Tag Archives: Black Library Advent calendar

QUICK REVIEW: Half-Horn by Josh Reynolds

Life’s tough in the underhive, especially so for anyone foolish enough to kill a Guilder. In his short Necromunda audio drama Half-Horn, Josh Reynolds takes a quick look at what might happen in such a circumstance…with predictably unpleasant results. Three disreputable characters are searching for a safe haven, bickering over who’s to blame for their unhappy predicament, driven by fear of who (or what) might be hunting for them. One particular name inspires genuine terror – Gor Half-Horn – but what are the chances of the legendary bounty hunter even being real, never mind being on their trail?

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QUICK REVIEW: Sand Lords – Peter McLean

Peter McLean continues to impress with his fourth Black Library short story, this time tackling the Tallarn Desert Raiders. On the arid world of Marbas II, the Tallarn 236th Sand Lords have deployed in force, an armoured column storming into the ork-held city of Iblis Amrargh intending to reclaim a lost relic of their regiment. The story begins as Captain Amareo Thrax is leading the battered remnants of his force in a desperate retreat through the baking desert. As they race for safety, Thrax bitterly recalls the horrors that took the lives of so many of his warriors.

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QUICK REVIEW: Purity is a Lie – Gav Thorpe

Gav Thorpe’s Blackstone Fortress short story Purity is a Lie features several of the same characters as Darius Hinks’ novel Blackstone Fortress, and sees the firebrand priest Taddeus the Purifier join Rogue Trader Janus Draik on an expedition to the Fortress itself. Taddeus despises the faithless masses surrounding him on Precipice, but when he’s invited by Draik to join the expedition he recognises the need to rise above his distaste in order to enact the Emperor’s will. Battling through the Fortress, he’s begrudgingly forced to accept that perhaps his faith isn’t the only thing he needs in order to succeed.

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QUICK REVIEW: Black Atonement – David Annandale

David Annandale continues his exploration of Neferata in Age of Sigmar with Black Atonement, a short audio drama which sees the Mortarch of Blood getting creative with her punishments. The city of Shadowvel lies outside the borders of Neferatia, yet to Neferata’s eyes it benefits greatly from its proximity to her realm. Displeased with the city and its prideful citizens, she intends to see it destroyed, and employs her prodigious talent for manipulation to make it so. The Maggotkin of Nurgle desire Shadowvel for themselves, but the city’s powerful defences need to be nullified if Neferata’s plan is to succeed.

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QUICK REVIEW: Expectatio – Matt Keefe

Twelve years after his novel Outlander, Matt Keefe returns to the underhive with a Necromunda audio drama – Expectatio. The bounty hunter Arturos is ready to claim a bounty, but it turns out Guilder Meriko doesn’t have the credits to settle up…so he takes his payment in the form of a Spiraptor – a rare piece of technology in the form of a mechanical bird. After learning a little of its secrets, Arturos hatches a plan to put his newfound acquisition to good use and claim a different prize, one which comes with considerable risk but which promises rich rewards.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Palace of Memory – David Guymer

In a welcome return to the audio format for Hamilcar Bear-Eater, David Guymer’s The Palace of Memory sees the Lord Castellant of the Astral Templars venturing into Shadespire in search of secrets for Sigmar. Lost within the labyrinth of shadeglass, Hamilcar finds himself in the titular palace and confronted with ghosts of his past, facing obstacles even the mighty Bear-Eater can’t defeat with brute strength. Reliving moments of his life both before and after his reforging, Hamilcar is forced to consider that his faith in Sigmar might not be quite what he claims it to be.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Battle of Blackthunder Mesa – Phil Kelly

A sequel to Blades of Damocles and a companion piece to the various Farsight stories, Phil Kelly’s short story The Battle of Blackthunder Mesa tells a tale of the fundamental differences between the T’au and Imperial ways of war. On the embattled world of Dal’yth Prime, the T’au forces are being pushed back by endless numbers of Imperial tanks, but Commander Bravestorm is determined to strike a telling blow before withdrawing. With a new weapon at his disposal – the Onager Gauntlet – he has a tool to do just that, but its use seems to go against the T’au’s very ethos.

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QUICK REVIEW: One, Untended – David Guymer

A sequel of sorts to the epic audio drama Realmslayer, David Guymer’s short story One, Untended sees dwarf-out-of-time Gotrek Gurnisson embark on a perilous quest into the tunnels under Hammerhal Ghyra in search of a lost child. Despite being somewhat worse for wear after a heavy night, when Gotrek hears of a fearsome spirit said to haunt the catacombs he immediately joins the search alongside a party of humans, dragging Maleneth along for the ride. The aelf is none too keen to be accompanying Gotrek, but down amongst the darkness she sees an opportunity waiting to be grasped.

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QUICK REVIEW: Motherlode – Nick Kyme

Nick Kyme’s Motherlode is a cheeky, irreverent little Blackstone Fortress short story featuring the ratling brothers Rein and Raus, ex-Militarum auxiliaries who survive by virtue of nimble fingers, sharp wits and brotherly teamwork. After ditching their last client and returning to Precipice with valuables to sell, the brothers’ celebratory mood doesn’t last very long. When an attempt to offload their prize goes awry, it soon becomes clear that enemies from their shady past are returning to haunt them, and their survival instincts are going to be sorely tested if they’re to find a way out of this particular pickle.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Last Council – LJ Goulding

Occupying an interesting point in the Horus Heresy timeline somewhere between The Binary Succession and The Solar War, LJ Goulding’s short story The Last Council tackles the final session of the Council of Terra before it’s disbanded in anticipation of the Siege. As High Lords posture and bicker over costs, priorities and jurisdictions, Malcador finds himself dwelling on the purpose of the Council and his role as Regent. While the debate continues, the Sigillite looks to both the past and future, his mind occupied by Horus of course, and also by buried secrets and unpalatable truths.

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