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Целый сектор Галактики, Предел Пируса, атакован неисчислимыми ордами Хаоса, орками и эльдарами, и остановить эту волну потребуются усилия многих доблестных защитников человечества. И очень многие сложат головы во имя Бога-Императора, но это цена, которую они готовы платить!
Рассказы, вошедшие в настоящую антологию, написаны по мотивам одноименной коллекционной карточной игры, вдохновившей таких авторов как Дэн Абнетт, Грэм Макнилл, Стив Паркер и других на создание впечатляющих историй в лучших традициях Warhammer 40000
Рассказы, вошедшие в настоящую антологию, написаны по мотивам одноименной коллекционной карточной игры, вдохновившей таких авторов как Дэн Абнетт, Грэм Макнилл, Стив Паркер и других на создание впечатляющих историй в лучших традициях Warhammer 40000
288 pages, Hardcover
First published November 14, 2006
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198 people want to read
About the author
Marc Gascoigne
101 books61 followersPublisher, editor, designer – a lifetime in books. Previously publisher of Aconyte, Angry Robot, Black Library, and Solaris. Before that, responsible for a whole bookcase worth of books, both fiction and non-fiction, tie-ins and original works, as well as games design, journalism, computer game scripting, etc. Winner of both the World Fantasy Award and British Fantasy Award.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 16, 2012
Shadowhawk reviews the jam-packed Warhammer 40,000 anthology released as a tie-in to the now-defunct CCG Dark Millennium by Sabretooth Games.
“Some good, some not so good, the anthology’s collection of quirky, unusual and rare short stories offer something for everybody.“ ~ The Founding Fields
Tales From The Dark Millennium is quite an interesting anthology for several reasons. For one, unlike most other anthologies from Black Library, this one is set in a very specific time and place, with the stories contained therein forming a subset of a larger whole. And second, it is based on Sabretooth Games’ now out-of-print collectible card game Dark Millennium. The best thing about the anthology is that it contains several stories the likes of which are sorely missing in Black Library fiction of today, and the likes of which really flesh out the Imperium at large. I would love for more writers tackling these sorts of themes and concepts and characters and locations in future anthologies or novels because for me, these are the types of the stories that define the Imperium just as much as the “regular” stories about Space Marines and Imperial Guard.
First off in the anthology is Steve Parker’s The Falls of Marakross which tells the story of a Dark Angels strike force arriving on the world of Cordassa on a top-secret mission. As with most Dark Angels stories (really just all of them actually) this deals with the Dark Angels’ eternal hunt for the Fallen, the traitors of the First Legion from the days of the Horus Heresy. As such, the plot is very predictable but of course, predictability can have its own advantages. This is one of the best short stories in the anthology because Steve Parker keeps this ages-old theme alive by mixing in a really suspicious Inquisitor who is always hot on the tails of our protagonist, Interrogator-Chaplain Artemius. The Falls of Marakross is executed well, the pacing is good and while you know how the story is ultimately going to end, Steve Parker makes the journey of getting there just as vibrant and lively as anything else. The best thing about the story is of course that the Dark Angels have to achieve their mission right under the noses of the Inquisition and have to keep their true objectives a secret. The only thing I did not like about the story is that the Dark Angels’ names don’t jive with the chapter’s naming convention of using the names of fallen angels from christian mythology and the like. They are too Gothic. But other than that, this is one of the best in the anthology.
Next up is C.S. Goto’s Vindicare which tells the story of a female Imperial Assassin on a mission. Extremely predictable and very unsatisfying from start to finish. The letdown of Vindicare is that you never truly get a feel for just how a Vindicare executes his/her mission. The story itself is just nothing more than a commentary about the the last stand of the last defenders of the planet Orphean Trine. Assassins are one of the most underused factions in Black Library fiction and while this story had a lot of potential it ultimately went nowhere. I just couldn’t connect with the protagonist at all and neither was I drawn in to the larger conflict that she is witnessing. The way the narrative unfolds, it is more like a 2-3 page text in a codex. Even the ending is very unsatisfactory and makes me go what the hell just happened. The thing is that Nyjia, the titular Vindicare, is presented as too perfect, with the author taking the theme of “getting that one vital shot” to the extreme. Vindicare is definitely nowhere near the best of Goto’s work and it is also one of the worst short stories in the anthology.
