Day sixteen of the 2016 Black Library Advent Calendar gives us Valerius by Gav Thorpe, a Horus Heresy audio drama that continues a specific arc on from the novella Weregeld. As the title suggests it follows Marcus Valerius, Vice-Caesari of the Therion Cohort, as he leads his forces into battle at Beta-Garmon. Looking to the words of the Lectitio Divinitatus for guidance and holding tight to his faith in the Emperor, he continues to believe – despite the odds stacked against them – that he and his Therions are serving a higher purpose…
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Tag Archives: Gav Thorpe
QUICK REVIEW: The Grey Raven – Gav Thorpe
Day seven of Black Library’s 2016 Advent Calendar features The Grey Raven, the first of two Horus Heresy Raven Guard stories from Gav Thorpe. Closely linked to the novella Weregeld (part of Corax, book 40 in the numbered series) it picks up the story of Balsar Kurthuri, Chief Librarian of the Raven Guard, as he returns to Terra to face the Sigillite’s judgement having broken the Edict of Nikaea. Accompanied by the rest of the ‘Long Shadows’, those who Corax couldn’t or wouldn’t count on, he finds little in the way of welcome from the defenders of the Sol system.
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The Beast Must Die – Gav Thorpe (The Beast Arises Book Eight)
IMPORTANT: This is book eight 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 or The Hunt for Vulkan.
We hit book 8 in Black Library’s The Beast Arises series with Gav Thorpe’s second in the series, The Beast Must Die. We’re two thirds of the way in now, and with the return of the primarch Vulkan the Imperium finally has a chance to strike a decisive blow against the invading orks. With a withdrawn and brooding Vulkan as figurehead and Koorland reluctantly calling the shots, a combined force the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the Heresy besieges legendary Ullanor in an attempt to bring The Beast to battle and kill the ork warlord. Simultaneously, unwilling to trust to brute force Vangorich secretly makes his own plans for dealing with The Beast.
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The Emperor Expects – Gav Thorpe (The Beast Arises Book 3)
IMPORTANT: This is book three in a series, so if you haven’t read I Am Slaughter or Predator, Prey you may find spoilers below.
Book three in Black Library’s The Beast Arises series, The Emperor Expects sees the reins handed over to Gav Thorpe for the first proper look at the Imperial Navy during this time of intense upheaval for the Imperium. The spotlight falls on Captain Rafal Kulik of the Colossus as he navigates the treacherous waters of naval politics, caught between two antagonistic fleet admirals as the Navy launches a desperate assault on an ork attack moon. Meanwhile the politicking continues amongst the High Lords back on Terra, while Second Captain Koorland – sole surviving Imperial Fist – calls a gathering of power that hasn’t been seen for a thousand years.
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Asurmen: Hand of Asuryan – Gav Thorpe
The first novel in what will, hopefully, eventually be a full Phoenix Lord series, Asurmen: Hand of Asuryan sees Gav Thorpe delve into the mythology of the eldar to tell the tale of the titular Asurmen, first and greatest of the fabled Phoenix Lords. Set in the midst of a conflict against the chaos forces of the Flesh Thieves, instigated by a Farseer of Anuiven craftworld in order to reclaim an artefact of great power, it sees Asurmen co-opting a peaceful eldar pilot to help him as he steps in to try and avert a disaster unforeseen by the reckless Farseer. Realising his warrior spirit is troubling the pilot, Neridiath, he talks to her of his path and the events which saw him take his first steps along it.
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Who’d Be An Author?
Yesterday I posted my review of a Horus Heresy short story by Gav Thorpe – Inheritor. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and gave it an appropriately positive review – to me it gave a nicely fresh view of part of the Heresy that’s been covered quite a lot, and did a good job of telling a fun little story within a story. It also highlighted the virtue of letting different authors tackle similar themes, as Gav’s take on the World Eaters and their Butcher’s Nails felt interestingly different to how they’re normally portrayed. While it wasn’t perfect, in my opinion it was definitely an entertaining read.
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QUICK REVIEW : Inheritor – Gav Thorpe
Set during the Shadow Crusade on the Imperial world of Kronus, Gav Thorpe’s short story Inheritor is the latest in the Heresy Series to return to the 500 Worlds, but this time the focus is on the fragile bond between the Word Bearers and the World Eaters. Under orders from their primarchs, Eliphas of the XVII and Eres of the XII Legion have forged a tenuous alliance in pursuit of a common goal, in spite of their clear differences. Despite its billing on the Black Library website, this isn’t a story of outright conflict between legions but rather an exercise in tension as the ties between them are tested.
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QUICK REVIEW : Lord of the Cosmic Gate – Gav Thorpe
Black Library’s 2015 Advent Calendar comes to a close with Lord of the Cosmic Gate by Gav Thorpe, the twelfth and final Age of Sigmar short story in the series. Rikjard of the Many Numbers, mathemagician and sorcerer of Tzeentch, masses his forces within the bizarre, enclosed land of the Thousand Portals as he enacts a plan to draw forth the armies of the Slann and learn the final part of the Eternal Equation. With that arcane knowledge he hopes to open the Cosmic Gate and break through to the Crystal Labyrinth of Tzeentch, returning the Thousand Portals to their rightful place and raising himself up above even the Everchosen.
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Meduson – Black Library Anthology
Of all the ‘exclusive’ products Black Library have released, perhaps the one most likely to rouse the anger of fans is Meduson – a venue-specific Horus Heresy anthology that can only be purchased in person from Games Workshop’s headquarters in Nottingham. Released to celebrate the re-opening of Warhammer World and the dedicated Black Library shop within, it’s a move designed to draw out the diehard fans and encourage visitors, but is bound to annoy those fans not willing or able to make it to Nottingham. Exclusivity aside, any new Heresy release is always going to be of great interest to fans of the series, and this is no exception. With a selection of brand new stories from some of Black Library’s most respected authors, this review is a little longer than usual in order to give as clear a picture as possible of the anthology.
The Curse of Khaine – Gav Thorpe
We’ve seen Nagash rise and Altdorf fall, and now it’s the turn of the elves to get involved in the events of the End Times. Accompanying the Khaine background book comes The Curse of Khaine by Gav Thorpe, which follows Malekith, the Witch King of the dark elves, as he leads his entire race in battle against his high elf cousins. It’s the natural continuation of his long-running arc as in the chaos and confusion of the End Times, Malekith sees the opportunity to finally claim what he sees as his birthright, although along the way things don’t quite end up how he expected.