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.

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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.

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QUICK REVIEW: A Rose Watered with Blood – Aaron Dembski-Bowden

Picking up where LJ Goulding left off in Prince of Blood, Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s A Rose Watered with Blood is a story of Lotara Sarrin and the Conqueror as the World Eaters – and what was once their primarch Angron – make for Terra. Twisting under the influence of the monster chained deep within its hold, its crew butchered by the legionaries who were once their protectors, it’s increasingly clear that the Conqueror has a mind of its own. As they inch closer to Terra, Lotara faces up to the ugly darkness growing within her ship and within the hearts of its crew.

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QUICK REVIEW: Half-Horn by Josh Reynolds

Life’s tough in the underhive, especially so for anyone foolish enough to kill a Guilder. In his short Necromunda audio drama Half-Horn, Josh Reynolds takes a quick look at what might happen in such a circumstance…with predictably unpleasant results. Three disreputable characters are searching for a safe haven, bickering over who’s to blame for their unhappy predicament, driven by fear of who (or what) might be hunting for them. One particular name inspires genuine terror – Gor Half-Horn – but what are the chances of the legendary bounty hunter even being real, never mind being on their trail?

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QUICK REVIEW: Sand Lords – Peter McLean

Peter McLean continues to impress with his fourth Black Library short story, this time tackling the Tallarn Desert Raiders. On the arid world of Marbas II, the Tallarn 236th Sand Lords have deployed in force, an armoured column storming into the ork-held city of Iblis Amrargh intending to reclaim a lost relic of their regiment. The story begins as Captain Amareo Thrax is leading the battered remnants of his force in a desperate retreat through the baking desert. As they race for safety, Thrax bitterly recalls the horrors that took the lives of so many of his warriors.

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Black Library Weekly – W/C 17/12/18

Hello and welcome to the latest instalment of Black Library Weekly, my regular look at what’s been happening in the world of Black Library. It’s the penultimate week of 2018, and much like last week it’s been dominated by the Advent Calendar, which has included no fewer than five audio dramas this time around. Let’s take a look…

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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.

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QUICK REVIEW: Hungerfiend – Guy Haley

One of a growing number of Age of Sigmar stories featuring Prince Maesa (and the second in audio), Guy Haley’s Hungerfiend sees the aelven prince and his companion Shattercap in Ghur, the Realm of Beasts, hunting a malevolent spirit. Accompanied by the duardin Idenkor Stonbrak (see this story) they travel high into the mountains in search of the monster that’s been haunting the high passes and terrorising the locals, believing it to be a Mourngul. If their suspicions are true they face a powerful enemy indeed, one which will require more than simply brute force to defeat.

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QUICK REVIEW: Purity is a Lie – Gav Thorpe

Gav Thorpe’s Blackstone Fortress short story Purity is a Lie features several of the same characters as Darius Hinks’ novel Blackstone Fortress, and sees the firebrand priest Taddeus the Purifier join Rogue Trader Janus Draik on an expedition to the Fortress itself. Taddeus despises the faithless masses surrounding him on Precipice, but when he’s invited by Draik to join the expedition he recognises the need to rise above his distaste in order to enact the Emperor’s will. Battling through the Fortress, he’s begrudgingly forced to accept that perhaps his faith isn’t the only thing he needs in order to succeed.

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QUICK REVIEW: Black Atonement – David Annandale

David Annandale continues his exploration of Neferata in Age of Sigmar with Black Atonement, a short audio drama which sees the Mortarch of Blood getting creative with her punishments. The city of Shadowvel lies outside the borders of Neferatia, yet to Neferata’s eyes it benefits greatly from its proximity to her realm. Displeased with the city and its prideful citizens, she intends to see it destroyed, and employs her prodigious talent for manipulation to make it so. The Maggotkin of Nurgle desire Shadowvel for themselves, but the city’s powerful defences need to be nullified if Neferata’s plan is to succeed.

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