Tag Archives: Deathwatch

Deathwatch – Steve Parker

Published back in 2013 after two excellent short stories – Headhunted and Exhumed – Steve Parker’s novel Deathwatch winds the clock back and tells the origin story of Talon Squad, and how its various members came to be working together under the burdensome command of the mysterious Sigma. For Lyandro Karras, First Codicier of the Death Spectres, life is about to become unexpectedly complicated as he’s inducted into the Deathwatch – the multi-Chapter force of elite alien hunters – and forced to face up to some uncomfortable truths regarding loyalty, purpose and even fate. Meanwhile beneath the surface of the mining world Chiaro, Inquisitorial agents risk their lives to uncover a sinister cult taking shape in the darkness.

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RAPID FIRE: Steve Parker Talks Deathwatch: Shadowbreaker

Welcome to this instalment of Rapid Fire, my ongoing series of quick interviews with Black Library authors talking about their new releases. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read or listen to it.

In this instalment I spoke to Steve Parker about Shadowbreaker, his latest 40k release and the sequel to his much-loved novel Deathwatch. It’s available to pre-order right now, so check out the interview and get ready for another slice of epic Deathwatch action!

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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 Infinite Tableau – Anthony Reynolds

A necron-tinged Deathwatch short story from Anthony Reynolds, available as a standalone e-short or within the Deathwatch: Xenos Hunters anthology (or indeed Deathwatch: The Omnibus), The Infinite Tableau sees a small Deathwatch squad investigating the disappearance of an Adeptus Mechanicus mission on a remote, ice-locked moon. Cassiel of the Blood Angels leads brothers from the White Scars and Mortifactors chapters, first exploring their frozen surroundings before finding themselves fighting for their lives as the fate of the Adeptus Mechanicus explorers becomes unpleasantly clear.

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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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Storm of Damocles – Justin D. Hill

After a handful of excellent short stories, Justin D. Hill gets his first Black Library novel with Storm of Damocles, in the Space Marine Battles series. Tying in nicely with recent Deathwatch releases as well as the ongoing story of the Damocles Crusade, this follows Nergui of the White Scars, now Captain of the Deathwatch, as he investigates the loss of two full squads of his brothers. What he learns suggests that the war in the Damocles Gulf might be about to take a turn for the worse, unless he can find a way to neutralise the latest weapon in the tau’s arsenal.
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Legends of the Dark Millennium: Deathwatch – Ian St. Martin

Q3 2016 has been all about the Deathwatch, and in his debut novel Ian St. Martin takes us back to where it all started with Legends of the Dark Millennium: Deathwatch featuring Captain Artemis, who was first introduced back in the 2001 Inquisitor game. Now tying in with the latest iteration of the Deathwatch, this sees Artemis and his squad pulled into a huge conflict as a previous mission proves to have had horrifying unforeseen consequences. Facing both an ork Waaagh! and a tyranid hive fleet, the Deathwatch must resort to desperate measures in order to find victory.
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QUICK REVIEW – Deathwatch: Swordwind – Ian St. Martin

Day three of Black Library’s 2016 Summer of Reading sees Ian St. Martin tackle the Deathwatch again after City of Ruin with Deathwatch: Swordwind. Adoni of the Mortifactors returns to his Chapter’s fortress monastery at the conclusion of his secondment to the Deathwatch, oathbound to not speak of his experiences but bearing with him a chapter relic. As he rejoins his brothers he recalls the fateful mission where he fought alongside a hero of his Chapter against the eldar of Biel Tan, a battle which will have a profound impact on his Chapter.
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QUICK REVIEW : Cepheus – Braden Campbell

Cepheus by Braden Campbell, the eleventh and final short story in Black Library’s Deathwatch mini-series (now also available in a single volume entitled Deathwatch : Ignition), sees the return of Chaplain Cassius and serves to loosely tie the whole series together. Petitioning a council of Watch Captains for approval of a rescue mission, Cassius finds himself retelling the events on Port Cepheus that led to him being there and the necessity of going in search of his absent brothers. Under the scrutiny of three Watch Captains however he finds his decisions being questioned, and starts to see the undercurrent of politics that runs through even the Deathwatch.
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