Peter Fehervari’s fourth Black Library novel, and his first under the Warhammer Horror label, The Reverie is his most assured book yet, an understated masterclass in balancing complexity and readability. Three travellers make their way to shining Malpertuis, homeworld of the glorious Angels Resplendent, in search of answers, inspiration, judgement or clarity. Amongst the tiered galleries of the capital, Kanvolis, they begin to understand the truth of the world – that behind the veneer of enlightenment and artistic sophistication, an insidious darkness lurks within Malpertuis and the Chapter of Space Marines who call it home. Each of the three has a part to play as the boundaries between past, present and future blur and a shadow leaks from a wound at the heart of the world.
This wound – the ‘Reverie’ of the title – is on the face of things a sinister, snow-shrouded forest within which time is malleable and little natural lives. Beyond its physical limits, however, it’s as much a testing ground for aspirants’ (and other travellers’) souls as their minds and bodies, and provides a metaphysical connection between all three main protagonists. Its presence is bound into the identity of the Resplendent and its influence runs deep, from scholarly traveller Tarsem’s perilous journey beneath its shadowed canopy to Knight Exemplar Varzival Czervantes’ stirred-up memories of his trials within its bounds, and although poet and muse Marisol only knows of it from rumour and hearsay, it plays its part in her journey nonetheless. The three travellers each have their own unique path to walk on Malpertuis, between them gradually revealing some of the secrets concealed within this unusual world, its posthuman protectors, and the rising swell of darkness that threatens them all.
It’s hard to say much more about the plot itself without giving spoilers, as this is every bit as secretive and tightly plotted a story as you’d expect from Fehervari. Czervantes, Marisol and Tarsem provide the core of the story, but they’re far from the only POV characters, and it takes all of their unique viewpoints to gradually unveil the truth of what’s really happening on Malpertuis. While the overall narrative is arguably more straightforward than Fehervari’s previous novels, the main character arcs take some unexpected paths, and woven into the plot is an in-depth exploration of the Angels Resplendent providing fascinating details of this most mysterious of Chapters. It’s easily one of the most thorough examinations of a Chapter ever seen in a Black Library story, effortlessly expanding upon their organisation, methodologies, attitudes and philosophy without ever feeling forced, offering tantalising glimpses of their shadowed history and – for those familiar with Fehervari’s wider work – sombre foreshadowing of their inevitable fall.
Fehevari’s writing has always been horror-inflected at the very least, but The Reverie takes full advantage of the freedoms provided by the Warhammer Horror range to dig deep into everything that makes his style so compelling. It’s a character-driven tale full of typically vivid imagery and a creeping sense of dread and discomfort, where nothing is quite what it seems, where obsessions come to the fore and where ideas and intent are more important than strength or pretty words. This is low-key horror, heavy in intense dialogue, ambiguous visions and dream sequences, and relatively light in pulse-racing, visceral action (although there’s a bit of that, still). It’s the sort of story that leaves you uncomfortable rather than outright scared, and while it reveals all manner of truths about the Angels Resplendent it leaves just as many questions teasingly unanswered, inviting readers to draw their own conclusions and search through Fehervari’s other stories for clues.
Even for Fehervari stories The Reverie is notable for being more about the journey than the destination – it’s a horror story, a Space Marines story, a Dark Coil story, but all those elements combine to form something understated and unconventional, a tale which subverts expectations and greatly rewards multiple readings to peel away all the layers of details. Keep an eye out for musical motifs, for carefully constructed symbolism, for themes of duality (so much of what’s glorious and noble on Malpertuis hides something dark and sinister beneath the surface, and every rise leads to a fall), of tests and judgement, of inevitable change and of maddening but intriguing contradictions. Existing fans will find much to enjoy of course, but it’s sufficiently self-contained that it would make a great entry point to Fehervari’s intense style of writing, and his complex and thought-provoking view of 40k.
All told it’s another dense, stimulating, mind-expanding link in Fehervari’s Dark Coil, original and unorthodox and proof that in the right hands Space Marines and horror can combine to great effect. This is probably the most successful Warhammer Horror novel yet, managing to encapsulate so much of what makes 40k darkly compelling while at the same time feeling like a horror story first and a Warhammer story second. Read it carefully, read it twice, read it as a wonderful, unconventional story in its own right and as a springboard to explore more of the Dark Coil or – if you’re already an experienced Coil Traveller – to revisit earlier stories in a new light.
See also: A Traveller’s Guide to Peter Fehervari’s Dark Coil
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