The second of Black Library’s 2016 Summer of Reading short stories is Gates of the Devourer by David Annandale, a story of Imperial Titans and Tyranid swarms to whet our appetite for his upcoming novel Warlord: Fury of the God-Machine. When the Great Devourer assails the Imperial world of Khania the Imperium responds by sending the Astra Militarum…and the Adeptus Titanicus. Two demi-legios from different Titan Legions lead the Imperial response, but Princeps Ferantha Krezoc of the Legio Pallidus Mor has reservations about the arrogant commander leading the other Legio.
Titans are cool, it’s as simple as that. Here we spend a little time watching the Governor of Khania and an Astra Militarum tank Captain, but the majority of the story focuses on Princeps Krezoc as she and her Warlord Gloria Vastator take the fight to the Tyranids. In a short space of time Annandale builds a vivid picture of her relationship with her Titan, the structure of the Legios and the way Titans fight, and then he throws Krezoc and her fellows into battle with escalating Tyranid menaces right up to a glorious God-Machine versus bio-titan deathmatch. It’s not subtle, but it’s great fun – hopefully the full novel will be as enjoyable.
2 comments