Taking its place in the first wave of Black Library’s Warhammer Crime releases (alongside Chris Wraight’s Bloodlines and Alec Worley’s Dredge Runners), short story anthology No Good Men explores some of the different ways in which Imperial justice is loosely interpreted on the mean streets of Varangantua. Eschewing the usual battlefields and familiar tabletop characters in favour of ordinary citizens simply trying to survive the brutal realities of Imperial life, these stories all explore Varangantua’s atmospheric, cyberpunk-esque stylings and the towering inequalities corroding the heart of the Imperium. As the title suggests, there are no heroics here – just regular people doing what it takes to get by, whether that falls within the remit of the law or not.
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Author Spotlight: Marc Collins
Welcome to this instalment of my Author Spotlight series of interviews, which aim to give an overview of each author’s background and approach to writing, and a slightly more detailed look at one of their new releases in particular. In this instalment I spoke to Marc Collins about his background, influences and route to writing for Black Library, his new story Cold Cases – included in the upcoming anthology No Good Men (which goes up for pre-order this weekend) – and his thoughts on the Warhammer Crime imprint as a whole.
Without further ado, let’s get straight into the interview.
QUICK REVIEW: Champions, All – Marc Collins
A story of duty, faith, sacrifice and really big swords, Marc Collins’ Champions, All (his second short story for Black Library) is a tale of the Black Templars with bonus Sisters of Battle. As the battered remnants of the Edioch Crusade prepare a head-on assault against an ork-held fortress, once protected by the Order of the Valorous Heart, Emperor’s Champion Cenric receives a vision from the Emperor Himself. When he’s separated from his brothers during the battle he finds his faith tested, but his purpose is renewed by striking at the heart of the orks alongside a lone Sister Repentia.
QUICK REVIEW: Ghosts of Iron – Marc Collins
Marc Collins makes his Black Library debut with Ghosts of Iron, a tale of duty, faith and sacrifice for the servants of the Omnissiah. On the forge world of Sareme, as the forges are overrun by hereteks and the Great Rift sears the skies, Magos Domina Calliope Vartothex seeks out the silent bulk of the Warlord Titan Fury of Mars. Accompanied by the last failing remnants of her skitarii allies, Calliope holds the final, faint chance of survival for the Adeptus Mechanicus on Sareme, which rests upon her ability to connect with the Fury of Mars’ ancient Machine Spirit.