“Mark of Calth”, ed. Laurie Goulding (Black Library)

The latest Horus Heresy Anthology

In this all-new collection of Horus Heresy stories, witness the untold tales of the Underworld War.The Heresy reached Calth without warning. In just a few hours of betrayal and bloodshed, the proud warriors of the XIIIth Legion – Guilliman’s own Ultramarines – were laid low by the treachery of their erstwhile brothers of the XVIIth. Now, as the planet is scoured by solar flares from the wounded Veridian star, the survivors must take the fight to the remaining Word Bearers and their foul allies, or face damnation in the gloomy shelters beneath the planet’s surface.The battle for Calth is far from over

I’ve enjoyed all of the Horus Heresy anthologies that Black Library has produced. So I was very happy when I received this as a gift from a friend. I’ve liked some anthologies more than others, it’s true. But in each one, I think the authors have done a great job of advancing the overall story of the larger Galactic Civil War, as well as fleshing out the mythology of the event that has dictated much of the development of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Mark of Calth takes a slightly different approach, focussing on the after-effects of the Word Bearers’ assault on Calth (as portrayed in Dan Abnett’s Know No Fear). It’s a good selection of stories, certainly, but I definitely think it’s time to move the HH story beyond Calth… (I have high hopes for Vulkan Lives, the next novel in the series, by Nick Kyme; and the soon-to-be-more-widely-released Promethean Sun novella, also by Kyme). So, one after the other, here are some short thoughts on the stories herein…

Short Story: “Dark Heart” by Anthony Reynolds (Black Library)

The beginning of Marduk’s legend

When the Word Bearers launched their surprise assault on Calth, it marked the beginning of their righteous campaign of vengeance against the hated Ultramarines Legion. But for one young acolyte of Kor Phaeron, it is not the sons of Guilliman that he seeks to bring low – through infernal pacts and daemonic power he strives to carve out a destiny for himself in the midst of the greatest war that the galaxy has ever seen. The name of Marduk shall be spoken with awe for millennia still to come...

Dark Heart is one of the stories that will be included in Mark of Calth, the next Horus Heresy anthology from Black Library. Normally, I don’t buy these stories early and separately. I always prefer to get the finished anthology, in one book, but at the time this was released, I was just really in the mood for some more Heresy after reading Betrayer (which I finished the day after this was made available on Black Library’s website). Overall, this is a very enjoyable short story, one that will certainly whet your appetite for the rest of the anthology.

Audiobook: “Chosen of Khorne” by Anthony Reynolds (Black Library)

Performers: Seán Barrett, Rupert Degas and Saul Reichlin

Khârn the Betrayer takes to the field of battle as the champion of his old comrade Argus Brond, but his own motives go far beyond the petty squabbling of rival Chaos warlords... Deep within the Eye of Terror, the followers of the blood god Khorne war amongst themselves to win their patron’s favour, and for the right to lead a new crusade against the Imperium in his name. Argus Brond, berserker champion of the old World Eaters Legion, has called upon his old comrade Khârn for assistance – surely, this legendary warrior will break the deadlock and secure victory for him? But Khârn, known with good reason as ‘the Betrayer’, is far more than just a crazed killer, and his own agenda will always come first...

This was a much better audio-book than the last one I listened to, and mainly on the strength of the acting and narration. The story is very strong, as is the norm for Black Library audiobooks, and all the more so because it features one of my favorite Chaos characters, Kharn the Betrayer. However, unlike some other audio-dramas from this publisher, the delivery was, in my opinion, entirely suited to the story. This is an excellent audio-book.

New Artwork & Upcoming Books (Black Library)

Black Library has just updated the Coming Soon section of their website, and some of the artwork really stands out. So, here is a selection of the best, along with synopses of their respective novels and a short comment from me. (Really it’s just an excuse to share some of these covers – they’re great!)

“Garro: Oath of Moment” & “Garro: Legion of One”, by James Swallow (December 2010, April 2011)

Two audio-books detailing the further exploits of the hero of Flight of the Eisenstein

In surviving the horrors on board the Eisenstein, Nathaniel Garro proved his courage and absolute loyalty to the Emperor.  On his return to Terra, Garro is despatched on a mission of even greater importance – a mission given to him by Malcador the Sigillite himself. He soon finds himself back amongst the stars and on the fields of battle, thrust into a warzone where the Ultramarnes battle a greenskin invasion. Once again Garro must fight for survival, but now he also fights to achieve a higher purpose...

Nathaniel Garro, loyalist Death Guard, and hero of the Eisenstein, has found a new calling in his service to the Emperor. Surrounded by a cloak of secrecy, Garro travels the galaxy in pursuit of his new goal. His quest will lead him to heart of the most destructive warzones, and reveal a secret that will change the course of the Horus Heresy itself...

I’ve not had much experience listening to Black Library audio-books (only one thus far, with another on the way). Given the Horus Heresy setting, however, I’m rather interested in these two.

