Available in either Warriors and Warlords or the Black Library Events Anthology 2018/19, Guy Haley’s Imperial Guard short story Savage provides a quiet, thoughtful accompaniment to his novel Shadowsword. Alongside the rest of the Paragonian Seventh, the crew of the Cortein’s Honour are at rest, whiling away their time under the baking Omdurman sun. When whispers of redeployment begin circulating, Senior Loader Gollph is drawn into an illicit scheme which relies on the prejudicial views many of the Paragonians hold about his people, the Bosvodar, who hail from a feral world and are considered slow and primitive by many.
It’s a story about prejudice, preconceptions and a soldier’s identity, exploring what life for tankers is like when the engines are cold and crews are restless. It’s not an in-depth exploration as it’s only a short story, but with no need to spend time portraying the tanks in action Haley can show Gollph at rest and finding space to be alone and in some kind of peace…at least before his mates rope him into mischief. Gollph provides an intriguing viewpoint, as he’s both a loyal Guardsman and an outsider – by virtue of being a Bosvodar – and he makes for a relatable protagonist in a low-key but satisfying story that’s enjoyable whether you’ve read Baneblade and Shadowsword or not.
