Tag Archives: Warhammer 40k

QUICK REVIEW: Where Dere’s da Warp Dere’s a Way – Mike Brooks

In case the title doesn’t give it away, Mike Brooks’ Warhammer 40,000 short story Where Dere’s da Warp Dere’s a Way is a rare story told from an ork perspective…and it’s just as much fun as it sounds. Ufthak Blackhawk joins his Bad Moon mates, under the command of Badgit Snazzhammer, in a gleeful boarding action against a ship crewed by humie mekboyz. The boyz happily get stuck into the fight in typically boisterous fashion, but when things don’t all go their way Ufthak is forced to think quickly in order to prove his status in the mob.

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Fist of the Imperium – Andy Clark

The sixth instalment in Black Library’s Space Marine Conquests series, Andy Clark’s Fist of the Imperium gives the boys in yellow their moment in the post-Dark Imperium spotlight. The mining world of Ghyre is protected by an Imperial Fists honour guard, but when rising unrest prompts a call for reinforcements from the Chapter, a cult worshipping the mysterious ‘Father’ rises up in planet-wide rebellion. Forced by circumstance into taking command of the Imperial forces, Primaris Librarian Aster Lydorran has to contend with not just a coordinated and well-equipped insurgency driven by a prodigious psychic presence, but also Ghyre’s pampered, dithering, divided ruling elite. Moving quickly to take control of the situation, he rapidly realises that there’s more to this uprising than just initial appearances suggested.

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Iron Resolve – Steve Lyons

Steve Lyons’ Imperial Guard novella Iron Resolve is a gripping tale of duty and bravery as the proud, disciplined Mordian Iron Guard battle feral orks on the forest world of Kallash. Young trooper Lucius Myer, fighting in his first campaign since leaving Mordian, arrives wounded at an understaffed, overworked command post turned medical facility believing it offers safety away from the horrors of war, only to find himself defending it against endless waves of ferocious xenos. As the Mordians mount a hasty but fierce defence, Myer has to face his fears after all if he has any hope of surviving.

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Where to Start With Black Library: Sisters of Battle

Welcome to the first in a new series of Where to Start With Black Library articles on Track of Words, in which I’m going to try and demystify the process of getting into reading Warhammer fiction. With literally hundreds of Black Library books, short stories and audio dramas available, and new stories being released every week, it can be hard to know where to start, whether you’re brand new to Warhammer or you want to find out more about certain series, factions or characters. Hopefully I can help with that!

In this article I’m going to look at the Sisters of Battle, one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 factions, and offer up some suggestions of great stories you might want to check out. The best place to start with these stories will depend on various factors, far too many for me to cover succinctly, so I’m going to suggest a few different lengths and mediums to give you options to choose from. Where possible I’ll stick to stories I’ve read and enjoyed myself, and link out to reviews where they’re available.

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Wreck and Ruin – Danie Ware

Danie Ware’s second Sisters of Battle novella for Black Library, Wreck and Ruin picks up shortly after The Bloodied Rose and pits Sister Superior Augusta and her squad against a deadly new enemy. Returning home after the events on Lautis, the Sisters find their services commandeered by Inquisitor Istrix, who orders them to join her on the ravaged, abandoned forge world of Lycheate. They are to accompany her on a hunt for the dangerous psyker Scafidis Zale, but amongst the rusting steelworks and its shady denizens Augusta finds her trust in the hardline, secretive Inquisitor tested and her faith challenged anew.

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QUICK REVIEW: Fates and Fortunes – Thomas Parrott

Available in the Vaults of Obsidian anthology, Thomas Parrott’s Blackstone Fortress short story Fates and Fortunes tells the tale of a man running from his past and finding a calling, of sorts, in the darkness of the Fortress. After acquiring an item of great supposed value from the vault of Rogue Trader Janus Draik, self-identified thief Ilden joins a ragtag team of adventurers in heading deep into the Fortress, intending to use the artefact to unlock a treasure trove from the Dark Age of Technology. As the Blackstone takes its toll on them, however, Ilden feels his past catching up.

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RAPID FIRE: JC Stearns Talks The Oubliette

Welcome to this instalment of Rapid Fire, my ongoing series of quick interviews with 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 up and coming Black Library author JC Stearns about his new 40k novel The Oubliette, the latest to be published under the Warhammer Horror imprint. The physical edition is due out in February 2020, but the ebook is available early as a ‘digital premiere’, as part of the 2019 Advent Calendar series. Read on to find out more about what horrors await in this latest tome of horrors.

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RAPID FIRE: Gav Thorpe Talks Armageddon Saint

In this instalment I spoke to Black Library author Gav Thorpe about his new 40k novel Armageddon Saint, the first new Last Chancers novel for over fifteen years! The physical edition isn’t due out until March, but the ebook is available as a ‘digital premiere’ as part of the 2019 Advent Calendar series. Whether you’re excited about a new Last Chancers story or wondering what all the fuss is about, read on to find out more!

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QUICK REVIEW: Divine Sanction – Robert Rath

A tale of the Officio Assassinorum, Robert Rath’s short story Divine Sanction (his first 40k story) offers a close look at the dangerous final stages of a Callidus assassin’s mission. The city of Veridian is wracked by unrest as the sermons of Confessor Illsandor spread the insidious influence of the xenos T’au and set the city’s factions against each other. Sent to infiltrate the city and find a way to remove and impersonate the Confessor, the assassin Sycorax closes in on her target only to face a last-minute challenge that forces her to improvise and start to question her mission.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Test of Faith – Thomas Parrott

Thomas Parrott’s first foray into tales of the Adeptus Astartes, The Test of Faith is a Dark Angels story exploring the strained relationship between two generations of Space Marines. Interrogator-Chaplain Raguel and the younger, second-generation Chaplain Hadariel lead a squad of Primaris Marines into battle aboard a vast, mobile mining vehicle, sweeping through its aged corridors and crushing the resistance of its mortal defenders. As they approach the heart of the vehicle and the nature of its crew is revealed, the bonds between the Dark Angels are tested in the heat of battle and Raguel’s true purpose is challenged.

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