Category Archives: Books

Blood of Iax – Robbie MacNiven

Robbie MacNiven returns to the characters introduced in his short story A Brother’s Confession with the novel Blood of Iax, a Dark Imperium-era Ultramarines story featuring a Primaris-only strike force. Blood brothers Kastor and Polixis – Chaplain and Apothecary respectively – are part of Strike Force Fulminata, and are taking the fight to the invading orks on Ikara IX when the tide turns and Imperial forces hurriedly go on the defensive. The arrival of ork warlord Urgork changes everything, especially as his objectives go beyond simply finding the biggest scrap possible – the canny Urgork has a plan, and it involves Polixis.

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Priest of Bones – Peter McLean

Peter McLean’s fourth novel, Priest of Bones is the first in a ‘grimdark fantasy’ series featuring crime lords, turf wars, secret police and the effects of PTSD on veteran ex-soldiers. Having survived the horrors of Abingon, Tomas Piety – once a ‘businessman’, now an army priest – returns to his home city of Ellinburg to retake his position, and his streets. What he finds there are businesses taken over in his absence, streets no longer safe for the people living in them, and a new war brewing that promises to be as dark and harrowing as the one he’s just returned from.

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Of Honour and Iron – Ian St. Martin

The fourth novel in the Space Marine Conquests series, Of Honour and Iron completes the set of the big four Chapters as Ian St. Martin tackles a story of the Ultramarines during the Indomitus Crusade. Pulled from an active warzone by order of their Primarch, Chaplain Helios and Sergeant Theron are sent on a secretive mission to retrieve something vital to the ongoing crusade, with only a handful of the new Primaris Marines for company. Meanwhile on a ravaged Imperial world, the Genesis Chapter lead a doomed defence against the forces of Warsmith Bolaraphon of the Iron Warriors.

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Inferno! Volume 1 – Tales From the Worlds of Warhammer

Way back in 1997, issue 1 of Inferno! magazine was the first publication from a newly-created Black Library, featuring short stories, artwork and comic strips exploring the Warhammer settings. Fast forward to 2018 and Inferno! Volume 1 is the first in a new series of short story anthologies which promise to breathe new life into the Inferno! name. The eleven featured short stories cover Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Necromunda and even Warhammer Chronicles (tales from the Old World), and come from the keyboards of Black Library authors both old and new – including three never-before-seen stories from Black Library debutants (not to be confused with debutantes).

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Legacy of Dorn – Mike Lee

A Crimson Fists novel set during the same campaign as Rynn’s World by Steve Parker, Legacy of Dorn is, incredibly, Mike Lee’s first full-length 40k novel. During the desperate defence of New Rynn City against the vast hordes of Waaagh! Snagrod, Veteran Sergeant Sandor Galleas and his Sternguard veterans find themselves cut off from the remaining Crimson Fists forces and trapped behind the orks’ lines. Forced into a campaign of guerilla warfare alongside a battered, ill-equipped group of human soldiers, the veterans take the fight to the orks, all the while knowing they may represent the last hope for their Chapter.

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Assault on Black Reach – Nick Kyme

Released in 2008 to tie in with the Warhammer 40,000 starter set of the same name, Nick Kyme’s novella Assault on Black Reach tells the story of the epic conflict between the Ultramarines 2nd Company and the vast ork Waaagh! of warlord Zanzog on the ravaged world of Black Reach. Led by Captain Cato Sicarius, the Ultramarines launch a blistering drop assault to strike at the head of the ork horde, intending to kill Zanzag and cripple the orks in a single devastating blow. Some among the Ultramarines, however, fear that Sicarius risks too much in his thirst for glory.

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Ciaphas Cain: Choose Your Enemies – Sandy Mitchell

The tenth novel in the Ciaphas Cain series, and first since The Greater Good back in 2013, Choose Your Enemies is a welcome return for Sandy Mitchell and the much-loved Commissar Cain. Set as usual at an indeterminate date (but definitely pre-Dark Imperium) it sees Cain and the Valhallan 597th deployed to the ice world Drechia, bolstering the defences against eldar pirates. In the depths of the mines beneath the surface Cain unexpectedly finds yet more enemies – Chaos cultists, whose appearance threatens the nearby forge world of Ironfound – but also find himself reacquainted with an old ally as well.

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Sin of Damnation – Gav Thorpe

Gav Thorpe’s classic Space Hulk novella was first published in 2009 under the (ever so slightly misleading) title Space Hulk: The Novel, before being re-released in 2014 as Sin of Damnation, bundled with the short story Sanguis Irae. It’s the story of the Space Hulk game played through to its conclusion, detailing the Blood Angels 1st Company’s perilous mission to board the titular Space Hulk and cleanse it of the genestealer menace. Sergeants Lorenzo and Gideon lead their Terminator squads into battle in the claustrophobic confines of the Hulk, desperate to atone in alien blood for the shame of a six hundred year-old tragedy.

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The Lords of Silence – Chris Wraight

Chris Wraight’s first ever ‘bad guy’ Black Library novel, The Lords of Silence takes a close look at the actions and outlook of the Death Guard in post-Cicatrix Maledictum 40k. As the galaxy reels in the wake of Abaddon’s successes and the changes they’ve caused, the old Legions – including Mortarion’s Death Guard – are faced with different challenges to overcome. When the Lords of Silence, led by the strangely philosophical Siegemaster Vorx, are knocked off course they find themselves deep in Imperial territory and faced with the unexpected decision of what they ought to do next.

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Rise of the Ynnari: Ghost Warrior – Gav Thorpe

Gav Thorpe’s Ghost Warrior is the first book in the Rise of the Ynnari series detailing the exploits of Yvraine and her Ynnari, whose goal is to bring forth the aeldari god of the dead, Ynnead. When the Iyandeni are confronted with the return of the long-lost craftworld Zaisusthra, spiritseer Iyanna Arienal’s path intersects with Yvraine’s. Iyanden needs allies to survive, while the Ynnari see an opportunity to find and claim the last of the once-lost Croneswords, which they need to bring about the awakening of Ynnead. The question is, what does Zaisuthra want, and why has it returned now?

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