Category Archives: Books

The Library of the Unwritten – A.J. Hackwith

A book about the power of storytelling and the nature of stories both told and untold, A.J. Hackwith’s fantasy novel The Library of the Unwritten reveals a wonderful world of demons, angels, librarians, heroes and villains. Every story left untold resides in the Unwritten Wing of Hell’s library (it’s a tenant, more than an actual part of Hell), protected and guarded against by the head librarian, Claire, and her assistant Brevity. Venturing to Earth in search of a runaway hero before he can do too much damage to his author, Claire and Brevity – along with jittery demon Leto – find themselves unwitting players in a plot which threatens the library’s impartiality and risks inciting a new war between angels and demons.

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Farsight: Crisis of Faith – Phil Kelly

Phil Kelly’s Farsight: Crisis of Faith follows on from his 2016 novel Blades of Damocles, and continues to explore the career of the headstrong t’au Commander at a pivotal moment in time. As the T’au Empire rebuilds after the aborted Imperial crusade, Farsight is tasked with leading a massive expedition back across the Damocles Gulf to reconquer worlds lost to the humans. Uncomfortable with the role given to him by the ethereals, Farsight has to deal with conflicting emotions regarding his people’s leadership and secrets lurking within the expedition even as he faces up to the brutal, uncompromising might of the Imperium.

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The Sabbat Worlds Crusade – Dan Abnett

A richly detailed and beautifully produced 220-page hardback, Dan Abnett’s The Sabbat Worlds Crusade makes for a fantastic companion to his epic, 15-novel Gaunt’s Ghosts series. Written from an in-universe perspective as a historical account of the Sabbat Crusade from its outset up to the liberation of Urdesh, it covers everything from the macro-level – the original context of the crusade, and Warmaster Slaydo’s (and later, Macaroth’s) overarching strategies – down to the micro-level – individual character portraits, vignettes, even vehicles, wargear and regimental awards. With gorgeous maps, graphics and artwork complementing the meticulous text, every page highlights new details and serves to expand both the setting and the series as a whole.

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A Memory Called Empire – Arkady Martine

A debut novel of grand scope and elegant complexity, Arkady Martine’s A Memory Called Empire is an immersive, slow-burning space opera weaving themes of cultural identity, legacy, memory and linguistics into a tight story of courtly intrigue. Growing up on the remote Lsel Station, Mahit Dzmare always dreamed of visiting the vast, sophisticated Teixcalaani Empire, but when she finds herself sent to Teixcalaan as Lsel’s new ambassador she’s thrown into imperial politics at a uniquely dangerous moment. Tensions in the empire are high, the future of Lsel’s autonomy from Teixcalaan is at stake, and Mahit’s predecessor is dead – likely murdered. At risk, with no allies and carrying – in secret – a dangerous, but malfunctioning technology, Mahit must adapt quickly if she wants to survive and thrive in the empire.

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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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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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The God Game – Danny Tobey

Equal parts American high school drama, augmented reality AI adventure and modern social commentary, Danny Tobey’s The God Game is a breakneck thriller about choices, consequences and the facades we hide behind. For Charlie and his friends, navigating high school brings with it a host of pains and problems, but at least they have each other – the Vindicators, a tight-knit group of talented misfits. When they’re introduced to the G.O.D. Game, a secretive AI program created in the image of the Almighty, joining in seems like harmless fun. As they get deeper into the game, however, they come to realise that there might be some truth to its outrageous claims: “Win and all your dreams come true™! Lose, you die!”

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The Spider Dance by Nick Setchfield – via the British Fantasy Society

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything for the British Fantasy Society, but I’m delighted to say that my latest book review is now live – for The Spider Dance by Nick Setchfield, a tremendously enjoyable occult thriller from Titan Books. You can read that review by clicking on this link, but I want to take a moment to add a few more informal thoughts about this book here, to accompany the link. Of course, if you would rather skip straight to the review then feel free to head over to the BFS website – I don’t mind, honest!

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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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The Measure of Iron – Jamie Crisalli

Marking Jamie Crisalli’s first longer-form Black Library story (after a couple of short stories), The Measure of Iron is an action-packed Age of Sigmar novella exploring the Warcry setting. Dominar Syzek Govius of the Iron Golems leads his warband on a quest to find glory and honour, seeking out suitable components to forge a weapon fit for the Everchosen himself. More used to his old role as a forge-master than leading a warband, if Syzek is to succeed then he’ll have to survive not just the dangers of the Eightpoints and its inhabitants but also the attentions of his own warriors.

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