Tag Archives: John French

Slaves to Darkness – John French

Book fifty-one in the Horus Heresy series, John French’s novel Slaves to Darkness is a rare beast – a Heresy novel focusing entirely on unambiguously traitor perspectives. As Horus is brought bleeding from the surface of Beta Garmon to the Vengeful Spirit, Maloghurst issues orders to gather Horus’ brothers together. While Lorgar and Perturabo are tasked with finding and controlling their daemonic brothers Fulgrim and Angron, Maloghurst calls on all of his political nous and accumulated power to steer the overall campaign in Horus’ absence. With Abaddon away chasing the Wolves, Maloghurst is left clashing with what remains of the Mournival.

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Agent of the Throne: Truth and Dreams – John French

The second audio drama in John French’s Agent of the Throne series, part of the wider Horusian Wars arc, Truth and Dreams once again finds Ianthe in reflective mood as she relates the tale of another mission. This time she’s on the trail of Silas Norn, a rogue psyker capable of horrifying manipulation if he can get close enough to touch. When her hunt results in both Ianthe and Norn being imprisoned in the same high-security facility it becomes a contest of wills as much as anything, between the powerful Norn and the ferociously driven, determined Ianthe.

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RAPID FIRE: John French Talks Agent of the Throne: Truth and Dreams

Welcome to this instalment of Rapid Fire, my ongoing series of quick interviews with Black Library authors talking about their new releases. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read or listen to it.

In this instalment I spoke to John French about his latest 40k audio drama, Agent of the Throne: Truth and Dreams, the second in that series after the excellent Blood and Lies. You can order this in MP3 or CD formats right now.

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Sons of the Emperor – Anthology

First released at the Horus Heresy & Necromunda Weekender in February 2018, Sons of the Emperor is a Horus Heresy Primarchs anthology comprising eight brand new short stories, one each from Dan Abnett, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, John French, LJ Goulding, Guy Haley, Nick Kyme, Graham McNeill and Gav Thorpe. These tales range from the earliest days of the Great Crusade to long after the end of the Heresy, each taking a different approach to representing one (or more) of the primarchs and their legionary sons. Featuring eleven primarchs and even the Emperor, chances are there’s a story here for every Heresy fan.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Passing of Angels – John French

A typically thoughtful and evocative John French short story, The Passing of Angels – included in the Primarchs anthology Sons of the Emperor – takes a close look at Sanguinius’ understanding of the role he was created to play. Leading the Blood Angels’ Destroyer Host into battle against a human world which deployed proscribed weaponry against the Imperium, he takes upon himself the burden of unleashing such devastation, while allowing his sons to absolve themselves of the deaths they cause. Across a non-linear story we get a few glimpses of what Sanguinius and those around him think of the nature of angels.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Son of Sorrows – John French

A tale of the Horusian Wars, John French’s short story The Son of Sorrows offers a dark and at times harrowing look at another of Covenant’s warband, the ‘specialist’ Koleg. Tasked with a preemptive strike on an early-stage heretical cult, he approaches his task – sowing terror, and making a statement – in a methodical, emotionless fashion, the perfect weapon for the job. As we watch him prepare for his mission and then calmly slaughter his way through the reeling cult members we see his thoughts turn, impassively, towards the man he used to be and what made him who he now is.

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Warhammer 40,000 Legends Issue Twelve – Architect of Fate

Twelve books in and the Warhammer 40,000 Legends Collection turns to one of the longest-running 40k series – Space Marine Battles – for the first time, with Architect of Fate. Comprising four novellas from Sarah Cawkwell, Ben Counter, Darius Hinks and John French, it’s a four-part exploration of just how dark and creepy the 41st millennium can be, as a range of Space Marine chapters tackle enemies both seen and unseen as they struggle unknowingly in the strings of Tzeentch’s greatest manipulator, Kairos Fateweaver. It’s not what you’d call the template for Space Marine Battles books, but it’s certainly an interesting one.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Blessing of Saints – John French

Included in the limited edition hardback of The Horusian Wars: Resurrection, John French’s short story The Blessing of Saints takes a closer look at Idris, one of the most important characters from the novel. Back before they were full inquisitors in their own right, Idris and Covenant both studied under the same mentor, inquisitor Argento. Here we see the three of them searching for a manifesting saint among the cog-yards on Frell, though what they hope to do when they find it remains to be seen.

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QUICK REVIEW: Now Peals Midnight – John French

A quiet, measured short story that could only have come from John French, Now Peals Midnight is the calm before the storm, in which Rogal Dorn and the loyal defenders of Terra take a last, deep breath before the Siege of Terra begins. As the ever-present unrest in the Sol system fades away leaving an eerie sense of quiet, Dorn orders the final preparations knowing that Horus is only hours away. Across the breadth of the Imperial Palace, defenders wait…from conscripts huddled in the darkness to Primarchs standing proud on the walls. At last, the wait is almost over.

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QUICK REVIEW – Ahriman: Key of Infinity – John French

Two years after Unchanged capped off his trilogy, Ahriman is back in a new audio drama from John French, Ahriman: Key of Infinity. This time Ahriman has caught himself a necron Cryptek and, accompanied by Ignis and Credence, sets out to understand the powerful time-altering technology it possesses. To the Cryptek, Setekh, the interrogation provides all the time it needs to carefully arrange an escape, but then perhaps it hasn’t reckoned with the sheer power the Thousand Sons sorcerers possess.

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