Category Archives: Short Stories

QUICK REVIEW: Exhumed – Steve Parker

The second of Steve Parker’s Deathwatch short stories following the exploits of Talon Squad, Exhumed sees Karras and his adopted brothers – accompanied by the Dreadnought Chyron – sent to an abandoned Exodite world where the Adeptus Mechanicus are on the brink of unearthing something ancient from deep beneath the surface. Inevitably that turns out to be something horrifyingly dangerous, and Talon Squad are called upon to protect the interests of their mysterious inquisitorial handler, Sigma. Quickly embroiled in a battle it seems impossible for them to win, Karras fears this might be the day he finally loses one of his squad.

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QUICK REVIEW: Headhunted – Steve Parker

Featuring the first appearance of fan-favourite Talon Squad, Steve Parker’s short story Headhunted is a pacy, action-packed story of the Deathwatch doing what they do best. Under instructions from the shadowy inquisitor known only as Sigma, Codicier Lyandro Karras of the Death Spectres leads his squad through the bowels of an ork spaceship in a race against time to complete their mission and fight their way back out again. Facing countless thousands of orks to fight through, the five members of the squad must work together as a seamless unit if they are to succeed, and survive.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Lightning Golem – Nick Kyme

A Celestial Knights short story for Age of Sigmar, Nick Kyme’s The Lightning Golem takes an unusual approach to exploring the effects of reforging upon the Stormcast Eternals. Lord-Veritant Issakian Swordborne is on the hunt for a deadly enemy, a hunt which takes him from a ruined city in Ghur and the company of his fellow Stormcast Eternals on a journey across the Realms, following dreams and dark visions. Relentless and uncompromising, Issakian sacrifices much in pursuit of his mission.

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QUICK REVIEW: Ghosts of Demesnus – Josh Reynolds

Josh Reynolds’ Age of Sigmar short story Ghosts of Demesnus is a Hallowed Knights story following on from Plague Garden, but it’s a little different to the usual style. Instead of the grand sweep of battle this is much smaller scale, as Gardus travels alone to the city of Demesnus in the Realm of Ghyran, where he lived in his first life. Seeking insight into the changes wrought upon him since being Reforged, he searches out familiar sights and sounds, hoping to stir old memories. The connections he finds to his past life, however, are not quite what he expected.

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QUICK REVIEW: By Your Command – Gav Thorpe

A stylised but brilliantly effective short story, Gav Thorpe’s By Your Command ties into his novel Imperator: Wrath of the Omnissiah (it’s included in the special edition hardback) by virtue of its setting, but works very well as a standalone. Deep within the Imperator Titan Casus Belli, a maniple of Kastelan battle robots is awakened and tasked with defending the Titan against invading Heretic Astartes. Told from the perspective of the Kastelan Alpha-6-Terror, it’s a story which delves into the inner workings and thought processes of the robot even as the bolt shells are flying.

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QUICK REVIEW: Defiant – Andy Clark

A short story in his Imperial Knights series, Andy Clark’s Defiant sits somewhere between Kingsblade and Knightsblade and sees Lady Jennika Tan Draconis still coming to terms with her role as First Knight of Adrastapol. The darkly pious Imperial world of Pyrodiah burns under the assault of endless waves of necrons, but the Knights of Adrastapol walk in its defence. Tasked with retrieving the planetary governor before the capital city is overrun, Jennika leads several lances of Knights into battle, however she faces not only the soulless necrons but the prejudices of her own warriors.

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QUICK REVIEW: Baphomet By Night – Peter McLean

A dark, uncomfortable Black Library debut from Peter McLean, Baphomet By Night is an Astra Militarum short story which takes place after the dust has settled on the Imperial campaign to cleanse the world of Baphomet of a Chaos cult. The Reslian 45th are sent in to garrison the world once the fighting is over, which to Corporal Cully and Sergeant Rachain seems like an easy duty after their last action, despite the inexperience of their new platoon. When unexpected resistance breaks out and the green troopers start dying around them, it becomes clear that Baphomet isn’t the break they expected.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Resolute – Josh Reynolds

One of two Josh Reynolds short stories originally published in the Legends of the Age of Sigmar: Sylvaneth anthology, The Resolute is a story of both the sylvaneth and the Hallowed Knights. The reed-city of Gramin, long ago ravaged by the armies of Nurgle, is once more befouled by the presence of the Order of the Fly. Felyndael and his fellow tree-revenants hasten to recover the dormant seed-pods slumbering beneath the city, but such are the forces set against them that they are begrudgingly forced to accept the aid of Aetius Shield-born and his Stormcast Eternals.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Strange Demise of Titus Endor – Dan Abnett

An Eisenhorn short story that doesn’t actually feature Eisenhorn, Dan Abnett’s The Strange Demise of Titus Endor is a bleak, unsettling story and a reminder that the horrors of the 41st millennium come in all sorts of forms. Focusing, unsurprisingly, on Eisenhorn’s old friend Titus Endor, it finds the inquisitor alone in a drab city, hunting an elusive quarry who always seems just out of reach. Musing on recollections of his old master, Hapshant, Endor wonders what happened to his friend Eisenhorn, even as he follows up clues to his quarry’s whereabouts which point to sinister omens and old ghosts.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Keys to Ruin – David Annandale

David Annadale’s short story The Keys to Ruin is (along with his Shattered Crucible) one of four stories from the Legends of the Age of Sigmar: Fyreslayers anthology, intended to introduce readers to the Fyreslayers as a new faction. Battling through legions of daemons and landscapes twisted against them, the Fyreslayers of the Drunbhold lodge follow a little-known prophecy and march to join with another, long-separated lodge. Leaving the great magmahold of Sibilatus and following the ever-present song of the wind, they seek out a realmgate to speed them towards their prophesied destination.

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