John French turns his attention to Duke Cleander von Castellan in his Horusian Wars short story The Knave of Stars, digging into the Rogue Trader’s troubled history to explore the roots of his glib, nihilistic attitude. In the Rot-margins of Panetha Varn, Cleander seeks a balm for his soul, finding it in the elusive Decagogue and his patchwork followers. As he takes his first steps on a new path which promises freedom from his past and the void at his core, Cleander faces up to the pain that shaped him and the man it made him into.
For most of its length this is a quiet, reflective character study, heavy with dialogue enlivened by Cleander’s innately sarcastic view on proceedings, and packed full of French’s characteristic eye for cultish detail. It’s tightly focused on Cleander, building up a vivid picture of his character while keeping the reader unsure of how it fits in with the wider Horusian Wars series right up until the climax. There’s more than enough detail here for this work as a satisfying standalone story in its own right, as French beautifully encapsulates the complexity of this typically ambiguous character, but for readers who are following the Horusian Wars it’s another welcome layer of texture to add depth and insight to an already-fascinating series.
The Knave of Stars is currently only available in the Divination anthology.
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