Author Archives: Michael Dodd

The Calling – Neil Cross

The ninth novel from author and screenwriter Neil Cross, The Calling is an unusual book in that it’s the prequel to the TV show Luther, which was itself written by Cross. Sensibly avoiding anything in the way of an origin story, here we see the earlier but still fully-formed character of John Luther taking on the case of an appalling double murder and the theft of a baby, a crime which drives the troubled detective to spread himself dangerously thin. Driven to applying sometimes questionable methods, he not only attracts the attention of an internal investigation, but sees his marriage slipping further away from him with every day, while the man responsible spreads terror throughout the city.
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Hitman Anders and the Meaning of It All – Jonas Jonasson

Jonas Jonasson, author of The Hundred Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared and The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden, continues his trend of long book titles with his third novel – Hitman Anders and the Meaning of It All. Beautifully translated into English by Rachel Wilson-Broyles, it deals with the trials and tribulations of a misanthropic hotel receptionist who finds himself in an unconventional business relationship with an equally embittered, atheist ex-priest and the titular Hitman Anders. Generally befuddled but still intimidatingly dangerous, the hitman proves to be both a lucrative cash-cow and an unpredictable liability.
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The Emperor Expects – Gav Thorpe (The Beast Arises Book 3)

IMPORTANT: This is book three in a series, so if you haven’t read I Am Slaughter or Predator, Prey you may find spoilers below.

Book three in Black Library’s The Beast Arises series, The Emperor Expects sees the reins handed over to Gav Thorpe for the first proper look at the Imperial Navy during this time of intense upheaval for the Imperium. The spotlight falls on Captain Rafal Kulik of the Colossus as he navigates the treacherous waters of naval politics, caught between two antagonistic fleet admirals as the Navy launches a desperate assault on an ork attack moon. Meanwhile the politicking continues amongst the High Lords back on Terra, while Second Captain Koorland – sole surviving Imperial Fist – calls a gathering of power that hasn’t been seen for a thousand years.
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The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth – Katherine Woodfine

After the success of her debut The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow, Katherine Woodfine’s second novel – The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth – comes barely six months after its predecessor and picks up the story of Sophie, Lil and co. as life has settled back to normal. It’s not long however before they are approached by a young debutante to find and retrieve the titular jewelled moth, a valuable brooch which has mysteriously gone missing. Meanwhile across the other side of London in Chinatown (which at this point was in the East End, history fans!), Mei Lim and her family find their lives becoming complicated as The Baron starts to squeeze local businesses, and a photograph in the newspaper sheds unexpected light on the family’s own history.
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Asurmen: Hand of Asuryan – Gav Thorpe

The first novel in what will, hopefully, eventually be a full Phoenix Lord series, Asurmen: Hand of Asuryan sees Gav Thorpe delve into the mythology of the eldar to tell the tale of the titular Asurmen, first and greatest of the fabled Phoenix Lords. Set in the midst of a conflict against the chaos forces of the Flesh Thieves, instigated by a Farseer of Anuiven craftworld in order to reclaim an artefact of great power, it sees Asurmen co-opting a peaceful eldar pilot to help him as he steps in to try and avert a disaster unforeseen by the reckless Farseer. Realising his warrior spirit is troubling the pilot, Neridiath, he talks to her of his path and the events which saw him take his first steps along it.
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Curse of the Wulfen – David Annandale

Released to tie in with Games Workshop’s latest 40k campaign supplement of the same name, David Annandale’s short novel Curse of the Wulfen sees him tackling that rare beast – an event which moves the 40k storyline forwards. In this case it’s the return to the Imperium of Man of the Space Wolves 13th Company, long-lost heroes from ten thousand years ago who emerge from the Warp much-changed, as the Wulfen. When Harald Deathwolf leads his Great Company to the rescue of a world plagued by daemons and finds aid from feral, beastly creatures still clad in scraps of slate-gray ceramite, the Space Wolves welcome their ancient brethren back (with some reservations) and proceed to seek out as many of the Wulfen as they can. Meanwhile other elements of the Imperium don’t see things in quite the same light.
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Predator, Prey – Rob Sanders (The Beast Arises Book Two)

IMPORTANT: Don’t read this review if you haven’t yet read I Am Slaughter – there will inevitably be spoilers.

Following on closely from I Am Slaughter by Dan Abnett, Rob Sanders’ Predator, Prey is the second novel in Black Library’s 12-book The Beast Arises series. With the Imperial Fists annihilated on Ardamantua and the High Lords of Terra preoccupied with jockeying for political power, the Imperium is unprepared for the sudden assault of The Beast, quickly finding itself beset on all sides by the impossible arrival of colossal attack moons. No world is safe, even space marine chapter homeworlds and Adeptus Mechanicus forge worlds coming under devastating attack as the orks rampage through the Imperium. In amongst the devastation however, there are still some Imperial forces fighting back and clinging desperately to survival, and vengeance.
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The Realmgate Wars: Ghal Maraz – Black Library

The second novel-length Age of Sigmar release from Black Library, and the second title in the ongoing Realmgate Wars series, Ghal Maraz combines novellas from Josh Reynolds and Guy Haley into a single volume. Both novellas follow on from the stories in War Storm, moving the wider Age of Sigmar story arc a little further forward as the Stormcast Eternals continue to make inroads into the Mortal Realms. Specifically it follows events taking place in the realms of Ghyran, where the forces of Nurgle blight the realm of Life; and Chamon, where the legendary weapon Ghal Maraz has been located.
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QUICK REVIEW : Cepheus – Braden Campbell

Cepheus by Braden Campbell, the eleventh and final short story in Black Library’s Deathwatch mini-series (now also available in a single volume entitled Deathwatch : Ignition), sees the return of Chaplain Cassius and serves to loosely tie the whole series together. Petitioning a council of Watch Captains for approval of a rescue mission, Cassius finds himself retelling the events on Port Cepheus that led to him being there and the necessity of going in search of his absent brothers. Under the scrutiny of three Watch Captains however he finds his decisions being questioned, and starts to see the undercurrent of politics that runs through even the Deathwatch.
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QUICK REVIEW : The Known Unknown – Mark Clapham

The tenth title in Black Library’s Deathwatch short story series, Mark Clapham’s The Known Unknown introduces not just the first Librarian to the series but also the first Marine from a non-First Founding chapter in the shape of Jensus Natorian of the Blood Ravens. Joining a mission to cleanse a space hulk of genestealers, he finds the lone survivor of a doomed Blood Ravens force and is reunited with his old mentor from the chapter. As the Deathwatch’s investigation continues and the horrific nature of their enemy is slowly revealed, Natorian sees his loyalty to the Deathwatch come into conflict with the purpose of his chapter.
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