Then we have Graham McNeill’s The Prisoner which is the story of Erebus, the First Chaplain of the Word Bearers legion, and one of the oldest Chaos Space Marines still alive. For me, The Prisoner is the absolute best in the anthology and definitely among the best of Graham’s work. It is intensely fast-paced, insidious and keeps you utterly hooked from the beginning to the end. Also, the ending is something totally unexpected because it portrays Erebus at his best: playing games within games for extremely high stakes. Inquisitor Lord Osorkon and Justicar Kemper are also portrayed quite nicely and the fact that the setting is a prison complex just adds to the enormous fun of the story. This short story also shows that Graham is really good at getting across his characterisation, whether it is for a short story or a novel. I would very much like a sequel to the short story because I think that aspect of The Prisoner has a lot of potential and as the details of the Pyrus Reach Sector setting unfold, it is quickly turning into quite a rich world to set stories in.
The fourth story in the anthology is Dan Abnett’s The Invitation, a Sisters of Battle short story that is quite unique in its promise but fails to deliver. Dan generally writes excellent narratives and his novels and short stories are usually quite good, but just as with his first Space Marine novel, Brothers of the Snake, The Invitation feels very much like an experimental piece, sometimes blatantly so. The mystery and suspense of the plot are lackluster and the ending is also abrupt and unsatisfying. There is just no reward for the reader here and the story just smacks too much of convenience. Its a decent enough story, just not my cup-of-tea. And I far prefer James Swallow’s take on the Sisters rather than Dan’s.
Next up is A Balance of Faith by Darren-Jon Ashmore. This one left me scratching by head by the end of it. I think this is quite a subtle story and the message of it has just passed over my head. I talked to a couple people about this story and they had no problem with it so I guess its just me that doesn’t get it. The story revolves around a Sister Hospitaller who is having a crisis of faith and her “mentor” is an injured, and possibly dying, Dark Angels Librarian. A Balance of Faith appears to be another experimental piece and while the story definitely didn’t work for me overall, I think it still is quite strongly written, but I’m just not the target audience for it because subtleties usually pass me by on jet engines.
The sixth short story is Mike Lee’s Gate of Souls and this is another one that I definitely enjoyed reading. Incidentally, it is another Erebus-centric story so that might have something to do with it since Erebus is a character that I find quite thrilling to read about, never mind that I absolutely loathe the character himself. Mike’s characterisation of this ten-thousand year old Astartes and that of Inquisitor Alabel Santos were very enjoyable to read about and I must say that the way he has written them, I would very much like a follow-up story to see where Erebus’s motivations take him next and what happens to the good Inquisitor herself. Just as with Dan’s Eisenhorn and Ravenor or with Graham’s Osorkon, Mike’s Santos is very believable and with her he has managed to capture the defiant and loyal aspect of the Inquisition quite nicely. One of the best in the anthology for sure.
Coming in second-to-last is Matt Keefe’s Fate’s Masters, Destiny’s Servants. This one falls somewhere between The Invitation and Vindicare for me. That is to say, I didn’t enjoy it one bit since the story was mind-numbingly obvious after the protagonists encounter certain corpses. The problem with the story is that it is an attempt to use a widespread SF plot cliche and set it within the Warhammer 40,000 setting. It just doesn’t fit. Even the execution of the cliche is unsatisfying in that things just happen for no reason. That doesn’t make for an interesting story and in my case, I’m just left shaking my head. Being an avid watched of SF shows like the various Star Trek shows, Andromeda, Stargate, Farscape etc, the author’s attempts at subtleties just didn’t work for me. There was nothing interesting about the plot hook really and therefore the story to me is an indifferently mediocre one.
And finally we have another entry by C.S. Goto, Tears of Blood. This short story is a sequel I believe to the Eldar Prophecy, a novel that I attempted to read some two or three years ago and just could not get through. The Eldar in either the novel or the short story just don’t act like Eldar and the author’s attempts at making them seem alien and different to humans fall flat since there actually is no difference here at all. If anything, Goto’s Eldar are too self-destructive, too secretive, too rebellious, and too open to the dangers of Chaos and the Dark Eldar way of life. More than any other entry in the anthology, Tears of Blood left me just massively disappointed. The fact that the story is such an obvious continuation of events and plot threads from Eldar Prophecy means that few people will understand the gist of it. The setting of the Pyrus Reach Sector is just a convenience tacked on to the plot and nothing more.
