Category Archives: Short Stories

QUICK REVIEW: Gates of the Devourer – David Annandale

The second of Black Library’s 2016 Summer of Reading short stories is Gates of the Devourer by David Annandale, a story of Imperial Titans and Tyranid swarms to whet our appetite for his upcoming novel Warlord: Fury of the God-Machine. When the Great Devourer assails the Imperial world of Khania the Imperium responds by sending the Astra Militarum…and the Adeptus Titanicus. Two demi-legios from different Titan Legions lead the Imperial response, but Princeps Ferantha Krezoc of the Legio Pallidus Mor has reservations about the arrogant commander leading the other Legio.
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QUICK REVIEW: Blackshield – Chris Wraight

The first short story in Black Library’s 2016 Summer of Reading campaign, Chris Wraight’s Blackshield follows Khorak, a Death Guard legionary commanding an old and battered warship and a handful of legionaries. Pursued by unknown enemies and forced to set down on the murky, toxic world of Agarvian he leads his men in the sort of stoic, stubborn slog typical of the Death Guard, determined to stay alive long enough to blood his pursuers. All the while the identity of his enemies remains unclear, while Khorak’s loyalties are…uncertain.
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QUICK REVIEW – The Black Rift of Klaxus : The Sulphur Citadel – Josh Reynolds

The Black Rift of Klaxus comes to an end with Josh Reynolds’ eighth and final instalment, The Sulphur Citadel. The Rift has opened, spilling legions of daemons out into Klaxus and swamping the remaining Stormcasts, who fight on regardless. As Orius and Anhur clash for the final time, Lord Relictor Moros confronts his Khornate counterpart Volundr, while Lord Castellant Gorgus battles the monstrous bloodthirster Skul’rath. The fate of Klaxus hangs in the balance, everything now resting on the outcome of these three epic duels.
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QUICK REVIEW – The Black Rift of Klaxus : Bridge of Smoke – Josh Reynolds

Josh Reynolds’ serialised novel The Black Rift of Klaxus closes in on the end with part seven, Bridge of Smoke. Having fought through never-ending hordes of Khorne worshippers and the twisted city of Uryx itself, Lord Celestant Orius and his battered Stormcasts are almost at their goal when Anhur’s great ritual finally comes to fruition. As numberless daemons flood into existence, Orius leaves the greater part of his forces to bear the brunt of the assault while he leads a small group into the Sulphur Citadel to confront Anhur and put an end to his plans for apotheosis.
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QUICK REVIEW – The Black Rift of Klaxus : Ten Skulls – Josh Reynolds

Josh Reynolds’ Age of Sigmar mini-series/serialised novel The Black Rift of Klaxus reaches part six with Ten Skulls, in which Lord Celestant Orius and his Stormcasts continue to battle on, inching ever closer to their goal. Hungry for glory (or just lots of blood), more of Anhur’s Gorechosen fling themselves in the Stormcasts’ path, to varying degrees of success, until Orius and co. finally find themselves in open battle against last remaining lines of the Chaos defence. Amidst the carnage the two lords finally meet face to face, albeit not for the final time – this is part six of eight, after all.
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QUICK REVIEW – The Black Rift of Klaxus : The Scarlet Lord – Josh Reynolds

Part five of Josh Reynolds’ Black Rift of Klaxus serialised novel, The Scarlet Lord sees Orius’ Stormcasts pushing deep into the city, while up in the Sulphur Citadel Anhur’s ritual is approaching completion. With the two sides coming ever closer to a final confrontation the champions of each force clash in a series of battles across the tortured city, with both Kratus and Gorgus in the thick of it. The Stormcasts are being gradually whittled down as they forge ever onwards, and while the opposing lords are still to meet in person, it’s only a matter of time now.
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QUICK REVIEW – Tallarn : Siren – John French

Set early on in the Tallarn arc within the wider Horus Heresy series, John French’s Tallarn : Siren finds a handful of Imperial citizens holed up in a tiny underground shelter with the last surviving astropath on the planet. As they desperately try to make contact with any other survivors, they attract the attention of both Marshall Lycus of the Imperial Fists and the invading Iron Warriors, one determined to use the astropath to send word of the planet’s fate, the other keen to prevent that happening. The shelter’s occupants await rescue, but fate may have something else in store for them.
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QUICK REVIEW: The Young Wolf’s Return – Robbie MacNiven

Part two in Robbie MacNiven’s serialised Legacy of Russ novel, The Young Wolf’s Return carries on where The Lost King left off with the Wolves battling daemons across the Fenris system under the looming threat of the Dark Angels-led Imperial fleet. The Wolves are strung out across the system, missing the leadership of the absent Logan Grimnar, while something is amiss within the ranks of the Dark Angels. Help may be on the way however, as not all of the Great Companies have yet returned to Fenris.
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QUICK REVIEW: The Lost King – Robbie MacNiven

Part one of another serialised Space Wolf novel, this time from Robbie MacNiven, The Lost King picks up the story where David Annandale left off in Curse of the Wulfen. While the immediate threat has been defeated, the embattled Wolves are still fighting on against the forces of Chaos across the entire Fenris system. With rumours circulating that Logan Grimnar has fallen, and an Imperial fleet led by the Dark Angels approaching in search of answers, the remaining Space Wolves are not out of danger. Something sinister is pulling strings from the shadows, but the players are not all out in the open yet.
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QUICK REVIEW : Allegiance – Chris Wraight

Available within either the Sedition’s Gate or War Without End anthologies [EDIT: and now as a standalone e-short], Chris Wraight’s short story Allegiance takes an interesting look at the concept of loyalty in a legionary by asking if it’s possible for a member of one legion to change his allegiance to another legion entirely. Following on directly from Scars it focuses on Revuel Arvida, the Thousand Sons legionary recuperating in the company of Yesugei and the White Scars. As he slowly heals, recovering his esoteric talents alongside his physical health, he realises Yesugei is both testing him and hoping to persuade him to join the White Scars permanently.
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