Hello and welcome to another instalment of Black Library Weekly, my regular look at what’s been happening in the world of Black Library. After the excitement of that last couple of weeks’ #new40k goings on, things are starting to get back to normal – as such it’s been a pretty quiet week, but there are a couple of interesting things to talk about. Let’s get straight down to it…
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.
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.
Hello and welcome to another instalment of Black Library Weekly, my regular look at what’s been happening in the world of Black Library. It’s new 40k week for Games Workshop, but there’s been a few cool releases and bits of Black Library-related news, so let’s have a look at what’s been happening.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
The fourth of Black Library’s Call of Archaon short stories, Knight of Corruption sees David Annandale take over the reins of Copsys Bule’s tale from David Guymer, continuing the story from Beneath the Black Thumb. Forging on through a new realm, Bule and what’s left of his warband stumble across a newly-raised temple to Sigmar, built atop the ruins of an older age. Hopeful at first of a quick, satisfying victory to raise the morale of his men, Bule finds himself battling a foe previously thought to be a myth, but now standing between him and his new path.