Overall, I’d have to give the anthology a 7.5/10. The excellent short stories from Steve Parker, Graham McNeill and Mike Lee are the best thing about Tales From The Dark Millennium while C.S. Goto’s two shorts are what drag it down. That said, I would still recommend the anthology to everyone because of the sheer diversity of stories and the different aspects of the Imperium that are covered by the seven authors.
“Some good, some not so good, the anthology’s collection of quirky, unusual and rare short stories offer something for everybody.“ ~ The Founding Fields
Tales From The Dark Millennium is quite an interesting anthology for several reasons. For one, unlike most other anthologies from Black Library, this one is set in a very specific time and place, with the stories contained therein forming a subset of a larger whole. And second, it is based on Sabretooth Games’ now out-of-print collectible card game Dark Millennium. The best thing about the anthology is that it contains several stories the likes of which are sorely missing in Black Library fiction of today, and the likes of which really flesh out the Imperium at large. I would love for more writers tackling these sorts of themes and concepts and characters and locations in future anthologies or novels because for me, these are the types of the stories that define the Imperium just as much as the “regular” stories about Space Marines and Imperial Guard.
First off in the anthology is Steve Parker’s The Falls of Marakross which tells the story of a Dark Angels strike force arriving on the world of Cordassa on a top-secret mission. As with most Dark Angels stories (really just all of them actually) this deals with the Dark Angels’ eternal hunt for the Fallen, the traitors of the First Legion from the days of the Horus Heresy. As such, the plot is very predictable but of course, predictability can have its own advantages. This is one of the best short stories in the anthology because Steve Parker keeps this ages-old theme alive by mixing in a really suspicious Inquisitor who is always hot on the tails of our protagonist, Interrogator-Chaplain Artemius. The Falls of Marakross is executed well, the pacing is good and while you know how the story is ultimately going to end, Steve Parker makes the journey of getting there just as vibrant and lively as anything else. The best thing about the story is of course that the Dark Angels have to achieve their mission right under the noses of the Inquisition and have to keep their true objectives a secret. The only thing I did not like about the story is that the Dark Angels’ names don’t jive with the chapter’s naming convention of using the names of fallen angels from christian mythology and the like. They are too Gothic. But other than that, this is one of the best in the anthology.
Next up is C.S. Goto’s Vindicare which tells the story of a female Imperial Assassin on a mission. Extremely predictable and very unsatisfying from start to finish. The letdown of Vindicare is that you never truly get a feel for just how a Vindicare executes his/her mission. The story itself is just nothing more than a commentary about the the last stand of the last defenders of the planet Orphean Trine. Assassins are one of the most underused factions in Black Library fiction and while this story had a lot of potential it ultimately went nowhere. I just couldn’t connect with the protagonist at all and neither was I drawn in to the larger conflict that she is witnessing. The way the narrative unfolds, it is more like a 2-3 page text in a codex. Even the ending is very unsatisfactory and makes me go what the hell just happened. The thing is that Nyjia, the titular Vindicare, is presented as too perfect, with the author taking the theme of “getting that one vital shot” to the extreme. Vindicare is definitely nowhere near the best of Goto’s work and it is also one of the worst short stories in the anthology.
Then we have Graham McNeill’s The Prisoner which is the story of Erebus, the First Chaplain of the Word Bearers legion, and one of the oldest Chaos Space Marines still alive. For me, The Prisoner is the absolute best in the anthology and definitely among the best of Graham’s work. It is intensely fast-paced, insidious and keeps you utterly hooked from the beginning to the end. Also, the ending is something totally unexpected because it portrays Erebus at his best: playing games within games for extremely high stakes. Inquisitor Lord Osorkon and Justicar Kemper are also portrayed quite nicely and the fact that the setting is a prison complex just adds to the enormous fun of the story. This short story also shows that Graham is really good at getting across his characterisation, whether it is for a short story or a novel. I would very much like a sequel to the short story because I think that aspect of The Prisoner has a lot of potential and as the details of the Pyrus Reach Sector setting unfold, it is quickly turning into quite a rich world to set stories in.
The fourth story in the anthology is Dan Abnett’s The Invitation, a Sisters of Battle short story that is quite unique in its promise but fails to deliver. Dan generally writes excellent narratives and his novels and short stories are usually quite good, but just as with his first Space Marine novel, Brothers of the Snake, The Invitation feels very much like an experimental piece, sometimes blatantly so. The mystery and suspense of the plot are lackluster and the ending is also abrupt and unsatisfying. There is just no reward for the reader here and the story just smacks too much of convenience. Its a decent enough story, just not my cup-of-tea. And I far prefer James Swallow’s take on the Sisters rather than Dan’s.