“Savage Scars”, by Andy Hoare (March 2011)

Introducing the White Scars

Dal’yth. The forces of the Greater Good have established a strangehold on the planet, and the time has come for the Imperium to move against them.

The White Scars lead the ground assault against the tau, launching into combat with speed and fury, shedding blood as they gain ground against their enemies.

Meanwhile, the members of the Crusade Council are determined to pursue their own agendas, and their politicking and back-stabbing will place the entire war effort in jeopardy. But little do they know that Inquisitor Grand has more extreme measures in mind, and the White Scars must achieve victory quickly or the cost to Dal’yth will be devastating.

The White Scars seem like an interesting Legion, and one that hasn’t received too much attention in the WH40k fiction line. The Mongol-horde inspiration for their character and practices sounds like an interesting alternative to more standard or conservative legions. I’m quite looking forward to this one.

“Broken Honour”, by Robert Earl (March 2011)

The start of a new series from the man who brought us the Adventures of Florin & Lorenzo

The armies of Hochland are at breaking point. Beset on all sides by the feral beastmen, the safety and prosperity of the province is shattered. These are desperate times.

Mercenary Captain Eriksson looks to capitalise on the conflict, buying the freedom of a group of prisoners to form a new free company. The criminals are delighted to be released, but this comes at a terrible price – to fight and die in the upcoming conflict. Eriksson must lead his makeshift company into one bloody conflict after another, putting his faith in those who gave up on honour long ago. On the battlefields of Hochland, either damnation or redemption awaits them.

I enjoyed the Adventures of Florin & Lorenzo: with the author’s quirky humour and quickly-paced adventures, it fell into the same category as the Gotrek & Felix series. Naturally, this makes me interested in Earl’s latest novel. And the cover is just brilliant – really stands out among other WH novels.

“Knights of Bretonnia”, by Anthony Reynolds (April 2011)

Knightly Omnibus

Bretonnia is a land shrouded in myth and magic, under siege from the strange creatures of its shadowy forests and those fallen to the lure of the Dark Gods. Against these fearsome foes stand the Knights of Bretonnia, calling upon their faith in the Lady and their guile with the sword to repel their legions of enemies. When young noble Calard starts upon the path to knighthood, he soon discovers the darkness hidden within his homeland and the price that must be paid by those seeking the holiest of honours – the title of Grail Knight. Accompanied by his faithful manservant Chlod, he must face vampires, wyverns, Chaos warriors and goblins, but each battle brings him one step closer to becoming the legend he seeks.

Knights of Bretonnia collects the novels Knight Errant and Knight of the Realm, plus two new novellas, Questing Knight and Grail Knight. The novels and novellas form the complete saga of Calard, following his story from his training as a knight through his most epic of victories. I never read these

“Age of Darkness”, edited by Christian Dunn (May 2011)

Latest Horus Heresy anthology

After the betrayal at Isstvan, Horus begins his campaign against the Emperor, a galaxy-wide war that can lead only to Terra.

But the road to the final confrontation between father and son is a long one – seven years filled with secrecy and silence, plans and foundations being formed across distant stars.

An unknown history is about to be unveiled as light is shed on the darkest years of the Horus Heresy, and revelations will surface that will shake the Imperium to its very foundation...

Not really sure about what we can expect from this anthology. The previous one, Tales of Heresy, was pretty good, but lacked the cohesiveness of a single novel. The synopsis suggests things are getting close to the end of the Heresy, so who knows how many more novels might follow. I’m curious to see how they’ll advance the overall story

Nonetheless, it’s another excellent cover from Neil Roberts.

Anyway, that’s just a selection of the novels coming up from the Black Library. If you’re interested in reading about other forthcoming titles, head on over to the website to see a full listing (from September 2010 to May 2011).

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In another piece of exciting, Black Library-related news, I found this image on their website:

While there isn’t too much detail yet about which titles will be available to begin with (though look closely at the iPad, above, and you might be able to get an idea), I can certainly say this is a great development! The chance to get all the back-listed Gotrek & Felix and Gaunt’s Ghosts novels in eBook format is something I’ve been wanting for a long time. The digital format will also, potentially, allow for older titles to be resurrected. Here’s what the press release says:

“We are looking at both our forthcoming releases and backlist to decide how best to make them available, nothing is set in stone at present.”

As for what formats the eBooks are going to be available in, here’s the comment from the website:

“We will most probably produce our eBooks in Mobi (the Kindle format), ePub (most other eReaders such as the Sony Reader and Barnes & Noble Nook) at the very least. We are still looking into this; more info to come.”

So, at least they’re going to do their best to make the novels available to all eBook readers. Now, about the price…? Not a clue.

Anyway, that’s all the news for the moment. Interesting developments, and something I’ll be looking into, when I buy a Kindle (I’ve caved, and I just know I have to have one…).