Category Archives: Books

Gods & Mortals – an Age of Sigmar anthology

In three and a half years the Age of Sigmar setting has grown from fairly humble beginnings into something wild and imaginative, with vast scope for storytelling and almost unlimited potential. In that time, alongside a couple of dozen novels we’ve seen a whole host of short stories published, some tying in with ongoing narratives and others standing alone. Over a whopping 400+ pages Gods & Mortals collects together eighteen short stories into an impressive anthology, eight of which are brand new while the other ten are drawn from those previously-published tales. Eighteen stories, nine authors, and lots to enjoy.

Keep reading…

Death Knell – Phil Kelly

Released under the Space Marine Heroes label, Phil Kelly’s novella Death Knell takes a close look at a single squad of Ultramarines in action against overwhelming Chaos forces led by the Crimson Slaughter. After a direct assault against the enemy-held island of St. Capilene fails miserably, the Ultramarines change tactics, with Sergeant Sevastus and his Tactical squad hoping that stealth will see them safely past the island’s outer defences. With a pair of guardsmen in tow, Squad Sevastus infiltrate the haunted island and seek out its defenders, but even for the hard-bitten Tactical Marines the odds of success are steep.

Keep reading…

Celestine: The Living Saint – Andy Clark

Initially available as a rather beautiful Limited Edition hardback before the standard editions arrived six months later, Andy Clark’s short novel Celestine: The Living Saint offers the most thorough exploration yet of the realities of life (and death) for the legendary Saint Celestine. It’s a dark, occasionally unsettling story of sacrifice, faith and duty with two strands split between a desperate battle in Imperium Nihilus and a journey of discovery set…somewhere else. Equal parts conventional 40k action story and allegorical journey, it explores both the trials that Celestine faces in return for her power, and the different ways she affects the Imperial citizens she fights alongside.

Keep reading…

Heart of Winter – Nick Horth

Nick Horth’s Age of Sigmar novella Heart of Winter features the aelf Fleetmaster Arika Zenthe – originally introduced as a secondary character in City of Secrets, she’s now front and centre in her own story. A Scourge Privateer of considerable reputation, Zenthe leads her crew into Ghur, the Realm of Beasts, intending to kill her father and see out a decades-long grudge. Little does she know that her mission will eventually take her from her father’s Black Ark to the frozen darkness of a sylvaneth-infested forest in search of a powerful artefact known as the Heart of Winter.

Keep reading…

The Bone Desert – Robbie MacNiven

Following on from where David Guymer left off with Realmslayer, Robbie MacNiven’s novella The Bone Desert follows Gotrek Gurnisson and his reluctant companion Maleneth as they weather assassination attempts, the elements and each other’s company. Having learned of an inscription hinting at the location of Gotrek’s axe, the unlikely pair are travelling through the arid Bone Desert, heading for the distant city of the Eight Pillars. Despite Maleneth’s attempts to steer them towards an outpost of her Order, Gotrek single-mindedly sets his sights on the city, however it seems there are others who don’t want them to reach their goal.

Keep reading…

The Red Hours – Evan Dicken

The Red Hours is Evan Dicken’s longest Black Library story to date, an Age of Sigmar novella set in a bleak outpost in Chamon, the Realm of Metal. Disgraced and discredited in the eyes of his Freeguild commanders, Captain Byrun Hess is unceremoniously posted to the ominously named Grave of Heroes, where he finds his new command to be somewhat smaller and less orderly than he’s used to. When a brutal shardstorm sweeps in out of nowhere and forces them into hiding, Hess and his newfound comrades quickly find themselves facing much more than just the natural dangers of Chamon.

Keep reading…

Warqueen – Darius Hinks

An action packed tale of the Chaos-worshipping Darkoath tribes, Darius Hinks’ Age of Sigmar novella Warqueen takes place on the Arad Plains in Aqshy, the Realm of Fire. Warqueen Vedra has united the Darkoath tribes into a great host – the Untamed – with just one more battle required to finish driving the forces of Khorne from their lands. When treachery within the tribes is revealed on the eve of that final battle, Vedra only becomes more determined to fulfil her destiny and lead her people into a future of endless war in the name of their god, Tzeentch.

Keep reading…

Wanted: Dead – Mike Brooks

After a recent-ish set of Necromunda short stories teased us with brief glimpses of the underhive, Mike Brooks’ novella Wanted: Dead finally affords us a longer visit. This tells the story of Jarene, a hardened Escher ganger and member of the Wild Cats gang, who finds herself in a tight spot when an ambush goes awry. Life in the underhive is tough at the best of times, but when the Wild Cats find wind up outlawed, hunted and on the run, Jarene has to dig deep and make some difficult decisions if she’s to survive, and protect those she loves the most.

Keep reading…

Blackstone Fortress – Darius Hinks

Darius Hinks’ Blackstone Fortress was released at the same time as the game of the same name, although it’s not so much a novelisation of the game but a standalone tale simply featuring the same setting and characters. As befits a Warhammer Quest game this is a warped, 40k-style dungeon-crawler adventure centred on Janus Draik, the disgraced scion of a noble Terran house. Determined to honour his family name, Draik gathers a motley selection of companions and ventures deep into the Blackstone, but rather than seeking out riches he plans to take control of the Fortress in the Imperium’s name.

Keep reading…

Anarch – Dan Abnett

The fifteenth (!) Gaunt’s Ghosts novel, and the fourth and final instalment in the long-running The Victory arc, Dan Abnett’s Anarch picks up almost immediately after the conclusion to The Warmaster (so beware spoilers if you’ve not read The Warmaster), on Urdesh. In the aftermath of Sek’s aborted assault on Eltath, most of the Ghosts are still dug in around the Tulkar Batteries, though some are in uneasy residence in makeshift billets beneath the Urdeshic Palace, while Gaunt wrestles with the realities of his new role. Neither Gaunt nor Rawne believe Sek was truly defeated, but nor do they yet understand the parts they have to play in coming events.

Keep reading…