Next up is A Balance of Faith by Darren-Jon Ashmore. This one left me scratching by head by the end of it. I think this is quite a subtle story and the message of it has just passed over my head. I talked to a couple people about this story and they had no problem with it so I guess its just me that doesn’t get it. The story revolves around a Sister Hospitaller who is having a crisis of faith and her “mentor” is an injured, and possibly dying, Dark Angels Librarian. A Balance of Faith appears to be another experimental piece and while the story definitely didn’t work for me overall, I think it still is quite strongly written, but I’m just not the target audience for it because subtleties usually pass me by on jet engines.
The sixth short story is Mike Lee’s Gate of Souls and this is another one that I definitely enjoyed reading. Incidentally, it is another Erebus-centric story so that might have something to do with it since Erebus is a character that I find quite thrilling to read about, never mind that I absolutely loathe the character himself. Mike’s characterisation of this ten-thousand year old Astartes and that of Inquisitor Alabel Santos were very enjoyable to read about and I must say that the way he has written them, I would very much like a follow-up story to see where Erebus’s motivations take him next and what happens to the good Inquisitor herself. Just as with Dan’s Eisenhorn and Ravenor or with Graham’s Osorkon, Mike’s Santos is very believable and with her he has managed to capture the defiant and loyal aspect of the Inquisition quite nicely. One of the best in the anthology for sure.
Coming in second-to-last is Matt Keefe’s Fate’s Masters, Destiny’s Servants. This one falls somewhere between The Invitation and Vindicare for me. That is to say, I didn’t enjoy it one bit since the story was mind-numbingly obvious after the protagonists encounter certain corpses. The problem with the story is that it is an attempt to use a widespread SF plot cliche and set it within the Warhammer 40,000 setting. It just doesn’t fit. Even the execution of the cliche is unsatisfying in that things just happen for no reason. That doesn’t make for an interesting story and in my case, I’m just left shaking my head. Being an avid watched of SF shows like the various Star Trek shows, Andromeda, Stargate, Farscape etc, the author’s attempts at subtleties just didn’t work for me. There was nothing interesting about the plot hook really and therefore the story to me is an indifferently mediocre one.
And finally we have another entry by C.S. Goto, Tears of Blood. This short story is a sequel I believe to the Eldar Prophecy, a novel that I attempted to read some two or three years ago and just could not get through. The Eldar in either the novel or the short story just don’t act like Eldar and the author’s attempts at making them seem alien and different to humans fall flat since there actually is no difference here at all. If anything, Goto’s Eldar are too self-destructive, too secretive, too rebellious, and too open to the dangers of Chaos and the Dark Eldar way of life. More than any other entry in the anthology, Tears of Blood left me just massively disappointed. The fact that the story is such an obvious continuation of events and plot threads from Eldar Prophecy means that few people will understand the gist of it. The setting of the Pyrus Reach Sector is just a convenience tacked on to the plot and nothing more.
Overall, I’d have to give the anthology a 7.5/10. The excellent short stories from Steve Parker, Graham McNeill and Mike Lee are the best thing about Tales From The Dark Millennium while C.S. Goto’s two shorts are what drag it down. That said, I would still recommend the anthology to everyone because of the sheer diversity of stories and the different aspects of the Imperium that are covered by the seven authors.
May 26, 2025
nice anthology
May 30, 2012
his is compilation of 8 stories. There are several know authors like Dan Abnett (Eisenhor, Gaunt Ghost & Double Eagle & Malus Darkblade etc), CS Goto (Fire Warrior & Dawn of War series), Graham McNeill (Ultramarines & Storm of Iron), Mike Lee - Malus Darkblade Series), and others not so know like Steve Parker, Darren-Jon Ashmore and Matt Keefe (Outlander To Be Release in December)
Well, for those who do not know Sabertooth Games' Dark Millennium CCG, only got 4 factions. The Armies of the Imperium with Daemonhunters, Imperial Guard and Dark Angels. The Eldar with the craftworld Ulthwe, Biel-Tan and Saim-Hann. The Forces of Chaos with Word Bearers, WorldEaters, Deathguard. And the Orks with Goffs, Evil-Suns, Bad-Moons.
