charybdia rules in the name of Slaanesh, her great city built upon deep-running strata of battle and death. When the mountain tribes begin to stir, and Word Bearers arrive hunting one of their own, the balance of power on Torvendis begins to change.

Keep reading…