Jake Ozga’s second Black Library short story, Skull Throne is a brave, hypnotic, intense Age of Sigmar story that could only exist as part of the Warhammer Horror imprint. In a silent, desolate part of Shyish, a young woman drifts through what’s left of her life in a distant haze, detached from the world around her and caught in a strange loop of indecision and what might be madness. When her routine is broken by a new presence that forces her to act, she feels something stir within that reawakens her mind and opens up a new path before her.
This is about as far removed from the usual sort of Black Library stories as you could imagine, an unconventional tale that some might find a little opaque but which rewards the reader’s patience with a rich, mournful depiction of what it takes to survive in the Mortal Realms. It’s beautifully told and carefully, cleverly constructed, told through the disconcerting eyes of the nameless protagonist as her clarity steadily grows alongside the developing narrative. Ozga judiciously injects moments of unexpected whimsy and almost shockingly matter-of-fact violence, but the overarching tone is one of haunting sadness as the pieces fall into place and the story moves towards a bleakly powerful conclusion. It won’t be for everyone, but in its own way it’s as dark and compelling as any Warhammer story.
This was released as part of the 2019 Black Library Advent Calendar – click here to see the main page for the Advent Calendar on Track of Words, with links to all of the reviews.
Check out the main Age of Sigmar reviews page on Track of Words.
Click this link to buy Skull Throne.