First we've got The falls of Marakross by Steve Parker with 43 pages. This is a Dark Angels story. This is a story where a planet is being besiege by cultists. With the situation being almost beyond chaotic dark angels appear. They help the city and strike the heart of the problem but they do that only because it is in the way of their agenda. This is a good story to begin with because here we see the conflict between the dark angels and the inquisition and their agendas.
The second story it's called Vindicare and it's by CS Goto. This is a story about Nyjia an Inquisition assassin as the title of the book says. This is rather a small story with only 14 pages. The all story it's told by her view point but never in the first person. It is accomplished succefully and I must say it was one of my favourite characters in the all book, even if the story was not my favourite. In the end we see a conflict by eldar from Biel-Tan and the hive city Orphean Trine in Pious IV. At the moment of attack the Dark Angels fall from the sky and try to interrupt the attack from the Eldar but they are all dead. This battle is well displayed and could inspire people making it a good scenario. The story gives good detail of the background and the story flows smoothly. The end was ... strange. I am going to write the spoilers. She kills the leader of the eldar and they flee. Well for me it's kind of odd that situation but...
The Prisoner by Graham Mcneill with 46 pages was one of my favourite. For the first time in this book but not the last we are confronted with Erebus. In this story unfolds in a jail in a dying planet Orina Septimus. The story rounds about a prisioner that was appreendehed while coming to the jail, normaly they try to get out. As he was not a normal prisioner and Lord Osorkon of the Inquisition is called. Then the plot begans to unfold quickly. The Inquisition tries to move him out of the cell and in the same time not one but two problems appear. First a rebellion of the prisioners made by Finn (a prisioner who dreamt of men in red) and then the coming of the Word Bearers (the blood-red painted chaos space marines). As soon as the rebellion starts the prisioners start to kill eachothers (the rival gangs) and at the same time the guards. The Word Beares move after killing all that had survived. The retinue of Lord Osorkon and his Grey Knights prepare to defend themselves from the invaders but are overwhelmed by sheer numbers. In the end Erebus with his Word Bearers take Finn away from the carnage fullfiling the dream. I must say I like everything in this story. The characters even if not fully devolpment (as normal in a short story) make us enjoy the story and as soon as you start reading you realized that is over.
With Mr Dan Abnett comes the fourth story intitled The Invitation. This is the smallest in the short stories with only 13 pages. This story moves around a renegade battle-sister of the Order of Martyred Lady. I must say I was a bit (only a bit) dissapointed with this story. I am used reading Dan Abnett masterpieces and so this small story it's dulled. I don't know why. Spoliers. An hunter it's sent to catch a woman which we learn it's a battle sister but it's captured and used as bait as three battle sisters come to captured her. (if this is your first book from Black Library don't think that Dan Abnett is not a good writer. Read Eisenhorn, if you want Warhammer 40k or Riders of the Dead or Malus Darkblade series in Warhammer Fantasy.
The fifth story it's Balance of Faith by the Darren-Jon Ashmore. With 17 pages is a story a story again with a battle sister and what faitth can do the men who are desperate and battling for survival. I like the theme and the story as well. The few number of pages didn't helped mainly in the end who was a bit harsh to a conclusion. I wonder what could he've done with more pages.
The next story was perhaps the one I was eagerly awaiting. Not because of the theme or the story itself but the person who were writing, Mike Lee. I like very much the Malus Darkblade serie. And because I knew the work of Dan Abnett I wanted to read something of Mike Lee solo. He brings us Gate of Souls with 19 pages. Again this is a story with WordBeares and Erebus. The plot itself it's simple but flows well. Sometimes I read some short stories then go back to others (depend on writer or main theme/race) but in this book this is not adviced. I don't have enough to say if I prefer Mike Lee writing Warhammer 40k or Warhammer Fantasy. But I love the way he writes in DarkBlade and so I would choose Fantasy. (in it matters it's my favourtie genre but Warhammer 40k it's much richier.
The we've got Fate's Masters, Destiny's Servents by Matt Keefe with 35 pages. Well this is a story by Ultramaries who receive a distress call and go answered. Upon arrival they are confronted with a small fort with ultramarines symbols (some of them strange to them). There are none Ultramarines only servants but with their tongues cut. They try to check the distress call and what happened there. Well I must say I was dissapointeed with this story in the suspense part. By half of the story I would know the ending (but not why was that). There was something troubling my reading. They prayed a lot. The main character was always reflecting and praying. But okay. The writing was too pormenerized and sometimes was boring. But in the end it was as I expected and I knew why. I must say one thing, I like all armies, but the Eldar have something appealing to me. I think it's because of their doom. The always-in-their-mind doom.
