Category Archives: Reviews

Dark Compliance – John French

Having tackled the character of Horus in a short Horus Heresy audio drama before – the appropriately named Warmaster – John French takes a longer, darker look in Dark Compliance. A simple but effective portmanteau, it sees the ruler of one planetary system – defiant in the face of Horus’ demands – regaled with the horrifying tale of another system’s demise…over a single day. A statement of Horus’ intent as much as his military power, the story of Accazzar-Beta’s destruction, as told by Sons of Horus emissary Argonis, demonstrates the fate awaiting those who defy the Warmaster. As threats go, it’s pretty compelling.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Absolution of Swords – John French

The third short story in John French’s burgeoning Horusian Wars series, The Absolution of Swords is pretty much a direct prequel to the novel Resurrection. On the shrine world Dominicus Prime, within and beneath the temples of the Crow Complex, Inquisitor Covenant and his warband hunt down an insidious cult known as the Tenth Path. While Duke Cleander Von Castellan and the soldier Koleg seek to cleanse the taint of Chaos from the darkness beneath the temples, Covenant leads his other followers in search of answers, and the man ultimately responsible for the cult’s dark purpose.

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Dark Imperium – Guy Haley

Unless you’ve been hiding your head in the sand of late, you’ll have spotted that Warhammer 40,000 has recently taken a big step forward in terms of the setting’s overall narrative. Not to be left behind, Black Library have commissioned Guy Haley to write the first novel set in #new40k, taking place after the events of the Gathering Storm – the fall of Cadia, the birth of a new eldar god, and the return of a loyalist primarch to 40k. The result is Dark Imperium (not to be confused with the short story anthology of the same name) and…it’s excellent.

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The Realmgate Wars: Wardens of the Everqueen – CL Werner

The fifth book in Black Library’s The Realmgate Wars series, Wardens of the Everqueen by CL Werner is the first actual novel, after four collections of novellas or short stories. Following on from Josh Reynolds’ novellas in War Storm and Ghal Maraz, this continues the story of the Hallowed Knights in the realm of Ghyran, as they fight to protect the Everqueen, Alarielle, from falling into the hands of Nurgle’s champion Torglug the Despised. Embarking on a long and perilous exodus from Ghyran alongside uneasy allies in the sylvaneth, the Hallowed Knights are plagued by Torglug’s forces at every turn.

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QUICK REVIEW: Left for Dead – Steve Lyons

Left for Dead, Steve Lyons’ first published Black Library story since 2015, continues his good work in covering the Death Korps of Krieg, after Dead Men Walking and Down Amongst the Dead Men (notice the recurring theme?). Having been called in to rid an Imperial world of the corruption of Chaos, the Death Korps have now left to continue their endless war elsewhere, leaving the survivors to rebuild and carry on. Left behind is a single Korpsman who makes the unthinkable choice to abandon his regiment and his duty, and attempt to forge a new life, free of war and death.

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The Realmgate Wars: Call of Archaon – Black Library

Book four in Black Library’s Realmgate Wars series for Warhammer: Age of Sigmar, Call of Archaon is a collection of eight short stories by David Annandale, David Guymer, Guy Haley and Rob Sanders, each contributing towards a single wider story arc. Between them they tell the tales of three champions of Chaos, chosen to compete for the honour of joining the Varanguard and to fight beside Archaon himself. Each one the followe of a different Chaos god, they follow their own paths to the inevitable final showdown, manipulated all along by the unseen hand of Archaon’s subject, the Many-Eyed Servant.

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QUICK REVIEW: See No Evil – Rob Sanders (Call of Archaon part 8)

WARNING: this review contains a spoiler if you haven’t read the previous seven instalments of the Call of Archaon arc…

The eighth and final instalment of Black Library’s Call of Archaon miniseries, Rob Sanders’ See No Evil wraps things up with a story set once the dust has settled and Archaon has chosen his new champion. Orphaeo Zuvius, once a champion of Tzeentch and now of Archaon’s Varanguard, joins his fellows at the front of a vengeful force determined to drive the newly-arrived Stormcast Eternals from their beachhead in a land previously conquered by Chaos. With Archaon himself leading from the front, it promises to be an epic battle and a fitting conclusion to this particular story arc.

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QUICK REVIEW: Blood and Plague – David Annandale (Call of Archaon part 7)

The penultimate short story in Black Library’s Call of Archaon miniseries, and David Annandale’s second contribution, Blood and Plague brings the main story arc to a close, focusing on Ushkar Mir and Copsys Bule as they move inexorably towards a climactic final battle under Archaon’s watchful gaze. Each champion believing himself to be the worthiest, they lead their remaining forces into a brutal clash of arms and ideologies, the followers of two very different gods fighting for their patron’s supremacy as much as their own survival. Can one champion emerge triumphant and claim his place by Archaon’s side?

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QUICK REVIEW: In the Lands of the Blind – Rob Sanders (Call of Archaon part 6)

In the Lands of the Blind, Rob Sanders’ second contribution to Black Library’s Call of Archaon Age of Sigmar arc, once again features Tzeentchian champion Orphaeo Zuvius as he continues to seek his fate with Archaon. Battling through the death-filled Great Spoilage to reach the Varanspire itself, he quickly finds that reaching his destination was not the final step on his path. With countless other champions and their warbands laying desperate siege to the vast fortress, Zuvius has his work cut out to even reach the walls, never mind find a way inside and present himself to Archaon for judgement.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Trial of the Chosen – Guy Haley (Call of Archaon part 5)

For the fifth Call of Archaon short story, The Trial of the Chosen, Guy Haley returns to the tale of Khornate champion Ushkar Mir. Following on from The Solace of Rage, Mir finds himself in the lifeless realm of Shyish, and faced with a series of tasks to prove his worth before he can go any further on his quest to reach Archaon. There’s precious little blood to be shed on the Bone Sands, but plenty that will test Mir and his warband, not just physically but mentally as well.

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