The first half of 2019 brought with it a LOT of new content for Black Library fans to enjoy, with almost forty new books or audio dramas released between January and June, not to mention an impressive number reprints and digital-only short stories. In other articles I’ve run through my personal choices for the best BL novels, short stories and anthologies released so far, and in this article I’m going to do the same thing but for audio dramas. In recent years Black Library have invested heavily in this particular storytelling medium, and so far 2019 has – in my opinion – continued to show the benefits of that investment with some genuinely fantastic new releases.
As with my post about the best novels, this is an entirely subjective article which largely eschews my usual objective approach in favour of highlighting the audio dramas that I’ve personally enjoyed the most so far this year. I’ve listened to most – though not all – of the audios released between January and June, and while there hasn’t been anything like as many new audios as new novels, there was nevertheless enough for me to pick three which particularly stood out to discuss here. These are the stories I had the most fun listening to, though you may of course disagree – in which case please do let me know what your own favourites have been!
For each of my top three audios I’ve inserted an excerpt from my original interview as well as a few additional thoughts on what I particularly enjoyed with each one. Alongside these I’ve also included a few honourable mentions which are worth highlighting if you’re looking for more.
Track of Words’ Top Choice: Our Martyred Lady by Gav Thorpe
When the head of the Ecclesiarchy makes an unprecedented decision, the consequences are far-reaching – including a very public attempt on the Ecclesiarch’s life. It falls to Saint Celestine and Inquisitor Greyfax to protect the Ecclesiarch, uncover who (or what) was behind the attack, and ensure that nothing – neither the politics of the Ecclesiarchy nor the machinations of Chaos – can undermine the stability of the Imperium.
After 2018’s epic 4-part audio drama box set Realmslayer, I wasn’t sure how the next big audio release would compare – after all, it doesn’t have Brian Blessed in it! Thankfully that turned out to not be an issue, with Our Martyred Lady proving to be a very different type of story but no less entertaining for that. I say ‘different type of story’ – what I mean is that while it’s split across four parts again, featuring a large cast and taking place over a wide range of locations, there’s a larger-scale story at work. Where Realmslayer focuses on Gotrek’s personal journey as he comes to terms with the Mortal Realms, Our Martyred Lady takes in much more of the big picture of 40k with high stakes for more than just the characters in the story.
Just as I can’t talk about Realmslayer without mentioning Brian Blessed, I can’t avoid discussing the core cast here – particularly the big name of Catherine Tate as Greyfax, as well as Emma Gregory as Celestine. Personally I thought Gregory previously did an outstanding job as Greyfax in Eye of Night so I was a little surprised that Tate took that role here, but (as usual) I’ve got to hand it to the BL audio team for some great casting – not only does Catherine Tate turn in a nuanced, compelling performance which entirely justifies her inclusion, but Emma Gregory absolutely makes Celestine her own, and delivers some genuinely spine-tingling speeches. While neither of them dominate the story like Blessed-as-Gotrek does, they both do sterling work and wonderfully bring their characters to life.
For me there was a lot to like about Our Martyred Lady, from the sense of scale I’ve already mentioned to some great explorations of faith and how the competing bodies of the Imperium (i.e. church and state) fit together – I know I’m not the only one who’s really enjoying how much of the Imperium’s politics is being explored in recent BL stories. Perhaps its greatest strength, however, is in how it pits two conflicting characters – in Greyfax and Celestine – together and shows them gradually, naturally finding a balance and a mutual respect for each other. That’s achieved partly through Gav’s script and partly through the incredible performances, which inject life and energy and humour into these characters, in a way that a prose story might not have been able to achieve.
Check out my review of Our Martyred Lady here.
Perdition’s Flame by Alec Worley
Comms man Vossk, formerly of the 86th Vostroyan Firstborn, is 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.
I loved this audio; it’s action-packed and exciting, but also creepy and thought-provoking, and while it’s perhaps not as outright-scary as you might expect considering its Warhammer Horror billing I actually think it does a great job of demonstrating the different layers of horror upon which 40k is built. Sure, there might not be any jump scares and a lot of the action is quite conventional for 40k, but it’s the subtler elements of the story – the changes that Praetorian Captain Brandon goes through, the implications of the Inquisitorial presence onboard, and the ways in which ideas of faith and duty can be stretched and twisted by circumstance – which dig into what makes 40k such an unpleasant yet fascinating setting. Forget about the branding and just enjoy this audio for the darkly entertaining story it is.
Check out my review of Perdition’s Flame here.
The Imprecations of Daemons by Nick Kyme
Over a decade after being borne away by Sigmar to become a Stormcast, Malleon – formerly Mallaeh – returns to the Iron Fastness at the request of her sister Galaeda, to assist their father with a task too great for the old warrior-priest. She finds her home much changed from what she remembers, both the land and the people turned bitter and in great need of Sigmar’s light.
I didn’t think Age of Sigmar audio dramas got off to a great start with the first few Stormcast-centric titles, but recently the quality has skyrocketed – leading to this, a story about the impact that one person being spirited away to become a Stormcast Eternal can have upon the people they leave behind. It makes great use of the audio medium with one actress playing two versions of the same character, not to mention the delightfully gruesome depiction of an exorcism taking place, but the writing is great too. As well as being an entertaining tale in its own right, it offers an unusual approach to the task of adding personality to the Stormcast Eternals, in a close-focused and characterful story that I’ve listened to repeatedly and enjoyed every time.
Check out my review of The Imprecations of Daemons here.
Honourable mentions
In no particular order, here are three more new releases which I’d recommend checking out as well, for yet more great audio drama content from Black Library.
Agent of the Throne: Ashes and Oaths by John French – the third instalment in this excellent series, this is pretty much more of the same…but that’s not a criticism when the characters, concept and delivery are this good! If you’ve enjoyed the first two in the series, you’ll love this too.
The Way Out by Rachel Harrison – split into three short digital-only audios making up a single overall story (ahead of its combined release in October) this is a low-key, character-focused story leaning towards psychological horror with an old-school BL sense of bleak inevitability about it. Well worth checking out.
Nightfane by Nick Kyme – the latest in Nick’s ongoing Aeonid Thiel audios, this takes a slightly less action-packed approach to the previous stories and focuses on the ongoing psychological impact that the campaign on Calth had on these particular Ultramarines. While there’s clearly more in Thiel’s story to come, this makes for an enjoyable episode in the wider arc.
There you have it, my pick of the top three Black Library audio dramas of 2019 so far…along with a few more worthy inclusions. If you haven’t already, do make sure to check out my others articles looking at my personal favourite novels, short stories and anthologies from the first half of 2019.
If you’ve listened to any of these audios and have got any comments, or would like to share with me what your own top three would be, please do get in touch and let me know! You can leave a comment below, or find me on Twitter or Facebook.