The last book was the pearl of the book with another story by CS Goto with 50 pages (the biggest) Tears of Blood.
This story is something out of the ordinary. In another book I tried to read a story by the eldar and I was confused and didn't read it at all. I tried this one and still that same feeling didn't dissapaered but I read it all and understood the plot. I think the eldar are the true alien of the warhammer world. even the stories are somewhat alien. I wish someone read it and told me but I guess I will never know that. I love the eldar society and I must say there craftworlds intrigue me. The story is about a shrine world fallen to despair as her doom approaches. As the God Empreror didn't help nor ackowledeged their existensce they fell and by the grace of fallen Dark Angel they start worshipping the Chaos Gods. Well the story as several point of views but the most important is the seer-child, the ehveline of Kaelor - Ela'Ashbel. Another view is the dark apostle, Farseer Ahearn and Maeveh.
Well in the overal there are other anthologies I liked best but this is not a waste of time. It's a way to know better the Dark Angles, Word Bearers and the Eldar Society. If you want a Tyrannid, Dark Eldar, other chapters of space marines, Tau or Necron you can look in other books.
Well, for those who do not know Sabertooth Games' Dark Millennium CCG, only got 4 factions. The Armies of the Imperium with Daemonhunters, Imperial Guard and Dark Angels. The Eldar with the craftworld Ulthwe, Biel-Tan and Saim-Hann. The Forces of Chaos with Word Bearers, WorldEaters, Deathguard. And the Orks with Goffs, Evil-Suns, Bad-Moons.
First we've got The falls of Marakross by Steve Parker with 43 pages. This is a Dark Angels story. This is a story where a planet is being besiege by cultists. With the situation being almost beyond chaotic dark angels appear. They help the city and strike the heart of the problem but they do that only because it is in the way of their agenda. This is a good story to begin with because here we see the conflict between the dark angels and the inquisition and their agendas.
The second story it's called Vindicare and it's by CS Goto. This is a story about Nyjia an Inquisition assassin as the title of the book says. This is rather a small story with only 14 pages. The all story it's told by her view point but never in the first person. It is accomplished succefully and I must say it was one of my favourite characters in the all book, even if the story was not my favourite. In the end we see a conflict by eldar from Biel-Tan and the hive city Orphean Trine in Pious IV. At the moment of attack the Dark Angels fall from the sky and try to interrupt the attack from the Eldar but they are all dead. This battle is well displayed and could inspire people making it a good scenario. The story gives good detail of the background and the story flows smoothly. The end was ... strange. I am going to write the spoilers. She kills the leader of the eldar and they flee. Well for me it's kind of odd that situation but...
The Prisoner by Graham Mcneill with 46 pages was one of my favourite. For the first time in this book but not the last we are confronted with Erebus. In this story unfolds in a jail in a dying planet Orina Septimus. The story rounds about a prisioner that was appreendehed while coming to the jail, normaly they try to get out. As he was not a normal prisioner and Lord Osorkon of the Inquisition is called. Then the plot begans to unfold quickly. The Inquisition tries to move him out of the cell and in the same time not one but two problems appear. First a rebellion of the prisioners made by Finn (a prisioner who dreamt of men in red) and then the coming of the Word Bearers (the blood-red painted chaos space marines). As soon as the rebellion starts the prisioners start to kill eachothers (the rival gangs) and at the same time the guards. The Word Beares move after killing all that had survived. The retinue of Lord Osorkon and his Grey Knights prepare to defend themselves from the invaders but are overwhelmed by sheer numbers. In the end Erebus with his Word Bearers take Finn away from the carnage fullfiling the dream. I must say I like everything in this story. The characters even if not fully devolpment (as normal in a short story) make us enjoy the story and as soon as you start reading you realized that is over.
With Mr Dan Abnett comes the fourth story intitled The Invitation. This is the smallest in the short stories with only 13 pages. This story moves around a renegade battle-sister of the Order of Martyred Lady. I must say I was a bit (only a bit) dissapointed with this story. I am used reading Dan Abnett masterpieces and so this small story it's dulled. I don't know why. Spoliers. An hunter it's sent to catch a woman which we learn it's a battle sister but it's captured and used as bait as three battle sisters come to captured her. (if this is your first book from Black Library don't think that Dan Abnett is not a good writer. Read Eisenhorn, if you want Warhammer 40k or Riders of the Dead or Malus Darkblade series in Warhammer Fantasy.
