The Flesh Tithe represents the Black Library debut of Miles A. Drake, a dark and powerful short story which pits Sister Hospitaller Lucia against the horrors of an invading necron army. In the dark reaches of the Ghoul Stars, the Imperial world of Sygera is rapidly falling to ruin as its defenders are scattered and massacred. As guardian of her city’s cathedral, Sister Lucia rallies a few surviving soldiers in a desperate attempt to hold out as long as possible in the midst of the chaos, although even with some unexpected allies there appears to be little hope of survival.
Sister Lucia is a Hospitaller, not a Battle Sister, and we see the necrons as she would – relentless, terrifying creatures of nightmare. A non-military protagonist (although she’s still pretty handy with a bolter) emphasises the fear and the danger, as do the largely helpless civilians she’s surrounded by, and the majority of the action represents incredible bravery against overwhelming odds. This is about as dark as they come, even for 40k stories; even when faint hope appears it’s swiftly dashed again. It’s an assured debut that nails the 40k tone and style, with cleverly chosen characters and setting, and a satisfying plot. Grim, but good.
