Blood Harvest

by Richard Swan

A Tyranids Short Story

The tyranids devour everything before them – consuming all life upon each world in their path. They are a threat to every sentient species in the galaxy, and their numbers are ever growing...

READ IT BECAUSE

It's a chance to join the Astra Militarum's desperate conscripts as a hive fleet arrives – fix bayonets!

THE STORY

As Hive Fleet Kraken approaches their home world of Raphaela, Mukta Lim and his fellow conscripts prepare for the worst. However, the arrival of a Tempestus Scion with an important piece of information for the sectors commander may just alter their fate. For the better? Who can say...

Written by Richard Swan.

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Short Stories

33 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 4, 2023

About the author

Richard Swan is a critically acclaimed British genre writer. He is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Empire of the Wolf and Great Silence trilogies, as well as fiction for Black Library and Grimdark Magazine. His work has been translated into ten languages.

Richard is a qualified lawyer, and before writing full time spent ten years litigating multimillion pound commercial disputes in London. He currently lives in Sydney with his wife and three young sons.


For updates follow him at stonetemplelibrary.com.

Reviews

[Rakib Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second read from Richard Swan. My first one was another Black Library short, which I found average and only started this one because this story was related to 'Tears of Raphaela'. This one was certainly much better and I kind of ended up wanting to read more about these characters and this conflict.

This is the story of a planet dealing with the onslaught of a Tyranid wave. We are introduced with some lowly conscripts who seem quite unlikeable at the beginning, then we get introduced with a fearsome warrior who seems to have some hidden agenda about helping the normal humans at first. Then the struggle for survival starts.

The action sequences are quite engrossing, and Tyranids are as fearsome villains as always. Despite the short scope the characters get interesting development, the dialogues are very enjoyable and the ending is quite different from typical 40k short.

All in all, this is one of the best black library short stories of last year in my opinion. 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.

For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

High three stars. Really good verisimilitude. You feel the uncertainty and peril of conscripts during a Tyranid invasion. But it just felt like it was missing that little something extra to put it in the four star range.

[Calvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate these stories of the events around a tyranid invasion. For me, it’s refreshing to get glimpses into a perspective other than a space marine.

[Urgewyrm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a PBI in a planetary defense force has to be even worse than being in the Guard and boy does this short story go out of it's way to show you that.

[Patrick Saindon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cool action peice of a war showing how small a diffence one person makes but being an action short story the action wasent the best 3.0