The fifth story it's Balance of Faith by the Darren-Jon Ashmore. With 17 pages is a story a story again with a battle sister and what faitth can do the men who are desperate and battling for survival. I like the theme and the story as well. The few number of pages didn't helped mainly in the end who was a bit harsh to a conclusion. I wonder what could he've done with more pages.
The next story was perhaps the one I was eagerly awaiting. Not because of the theme or the story itself but the person who were writing, Mike Lee. I like very much the Malus Darkblade serie. And because I knew the work of Dan Abnett I wanted to read something of Mike Lee solo. He brings us Gate of Souls with 19 pages. Again this is a story with WordBeares and Erebus. The plot itself it's simple but flows well. Sometimes I read some short stories then go back to others (depend on writer or main theme/race) but in this book this is not adviced. I don't have enough to say if I prefer Mike Lee writing Warhammer 40k or Warhammer Fantasy. But I love the way he writes in DarkBlade and so I would choose Fantasy. (in it matters it's my favourtie genre but Warhammer 40k it's much richier.
The we've got Fate's Masters, Destiny's Servents by Matt Keefe with 35 pages. Well this is a story by Ultramaries who receive a distress call and go answered. Upon arrival they are confronted with a small fort with ultramarines symbols (some of them strange to them). There are none Ultramarines only servants but with their tongues cut. They try to check the distress call and what happened there. Well I must say I was dissapointeed with this story in the suspense part. By half of the story I would know the ending (but not why was that). There was something troubling my reading. They prayed a lot. The main character was always reflecting and praying. But okay. The writing was too pormenerized and sometimes was boring. But in the end it was as I expected and I knew why. I must say one thing, I like all armies, but the Eldar have something appealing to me. I think it's because of their doom. The always-in-their-mind doom.
The last book was the pearl of the book with another story by CS Goto with 50 pages (the biggest) Tears of Blood.
This story is something out of the ordinary. In another book I tried to read a story by the eldar and I was confused and didn't read it at all. I tried this one and still that same feeling didn't dissapaered but I read it all and understood the plot. I think the eldar are the true alien of the warhammer world. even the stories are somewhat alien. I wish someone read it and told me but I guess I will never know that. I love the eldar society and I must say there craftworlds intrigue me. The story is about a shrine world fallen to despair as her doom approaches. As the God Empreror didn't help nor ackowledeged their existensce they fell and by the grace of fallen Dark Angel they start worshipping the Chaos Gods. Well the story as several point of views but the most important is the seer-child, the ehveline of Kaelor - Ela'Ashbel. Another view is the dark apostle, Farseer Ahearn and Maeveh.
Well in the overal there are other anthologies I liked best but this is not a waste of time. It's a way to know better the Dark Angles, Word Bearers and the Eldar Society. If you want a Tyrannid, Dark Eldar, other chapters of space marines, Tau or Necron you can look in other books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2023
Once again a display of wasted potential in 40k book.
The most interesting short story within this book, at least in concept is "The Invitation" which features the only known cannonical corrupted sister of battle...And its the shortest story of all of them. It's like 4-5 pages long. Meanwhile some of the short stories about the space marines doing normal space marine things take up a quarter of the pages of the book.
A complete wasted oppertunity.
The most interesting short story within this book, at least in concept is "The Invitation" which features the only known cannonical corrupted sister of battle...And its the shortest story of all of them. It's like 4-5 pages long. Meanwhile some of the short stories about the space marines doing normal space marine things take up a quarter of the pages of the book.
A complete wasted oppertunity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2025
In the grim dark future there is a very average book of Warhammer 40k short stories. For those new to this universe and lore, this will be confusing and not enough to get you invested. For those familiar with the world, there are very little impactful stories or moments that draw you in. A very average look at very niche material.
December 22, 2025
Quite boring.
August 27, 2013
Wow, Kor Phaeron and Erebus are still around according to this book of (mediocre) short stories! The short stories are entertaining but not ground breaking or especially memorable.
March 27, 2020
Some good stories
And some ok stories, worth a read but not one for the must read list, more word bearers please !
And some ok stories, worth a read but not one for the must read list, more word bearers please !
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