Tag Archives: Warhammer 40k

Xenos – Dan Abnett

Widely held as a Black Library classic, Dan Abnett’s Xenos is the first installment in his Eisenhorn trilogy and the first novel to take a close look at the workings of the Inquisition. First published in 2001 following the release of the Inquisitor game by Games Workshop (in which the character of Eisenhorn was briefly introduced), it sees the young Gregor Eisenhorn closing in on a target only to realise he’s just beginning to scratch the surface of a much, much wider conspiracy involving the noble Glaw family and a foul xenos race.
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Medusan Wings – Matt Westbrook

EDIT: since writing this it’s come to light that Matt Westbrook is in fact a pen name, and the actual author of this novella is Ian St. Martin, he of the excellent Deathwatch short story City of Ruin. Given that the name on the cover hasn’t changed I’m going to leave both the title and body of this review as it is, but please feel free to substitute Ian’s name for any mention of Matt Westbrook! I’ve also inserted an occasional comment here and there, marked in red italics.

Following the tried and tested route, Matt Westbrook’s novella Medusan Wings is released to tie in with a new Games Workshop game, in this case Stormcloud Assault. The focus is on Atraxii, an Iron Hands Techmarine just returned from his tenure on Mars who joins his mentor Oblexus and the fighter squadron the Medusan Wing in the defence of an Adeptus Mechanicus forge world against an ork invasion. As their relationship with the Mechanicus gradually sours, Atraxii is forced to learn how to combine the strengths of the flesh and iron like never before in order to succeed in his mission and survive against endless waves of ork fighters.
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The Hunt for Vulkan – David Annandale (The Beast Arises Book Seven)

IMPORTANT: This is book seven in a series – there will be spoilers unless you’ve read I Am Slaughter; Predator, Prey; The Emperor Expects; The Last Wall; Throneworld or Echoes of the Long War.

Black Library’s ongoing The Beast Arises series moves one step closer to completion with book 7, David Annandale’s The Hunt for Vulkan. Annandale’s second contribution to the series, it focuses primarily on Chapter Master Koorland of the Imperial Fists who, after forcing the Adeptus Mechanicus to reveal the origin of the ork invasion – legendary Ullanor, calls for aid from other First Founding chapters. Recognising that the Imperium needs a powerful figurehead if they are to strike at the heart of The Beast’s forces, an unlikely source points him in the direction of a mythical figure who might just fit the bill.
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Cassius – Ben Counter

The second short novel in the Space Marine Legends series, Cassius sees Ben Counter return to take a longer look at the titular Ultramarines Chaplain after having previously tackled the character in the Deathwatch short story One Bullet. Here we see the contemporary Cassius, grizzled and scarred after centuries of war, leading two companies of Ultramarines against endless waves of Tyranids on the strategically important world of Kolovan. Situated perilously close to Segmentum Solar, if Kolovan were to fall then the Tyranids would have a route into the heart of the Imperium, so who better to put a stop to that than the hero of the Tyrannic Wars?
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Ragnar Blackmane – Aaron Dembski-Bowden

The first Space Marine Legends title – not to be confused with the Lords of the Space Marines series – Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s Ragnar Blackmane is a short novel tackling perhaps the most well known of all Space Wolves, the titular Ragnar. Released in Limited Edition hardback and standard ebook formats back in 2015, it takes the form of two interlinked stories set approximately 40 years apart but both taking place towards the very end of the 41st millennium. In one strand we see Ragnar as Wolf Lord, leading his Great Company in the defence of Cadia against the 13th Black Crusade, while in the other we see him as a newly promoted Wolf Guard, still headstrong and clashing variously with Dark Angels, Flesh Tearers and his own packmates.
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QUICK REVIEW: The Young Wolf’s Return – Robbie MacNiven

Part two in Robbie MacNiven’s serialised Legacy of Russ novel, The Young Wolf’s Return carries on where The Lost King left off with the Wolves battling daemons across the Fenris system under the looming threat of the Dark Angels-led Imperial fleet. The Wolves are strung out across the system, missing the leadership of the absent Logan Grimnar, while something is amiss within the ranks of the Dark Angels. Help may be on the way however, as not all of the Great Companies have yet returned to Fenris.
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QUICK REVIEW: The Lost King – Robbie MacNiven

Part one of another serialised Space Wolf novel, this time from Robbie MacNiven, The Lost King picks up the story where David Annandale left off in Curse of the Wulfen. While the immediate threat has been defeated, the embattled Wolves are still fighting on against the forces of Chaos across the entire Fenris system. With rumours circulating that Logan Grimnar has fallen, and an Imperial fleet led by the Dark Angels approaching in search of answers, the remaining Space Wolves are not out of danger. Something sinister is pulling strings from the shadows, but the players are not all out in the open yet.
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Echoes of the Long War – David Guymer (The Beast Arises Book Six)

Echoes of the Long War, book six in the Beast Arises series and the first from David Guymer, sees the halfway point in this twelve book series. Picking things up after the events of Throneworld it focuses mostly on the Fists Exemplar, specifically newly-promoted First Captain Zerberyn as he he drags the Exemplar fleet into battle with the orks in support of Black Templar Marshal Magneric and his unusual allies. Elsewhere we see Koorland and Vangorich attempting to take control of the situation back on Terra, and Magos Urquidex conspiring against his Martian masters, feeding information back to Vangorich.
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Throneworld – Guy Haley (The Beast Arises Book Five)

IMPORTANT: This is book five in a series – there will be spoilers unless you’ve read I Am Slaughter, Predator, Prey, The Emperor Expects or The Last Wall.

Black Library’s The Beast Arises series continues with book five, Throneworld by Guy Haley. Following on from the disastrous events of The Last Wall, it sees the ork attack moon still looming in orbit over Terra and the High Lords paralysed by fear, while a troupe of Harlequins emerges from the Webway into the Imperial Palace in search of an audience with The Emperor himself. Meanwhile in the Phall system the Imperial Fist successor chapters gather their strength to form the Last Wall, in preparation for striking back at the orks. As Koorland leads a largely unified force to the defence of a conflicted Terra, elsewhere Marshall Magneric of the Black Templars pursues the Iron Warriors of Warsmith Kalkatos right into the teeth of the oncoming orks.
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Blades of Damocles – Phil Kelly

The first full-length Space Marine Battles book from Black Library since 2015’s Damocles anthology, Phil Kelly’s Blades of Damocles takes us back to before the time of its predecessor to look at the events of the first Damocles Gulf Crusade. Here we see sergeants Numitor and Sicarius of the Ultramarines 8th Company, still young and prior to their ascension to company captaincy, taking the fight to the Tau on the sept world of Dal’yth. As the headstrong assault marine sergeants lead their forces into battle, Commander Farsight leads the Tau defence in the name of the Greater Good.
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