Author Archives: Michael Dodd

The Horus Heresy Cover Art Collection

2016’s first Limited Edition release in the Horus Heresy series isn’t a novella but a plush art book, in the shape of The Horus Heresy Cover Art Collection, a landscape-format hardback showcasing original cover art from the Heresy series so far. Featuring covers for novels up to Deathfire, novellas up to Garro : Vow of Faith and audios up to Raptor, all but one of the pieces are from the hand of Neil Roberts, the one exception being False Gods by Phil Sibbering. It’s testament to both Roberts’ work rate and the phenomenal success of the Horus Heresy series that there’s a massive seventy-six pieces included here.
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QUICK REVIEW – Ahriman: All Is Dust – John French

The first chapter in John French’s Voices of Fate arc that accompanies his wider Ahriman series (and is collected together in Ahriman: Exodus), All Is Dust is a micro-short told from the fractured perspective of Helio Isidorus, once a proud Thousand Sons legionary but now reduced to a hollow existence as one of the Rubricae. Lost in a haze of half-remembered pain, it takes the intrusion a voice from his past for him to stir into a strange semblance of life, his flesh and blood no more and his will slaved to Ahriman’s.
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QUICK (2nd) REVIEW – Ahriman: Gates of Ruin – John French

John French’s The Tale of Ctesias arc concludes with Ahriman: Gates of Ruin, in which Ctesias has been tasked with finding a way to reach the Antilline Abyss and leave the Eye of Terror. How else would he do this, other than torturing the information out of a daemon? When his mission succeeds he leads Ahriman and his brothers to the titular Gates of Ruin, but what they find there is not quite what they expect, and Ctesias finally understands just why Ahriman needs him and his particular talents. Continue reading →

QUICK REVIEW – Ahriman: The First Prince – John French

The fourth story in John French’s The Tale of Ctesias arc is Ahriman: The First Prince, originally released as an excellent audio drama (see review here) and now available in prose form within the Ahriman: Exodus anthology. Following on directly from Hounds of Wrath it sees Ahriman bargaining for Ctesias’ soul with Be’lakor, the first Daemon Prince of Chaos, while Ctesias lies on the verge of death. Ctesias bartered his soul long ago in his quest for power, but Ahriman is prepared to go to unusual lengths to save his brother.
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QUICK REVIEW – The Black Rift of Klaxus : Six Pillars – Josh Reynolds

Chapter four of The Black Rift of Klaxus mini-series by Josh Reynolds, Six Pillars takes us to the halfway point of the story. Carrying on from The Gnawing Gate it sees more of Anhur’s Gorechosen throw themselves and their followers into the fray while Orius and his Stormcast keep grinding onwards through the city towards their inevitable target. Battle is truly joined now with both sides almost fully committed, and losses mounting.
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QUICK REVIEW – The Black Rift of Klaxus : The Gnawing Gate – Josh Reynolds

The third chapter in Josh Reynolds’ The Black Rift of Klaxus mini-series, The Gnawing Gate sees Orius and his Stormcast steadily advancing as they continue their assault on the city of Klaxus. They soon find themselves tangling with not just skaven warbands but a monstrous guardian of the city, the horrific Gnawing Gate. Meanwhile the sorcerer Pazak continues his vile ritual, while Anhur sends his minions to delay the Stormcast until the time is right.
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Garro : Vow of Faith – James Swallow

After six audio dramas, and eight years after his first appearance in the Horus Heresy series, Nathaniel Garro is back in a new book entitled Garro : Vow of Faith, James Swallow’s first novella-length contribution to the series. Picking up where Shield of Lies left off, with Garro growing increasingly dissatisfied with his role as Malcador’s Agentia Primus, it sees him putting that role to one side while he embarks on a personal mission to find the living Saint Euphrati Keeler. While he searches for her trail, agents of the Warmaster are also on the hunt for Keeler, aiming to disrupt the defences of Terra with her death.
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The Sand Men – Christopher Fowler

The stark contrast between its gleaming modernity and deep-rooted middle-eastern conservatism makes Dubai an ideal setting for a sort-of-science-fiction thriller, so Christopher Fowler’s The Sand Men seems an intriguing prospect. Promising a look under the surface of a modern technological utopia, it sees the Brook family move from their old life in London to a gated community set up for the families of the men brought over to work on Dream World, a vast, sprawling hotel complex offering every luxury for the most wealthy visitors to the country. Once there, the realities of life for Western outsiders start to become clear, with the family fragmenting while dark secrets start coming to light.
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QUICK REVIEW – The Black Rift of Klaxus : In the Walls of Uryx – Josh Reynolds

Part two of the Black Rift of Klaxus mini series, Josh Reynolds’ In the Walls of Uryx picks up where part one in the series left off and sees Orius leading his Stormcast Eternals further into the city in search of Anhur, The Scarlet Lord. As the Stormcast battle their way through endless enemies, Anhur sacrifices more and more of his own warriors in a gory ritual intended to bring ruin to Klaxus. It’s not yet clear exactly what he hopes to achieve, but Orius will need to be quick if he hopes to stop his hated enemy.
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QUICK REVIEW : Scent of a Traitor – CL Werner

Black Library’s multi-part Space Wolves serial moves into its final stages with Scent of a Traitor by CL Werner, the seventh instalment in the ongoing saga. Ulrik, Krom and their Dark Angel allies have pursued the traitor Marine Sathar the Undone across the city of Eyriax and brought him to heel once more, but Ulrik finds himself faced with an unappetising choice to make if he wants to learn all he can of Logan Grimnar’s whereabouts.
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