Category Archives: Books

Dogs of War – Adrian Tchaikovsky

With his novel Dogs of War, prolific SFF author Adrian Tchaikovsky explores questions of ethics, free will and what it means to be human, wrapped up in an enthralling story about genetically engineered animal soldiers. Seven feet tall and capable of astonishing feats of violence, Rex is a Bioform – a biotechnical hybrid of dog and man – engineered solely for war. He leads his pack (including Honey the bear, Dragon and Bees) into combat following the orders of his Master, his obedience rewarded by his feedback chip, and all he wants is to be a Good Dog. When faced with the freedom to follow his own path and make his own decisions, however, Rex learns that being a Good Dog isn’t always easy.

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Avenging Son – Guy Haley

Guy Haley’s novel Avenging Son kicks off the nine-part Dawn of Fire series, which promises to explore in detail the events of the Indomitus Crusade – the driving force behind the ‘current’ Warhammer 40,000 timeline. This first instalment features the first great battle of the Era Indomitus, as Fleetmistress VanLeskus leads Fleet Tertius against the Khornate Crusade of Slaughter for control of the Machorta Sound, determined to stop the forces of Chaos from claiming territory that would allow them to threaten Terra itself. Before the returned Primarch Roboute Guilliman can dispatch VanLeskus and Fleet Tertius, however, he has to navigate his way through the byzantine politics of an Imperium still reeling from the opening of the Great Rift, a task which even a Primarch can’t manage alone.

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The Harrowing of Doom – David Annandale

For his first Marvel novel, The Harrowing of Doom – part of the Marvel: Untold range from Aconyte Books – David Annandale tells a tale of iron will and fierce obsession as Doctor Doom sets out to turn the tables on Hell itself. Each year at midsummer, Doom must battle a champion of Hell to try and free his mother’s soul, an impossible task that he’s fated to lose every time. Setting out to change the terms of the duel and weigh things in his favour at last, Doom enlists the help of the sorceress Maria von Helm and a reluctant Father Zargo and embarks on a bold but risky gamble. Even as he works feverishly on this new project, the security of Latveria is threatened by the deposed crown prince Rudolfo Fortunov.

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Rise of the Ynnari: Wild Rider – Gav Thorpe

Word is that 2019’s Wild Rider, Gav Thorpe’s second Rise of the Ynnari novel, is likely to be the final instalment in the series, which is a shame as it’s both an entertaining story in its own right and a fantastic exploration of the Ynnari and their role within Aeldari culture. After unintentionally awakening a Necron tomb complex on the maiden world of Agarimethea (see the events of short story Fireheart), Wild Lord Nuadhu Fireheart returns to Saim Hann to try and rouse his Craftworld into an alliance with the Ynnari of Yvraine. Nuadhu hopes to reclaim his honour by returning to Agarimethea in force to deal with the Necrons before they can fully awaken, but the council of Saim Hann are loath to commit their forces, wary of Yvraine’s motives.

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Garen: First Shield – Anthony Reynolds

The first ever League of Legends novella from Riot Games, Anthony Reynolds’ Garen: First Shield is an action-packed tale of duty and determination that offers a glimpse into the life of the elite soldiery of Demacia. Still wracked with guilt for his inability to prevent the assassination of the Demacian King, Garen Crownguard leads a small force of the Dauntless Vanguard on a peace-time mission to a neighbouring, allied nation. Recent communications from Demacia’s ambassador to the Nockmirch have proven suspicious, and the mission is simply to check that all is still well, but when the Vanguard’s arrival reveals a plot that threatens the security of Demacia, Garen and his warriors find themselves vastly outnumbered by a ferocious enemy out for their blood.

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The Reverie – Peter Fehervari

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.

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Spark of Revolution – Gary Kloster

Part of the Black Library Novella Series 3, Spark of Revolution is Gary Kloster’s first Necromunda novella, and makes for an excellent introduction to his writing. Breaker Brass is an ogryn servitor, one of many toiling contentedly in a factorum owned by House Goliath and overseen by the Slag Krocs. When Goliaths start fighting Goliaths and a rival gang takes over the factorum, however, Breaker Brass soon finds himself used up, discarded and left for dead by the callous new gang leader. Against all odds Breaker survives his ordeal, and is reborn with his eyes opened and his mind expanded. Now able to see the world around him differently, he sets out to fight back against his oppressors, determined to find a better life for his fellow ogryns.

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Poison River – Josh Reynolds

Josh Reynolds kicks off his ‘Daidoji Shin Mysteries’ series of Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) stories with Poison River, his second novel for Aconyte Books. Sent by his family to the City of the Rich Frog to oversee the Crane Clan’s trade activities, Daidoji Shin relieves his boredom by spending his days drinking and gambling, much to the dismay of his bodyguard Kasami. All that changes, however, when the Imperial governor sets him the task of uncovering the culprit behind a plot that risks upsetting the balance of power in the city. Invigorated by the investigation, Shin throws himself (and Kasami) into his work, in spite of the danger posed by rival clans, court politics and hired assassins.

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The Infinite and the Divine – Robert Rath

For his debut Black Library novel, Robert Rath goes big with The Infinite and the Divine, a grand tale spanning thousands of years of bitter rivalry between two virtually immortal Necrons. Trazyn the Infinite (archaeovist and Overlord of Solemnace) and Orikan the Diviner (Master Astromancer of the Sautekh Dynasty) have been rivals since their days of flesh and blood, opposites in both outlook and temperament. After Orikan steals the Astrarium Mysterios from Trazyn’s galleries on Solemnace, their enmity escalates into a deadly feud as, over the course of millennia, each attempts to outdo the other in pursuit of the ancient artifact and the power (or in Trazyn’s case, the collectible history) they hope it can unlock.

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Liberty & Justice For All – Carrie Harris

Carrie Harris’ Liberty & Justice For All kicks off the new series of Marvel: Xavier’s Institute novels with an action-packed adventure featuring a pair of young mutants determined to prove themselves as X-Men. For Tempus and Triage, otherwise known as Eva and Christopher, life as trainee X-Men isn’t quite what they expected. When they set out together in the X-Copter for their first solo flight, their delight at simply getting out of the school and away from their instructors quickly fades when they receive an SOS call from Sabretooth of all people. What they think will be a straightforward pickup, and a good opportunity to give their powers a quick workout, ends up becoming a battle that tests them beyond what they could have expected.

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