Tag Archives: Horus Heresy

Black Library Advent Calendar 2018 – Recap

We’ve reached the very end of 2018, and now that the Black Library Advent Calendar has finished for another year, I’m taking my usual look back at what the series contained and whether there’s anything we can extrapolate from what’s been included. As with previous years I’m not going to go into too much detail about each story in this article, as you can check out links to all of my reviews by clicking here. Instead I’m going to have a look at each of the different settings in turn, and think about things as a whole.

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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: The Last Council – LJ Goulding

Occupying an interesting point in the Horus Heresy timeline somewhere between The Binary Succession and The Solar War, LJ Goulding’s short story The Last Council tackles the final session of the Council of Terra before it’s disbanded in anticipation of the Siege. As High Lords posture and bicker over costs, priorities and jurisdictions, Malcador finds himself dwelling on the purpose of the Council and his role as Regent. While the debate continues, the Sigillite looks to both the past and future, his mind occupied by Horus of course, and also by buried secrets and unpalatable truths.

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QUICK REVIEW: A Lesson in Iron – David Guymer

A Horus Heresy Primarchs story set during the Great Crusade, A Lesson in Iron sees David Guymer tackle his favoured Iron Hands and give their primarch Ferrus Manus a little more time in the spotlight. Pursuing the fleeing remnants of the greenskin Rust empire and determined to finish them off, Ferrus takes his flagship – the Fist of Iron – into a strange warp rift. Instead of orks waiting for them, the Iron Hands find an unknown Imperial ship which appears to belong to their legion. What they find upon boarding that ship appears impossible, though it hints at a strange future.

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RAPID FIRE: Guy Haley Talks Titandeath

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 the ever-busy Guy Haley about his latest Horus Heresy novel Titandeath, the 53rd book in the series – which is available to order right now!

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QUICK REVIEW: Abyssal – David Annandale

A rare Horus Heresy short story featuring entirely new characters, David Annandale’s Abyssal takes place deep in the bowels of the Black Ship Irkalla. Aveth Vairon has lived his whole life driven and influenced by visions of a singular rune. Even after being taken from his home world and imprisoned within the Black Ship, Vairon clings to his belief that the rune is guiding his path, and follows the route it lays out for him. Tormented by the horrors of the ship and the terrifying Sisters of Silence, Vairon follows the rune’s imperatives, trusting it to see him to safety.

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QUICK REVIEW: Old Wounds, New Scars – Graham McNeill

Following on from Vengeful Spirit and Wolf Mother, Graham McNeill’s Horus Heresy short story Old Wounds, New Scars follows Alivia Sureka, the Perpetual, as she reluctantly returns to Terra. Over the course of a long and dangerous journey through the warp on a battered warship along with her adopted family and countless thousands of refugees from Molech, Alivia has worked hard to ensure as many people survived as possible. As their destination draws closer, and the whispers of the warp grow louder, Alivia recalls moments and people from her long life, and looks ahead in concern to the dangers approaching on Terra.

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Black Library Advent Calendar 2018

December has come round once again, which means it’s time for the 2018 Black Library Advent Calendar! As is the Black Library tradition, there’s going to be 24 days of Black Library fiction in the run up to Christmas, with a new* short story or audio drama revealed each day. This year it’s mostly short stories, with just six of the tales coming in as audio dramas (compared to 10 audios in 2017), and things are split across 40k (including Blackstone Fortress!), Age of Sigmar, Necromunda and the Horus Heresy.

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Dreadwing – David Guymer

The second of two Siege of Terra prequel novellas (see also Spear of Ultramar), David Guymer’s Dreadwing explores a little of what Lion El’Jonson and his Dark Angels were getting up to that prevented them from reaching Terra. Engaged in a campaign of harassment against Traitor-held worlds, tensions within the I Legion are rising as the question of whether to return to Terra becomes ever more important. While the Lion broods in silence, his lieutenants Redloss and Holguin – of the Dreadwing and Deathwing respectively – are at odds, one keen to continue the campaign and the other desperate to head for Terra.

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Spear of Ultramar – David Annandale

One of two Horus Heresy novellas billed as prequels to the Siege of Terra, David Annandale’s Spear of Ultramar provides a brief but satisfying exploration of the challenges facing Guilliman and the Ultramarines as they race for Terra. Set after the events of Ruinstorm, the Ultramarines find their path blocked by the Carchera system, which is defended by a single Grand Company of Iron Warriors. Despite being vastly outnumbered the Iron Warriors are determined to delay Guilliman for as long as they can, so lay a trap that they know the Avenging Son will recognise, but will have no choice but to spring.

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