Tag Archives: David Annandale

QUICK REVIEW: Knight of Corruption – David Annandale (Call of Archaon part 4)

The fourth of Black Library’s Call of Archaon short stories, Knight of Corruption sees David Annandale take over the reins of Copsys Bule’s tale from David Guymer, continuing the story from Beneath the Black Thumb. Forging on through a new realm, Bule and what’s left of his warband stumble across a newly-raised temple to Sigmar, built atop the ruins of an older age. Hopeful at first of a quick, satisfying victory to raise the morale of his men, Bule finds himself battling a foe previously thought to be a myth, but now standing between him and his new path.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Skeleton Key – David Annandale

Another Blood Bowl story from Black Library, The Skeleton Key is David Annandale’s first contribution to this growing collection of highly entertaining tales. This time the story is told from the perspective of mummy Ramtut the Third, as his Champions of Death undead team take on the honest-to-a-fault Bright Crusaders in the Dungeonbowl. Unlike a standard Blood Bowl game this involves a search for both the ball and the end zones, along with traps, teleporting skeletons, interfering goblins, and even a little cross-dimensional travel. It’s a clash of heroes against monsters even while Ramtut despairs at how far he’s fallen.

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The Binary Succession – David Annandale

A little over seventy-five minutes long and with a nine-strong voice cast, David Annandale’s Horus Heresy audio drama The Binary Succession was described at a Black Library event as ‘Brexit with Titans’. That’s not far off; it takes place on Terra and deals with the growing tensions between the High Lords of Terra and the representatives of the Martian Mechanicum, who feel mistrusted and under-appreciated by the Imperium. Ambassador Vethorel, representative of Fabricator General Kane, has the difficult job of negotiating her way to a position of strength for the Mechanicum, while endeavouring to hold together her increasingly fractious fellows.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Vorago Fastness – David Annandale

David Annandale’s short story The Vorago Fastness, available either in the Deathwatch: Xenos Hunters anthology or as a standalone ebook, brings together Space Marines of some of the most unusual Chapters, including the Black Dragons and the Sons of Antaeus. Tasked with recovering an ancient relic from within the Vorago Fastness, a city-sized prison-turned-mining facility, the Deathwatch kill team must battle against the (at that point) still mysterious Necrons to reach their prize. Along the way they see up close what happens when a world offers up its services as a prison for hire…

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Roboute Guilliman: Lord of Ultramar – David Annandale (The Primarchs Book One)

The first in what will eventually be a series of eighteen short novels, David Annandale’s Roboute Guilliman: Lord of Ultramar kicks The Horus Heresy – The Primarchs off with a look at the XIIIth Legion…the Ultramarines. Set during the Great Crusade this isn’t an origin story for Guilliman, instead it sees him leading his legion against the final remnants of an ork empire on the planet Thoas. Determined to honour the legacy of its original human inhabitants, he commits his legion to battle even while he makes moves internally to shake things up and remind some of his sons of the legion’s identity.

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Warden of the Blade – David Annandale

David Annandale’s Warden of the Blade is the first novel in a new trilogy from Black Library featuring Castellan Crowe of the Grey Knights, beginning the series by showing how Garran Crowe came to wield the Black Blade of Antwyr. The Grey Knights are sent to Sandava II to prevent or halt a daemonic incursion, Crowe and his fellow Purifiers following the then-Castellan Gavallan in the righteous prosecution of a daemonic plague afflicting the once-loyal world. Forced to battle both the daemons and the insidious power of the blade, Crowe and Gavallan lead their brothers into a battle only the strongest and purest could hope to survive.

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Sons of Titan – David Annandale

A compilation of four Grey Knights stories, David Annandale’s Sons of Titan tells a single story over four different tales, all featuring Justicar Styer. It combines together the previously-released novella Maledictus and the prose versions of two audio dramas (Incorruptible and True Name) along with a short story currently only available in this book (The Mourning Tower). Set in and around the Sanctus Reach system, and tying loosely in with other stories set therein, it sees Styer leading his men alongside Inquisitor Furia, following the strands of fate to try and put a stop to worryingly vague daemonic threats.
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Watchers In Death – David Annandale (The Beast Arises Book Nine)

IMPORTANT: This is book nine in a series – there will be spoilers unless you’ve read I Am Slaughter; Predator, Prey; The Emperor Expects; The Last Wall; Throneworld; Echoes of the Long War, The Hunt for Vulkan or The Beast Must Die.

The ninth book in Black Library’s The Beast Arises series, Watchers in Death is David Annandale’s third and final contribution, following on closely from Gav Thorpe’s The Beast Must Die. With the Primarch Vulkan lost on Ullanor and the remaining Space Marine forces having taken a pounding, Koorland finds inspiration in an unlikely source, leading to a decision that’s as unpopular amongst the High Lords as it is inevitable given the title of this book. With the fate of The Beast unknown but the attack moon over Terra broadcasting terror across the airwaves, Koorland’s new tactics provide a glimmer of hope for the Imperium.
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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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The Hunt for Vulkan – David Annandale (The Beast Arises Book Seven)

IMPORTANT: This is book seven in a series – there will be spoilers unless you’ve read I Am Slaughter; Predator, Prey; The Emperor Expects; The Last Wall; Throneworld or Echoes of the Long War.

Black Library’s ongoing The Beast Arises series moves one step closer to completion with book 7, David Annandale’s The Hunt for Vulkan. Annandale’s second contribution to the series, it focuses primarily on Chapter Master Koorland of the Imperial Fists who, after forcing the Adeptus Mechanicus to reveal the origin of the ork invasion – legendary Ullanor, calls for aid from other First Founding chapters. Recognising that the Imperium needs a powerful figurehead if they are to strike at the heart of The Beast’s forces, an unlikely source points him in the direction of a mythical figure who might just fit the bill.
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