Tag Archives: Warhammer 40k

QUICK REVIEW: Blood Sacrifice – Peter McLean

The fourth and final short story in Black Library’s Digital Horror Week 2019, Peter McLean’s Blood Sacrifice returns to the story of Corporal Cully and the Reslian 45th as a sequel to Baphomet By Night. Digging in on a dreary hive world under the watchful eye of a new, by-the-book sergeant, the endless waiting is wearing on Cully and bringing back painful memories. When the opportunity arises to make a little money off the books Cully jumps at the chance, but what should be a straightforward job becomes something much worse when an abandoned medicae facility turns out to be anything but.

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QUICK REVIEW: Stitches – Nick Kyme

The third short story in Black Library’s Digital Horror Week 2019, Nick Kyme’s Stitches deals with the inevitable aftermath of battle for the Astra Militarum and their overworked medical staff. For Medicae Bucher the grinding war of attrition taking place around him is taking a toll, with an endless stream of war-torn bodies requiring his attention, and few of them surviving his tender ministrations. Fearing for his position, he desperately needs something to go right, so when his patients start surviving when they probably shouldn’t, he doesn’t question his fortune and attributes it to the Emperor’s blessing instead.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Crown of Thorns – Peter Fehervari

Part of the Angels of Death collection of micro-short stories, Peter Fehervari’s The Crown of Thorns is a tale of the Angels Penitent, a lesser-known Chapter with grim origins. Brother-Sergeant Montaig is charged with bringing a young neophyte before the Crown of Thorns, the assembly of Chaplains who preside over the Chapter, to face punishment for sinning against the Penitents’ creed. As he escorts the prisoner through the dishevelled fortress monastery, Montaig’s thoughts dwell on the turning point in his brotherhood’s recent history, and the consequences – for himself, the neophyte and the Chapter as a whole – of their bitter faith.

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Deathwatch – Steve Parker

Published back in 2013 after two excellent short stories – Headhunted and Exhumed – Steve Parker’s novel Deathwatch winds the clock back and tells the origin story of Talon Squad, and how its various members came to be working together under the burdensome command of the mysterious Sigma. For Lyandro Karras, First Codicier of the Death Spectres, life is about to become unexpectedly complicated as he’s inducted into the Deathwatch – the multi-Chapter force of elite alien hunters – and forced to face up to some uncomfortable truths regarding loyalty, purpose and even fate. Meanwhile beneath the surface of the mining world Chiaro, Inquisitorial agents risk their lives to uncover a sinister cult taking shape in the darkness.

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RAPID FIRE: Steve Parker Talks Deathwatch: Shadowbreaker

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 Steve Parker about Shadowbreaker, his latest 40k release and the sequel to his much-loved novel Deathwatch. It’s available to pre-order right now, so check out the interview and get ready for another slice of epic Deathwatch action!

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Perdition’s Flame – Alec Worley

The first ever Warhammer Horror audio drama, and Alec Worley’s first audio drama for Black Library, Perdition’s Flame is the story of comms man Vossk, formerly of the 86th Vostroyan Firstborn, en route to a penal legion as punishment for desertion. Imprisoned alongside murderers and sadists and warded by stern Praetorian Guard, when the ship’s systems start to fail Vossk realises that the horrors he thought he’d left behind have followed him into the void. Something on the ship is causing the failures and spooking both crew and inmates, but Vossk is trapped in his cell while the darkness draws closer.

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Lords and Tyrants (Reviews List)

While it carries on the naming convention started with the Age of Sigmar anthology Gods & Mortals, for which you can read my review here, Lords and Tyrants is a slightly different beast in that its 16 Warhammer 40,000 short stories have all been previously released as standalone e-shorts. I’ve read and reviewed all of these stories individually on Track of Words, and while I would love to kick back and re-read most of these, I just don’t really have time to do so. There are some seriously good stories in this anthology, however, so I do want to do my bit and help promote it.

As such, rather than write a full review of the anthology as a whole I’ve listed each of the featured stories with a little snippet about each one and a link out to my individual review. Hopefully this way you can get a feel for all of the stories, and make an informed decision as to whether you fancy picking up the anthology as a whole. I’ve listed them out alphabetically by author, so read on and see what you think.

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Requiem Infernal – Peter Fehervari

Peter Fehervari’s third novel, Requiem Infernal, continues to develop his Dark Coil metaplot and the complex, intense, interconnected storytelling that defines his work. Many years after leaving her birthplace, the austere home of the Adepta Sororitas of the Last Candle, Sister Asenath Hyades returns seeking answers, and aid for the few survivors of a once-proud Imperial Guard regiment. She finds the holy Candleworld much changed, its deepening darkness profoundly challenging her faith as she attempts to unravel its secrets while reluctantly facing up to her chequered past. Her unlikely companions on this testing journey all have their own secrets, and their own parts to play in the ensuing drama.

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Cadian Honour – Justin D. Hill

Justin D. Hill’s Cadian Honour – a sequel to 2017’s Cadia Stands but interestingly billed by Black Library as ‘Book 1 of the Cadian series’ – is an action-packed story of what life is like for the Cadian Shock Troops in the Dark Imperium. Burdened by the loss of Cadia and the disapproval of other Imperial forces, the remnants of the Cadian 101st are posted to Potence, capital world of the Gallows Cluster. As Chaos forces make worrying inroads into the system and peace on Potence is threatened, what should be an easy posting turns into a desperate defence against enemies within and without.

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QUICK REVIEW: Turn of the Adder – JC Stearns

This short story is featured in Inferno! Volume 2, which is out now.

For his second Black Library short story, Turn of the Adder, JC Stearns explores a little of the impact that the birth of Ynnead has had upon the drukhari. The wyches of the Jade Labyrinth have turned from the Kabal of the Bladed Lotus and sided with the Ynnari, much to the disgust of the Bladed Lotus’ Archon, K’Shaic, who leads an overwhelming assault against the Ynnari forces. Tasked with a key, if secondary, part of the attack, K’Shaic’s youngest son Naeddre sees an opportunity for advancement (in the drukhari fashion) but soon finds his entire worldview challenged by the Ynnari.

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