Category Archives: Black Library

QUICK REVIEW: Where Dere’s da Warp Dere’s a Way – Mike Brooks

In case the title doesn’t give it away, Mike Brooks’ Warhammer 40,000 short story Where Dere’s da Warp Dere’s a Way is a rare story told from an ork perspective…and it’s just as much fun as it sounds. Ufthak Blackhawk joins his Bad Moon mates, under the command of Badgit Snazzhammer, in a gleeful boarding action against a ship crewed by humie mekboyz. The boyz happily get stuck into the fight in typically boisterous fashion, but when things don’t all go their way Ufthak is forced to think quickly in order to prove his status in the mob.

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Fist of the Imperium – Andy Clark

The sixth instalment in Black Library’s Space Marine Conquests series, Andy Clark’s Fist of the Imperium gives the boys in yellow their moment in the post-Dark Imperium spotlight. The mining world of Ghyre is protected by an Imperial Fists honour guard, but when rising unrest prompts a call for reinforcements from the Chapter, a cult worshipping the mysterious ‘Father’ rises up in planet-wide rebellion. Forced by circumstance into taking command of the Imperial forces, Primaris Librarian Aster Lydorran has to contend with not just a coordinated and well-equipped insurgency driven by a prodigious psychic presence, but also Ghyre’s pampered, dithering, divided ruling elite. Moving quickly to take control of the situation, he rapidly realises that there’s more to this uprising than just initial appearances suggested.

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QUICK REVIEW: Green and Grey – Edoardo Albert

Edoardo Albert’s Imperial Guard short story Green and Grey is an emotional gut-punch of a war story, a tale of a young tanker on his first mission which has gone horribly wrong. Waking to darkness and pain, Lucius Stilo finds himself trapped alone inside the Leman Russ Sancta Fide, the rest of the crew dead and a greenskin horde pressing ever closer in. As he waits for help to arrive, the distant voice of his commanding officer calls for him to remember his training and keep the orks at bay, and to do his duty despite the risks.

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Iron Resolve – Steve Lyons

Steve Lyons’ Imperial Guard novella Iron Resolve is a gripping tale of duty and bravery as the proud, disciplined Mordian Iron Guard battle feral orks on the forest world of Kallash. Young trooper Lucius Myer, fighting in his first campaign since leaving Mordian, arrives wounded at an understaffed, overworked command post turned medical facility believing it offers safety away from the horrors of war, only to find himself defending it against endless waves of ferocious xenos. As the Mordians mount a hasty but fierce defence, Myer has to face his fears after all if he has any hope of surviving.

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Where to Start With Black Library: Sisters of Battle

Welcome to the first in a new series of Where to Start With Black Library articles on Track of Words, in which I’m going to try and demystify the process of getting into reading Warhammer fiction. With literally hundreds of Black Library books, short stories and audio dramas available, and new stories being released every week, it can be hard to know where to start, whether you’re brand new to Warhammer or you want to find out more about certain series, factions or characters. Hopefully I can help with that!

In this article I’m going to look at the Sisters of Battle, one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 factions, and offer up some suggestions of great stories you might want to check out. The best place to start with these stories will depend on various factors, far too many for me to cover succinctly, so I’m going to suggest a few different lengths and mediums to give you options to choose from. Where possible I’ll stick to stories I’ve read and enjoyed myself, and link out to reviews where they’re available.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Last Voyage of Elissa Harrow – Denny Flowers

Denny Flowers’ Necromunda short story The Last Voyage of Elissa Harrow does what it says on the tin…and a bit more. SPOILERS abound in both the story and (to a lesser extent) this review for those who haven’t read at least Low Lives (YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!), as this picks up after the novella’s denouement to find Elissa horribly injured, possibly delusional, attempting to cross the sump on a makeshift raft. Land, and safety, seem a long way off, there are dangers beneath the surface of the toxic lake, and Elissa knows she can never really go home…but something drives her to keep moving forward.

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QUICK REVIEW: Beneath the Rust – Graeme Lyon

A prequel to Code of the Skies, Graeme Lyon’s Age of Sigmar short story Beneath the Rust looks back to the youthful exploits of Borri Kraglan and Harek Steelfist beneath the Rusted Wastes of Chamon. The Kharadron of Barak-Nar have entered into a business arrangement with the Stormcast Eternals of the Sigmarite Brotherhood, but the initial work on a Stormkeep has revealed tunnels running deep beneath the surface, which need exploring before work can continue. The Kharadron and Stormcast delve into the tunnels together, but what lies beneath the surface will test them sorely and come to define Borri’s and Harek’s future.

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RAPID FIRE: Graham McNeill Talks Sons of the Selenar

Welcome to this instalment of Rapid Fire, my ongoing series of quick interviews with authors talking about their new releases. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read or listen to it.

In this instalment I spoke to legendary Black Library author Graham McNeill about his new Horus Heresy novella Sons of the Selenar, which is the first novella in the Siege of Terra series that’s concluding the Heresy as a whole. The Limited Edition hardback of this novella has been released and subsequently sold out, but whether you grabbed a copy of that or you’ve been waiting for the standard release, read on to find out more about what you can expect from the latest exploits of the Shattered Legions.

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Black Library Pre-Order Tracker

It can be hard to keep track of upcoming Black Library releases – there’s the Coming Soon page on Warhammer Community but that has big gaps and isn’t updated very often; the occasional Warhammer Community article looking at previews/reveals; and the wider book trade, with websites like Amazon often updated with some information well in advance of books being published. Wouldn’t it be great if there was ONE place you could check which consolidated all of that information, and clearly laid it out to help you plan ahead and decide what to buy and when? Well as it happens, I’ve put together a spreadsheet containing all of the information I can find. I’ve embedded it into this article, and I try to keep it as up to date as possible, so check back any time to see what’s coming up. Continue reading →

Wreck and Ruin – Danie Ware

Danie Ware’s second Sisters of Battle novella for Black Library, Wreck and Ruin picks up shortly after The Bloodied Rose and pits Sister Superior Augusta and her squad against a deadly new enemy. Returning home after the events on Lautis, the Sisters find their services commandeered by Inquisitor Istrix, who orders them to join her on the ravaged, abandoned forge world of Lycheate. They are to accompany her on a hunt for the dangerous psyker Scafidis Zale, but amongst the rusting steelworks and its shady denizens Augusta finds her trust in the hardline, secretive Inquisitor tested and her faith challenged anew.

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