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The Dark Coil: Damnation
A Warhammer 40,000 Anthology
In the strangest corners of the galaxy, disparate factions, cults and empires make war and confront deadly truths in a constant fight for survival… But nothing amongst these stars occurs in a vacuum. Look closer, and see that space and time are malleable concepts, and the touch of the warp is upon the most unexpected places.
READ IT BECAUSE
Peter Fehervari's Dark Coil tales spin an intricate web across the grim darkness of the far future. From the fecund jungles of the Dolorosa Coil, to a shrine world ruled by a mysterious cult with a world-ending secret.
THE STORY
The Coil is a vast tangle of plot threads that extends across space and time, connecting characters, places, and events, often in bizarre ways, with people slipping from one story into another, occasionally via fissures in the skin of reality. The Dark Coil can also be considered an expression of Chaos – a manifestation that has infiltrated our universe via its constituent tendrils.
CONTENTS
The Greater Evil (short story)
Fire Caste (novel)
Out Caste (short story)
A Sanctuary of Wyrms (short story)
Altar of Maws (short story)
Vanguard (short story)
Fire and Ice (short story)
Cast a Hungry Shadow (short story)
Cult of the Spiral Dawn (novel)
Written by Peter Fehervari.
In the strangest corners of the galaxy, disparate factions, cults and empires make war and confront deadly truths in a constant fight for survival… But nothing amongst these stars occurs in a vacuum. Look closer, and see that space and time are malleable concepts, and the touch of the warp is upon the most unexpected places.
READ IT BECAUSE
Peter Fehervari's Dark Coil tales spin an intricate web across the grim darkness of the far future. From the fecund jungles of the Dolorosa Coil, to a shrine world ruled by a mysterious cult with a world-ending secret.
THE STORY
The Coil is a vast tangle of plot threads that extends across space and time, connecting characters, places, and events, often in bizarre ways, with people slipping from one story into another, occasionally via fissures in the skin of reality. The Dark Coil can also be considered an expression of Chaos – a manifestation that has infiltrated our universe via its constituent tendrils.
CONTENTS
The Greater Evil (short story)
Fire Caste (novel)
Out Caste (short story)
A Sanctuary of Wyrms (short story)
Altar of Maws (short story)
Vanguard (short story)
Fire and Ice (short story)
Cast a Hungry Shadow (short story)
Cult of the Spiral Dawn (novel)
Written by Peter Fehervari.
656 pages, Paperback
Published February 11, 2025
47 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 17, 2025
What a book this was! It was an insane rollercoaster ride within the 40k universe that felt like a descent into madness with a touch of existential/eldritch horror. There are so many levels and ways in which the stories interconnect and have meaning that, even tho I finished reading, I’ll still need some time to process this book. If you are looking for something deep and interesting regardless of the setting, this is your perfect sci-fi cosmic-horror book! Highly recommend!!
March 8, 2025
A compilation of two novels, a novella and a few short stories. They are not directly related, but tie together in a less immediately obvious manner, familiar themes and symbols recurring in disparate settings.
For more specifics, in simple terms the tales describe the Imperium's struggles to cope with the outside threat of the T'au Empire and the internal menace of Genestealer Cults, both corrupting in their own way. While these alien forces do have scenes shown from their perspectives, these are largely the stories of the Imperial forces confronting them.
As regards that confrontation, while there are large scale battles that 40k fans will be looking for, the majority of the text is moody investigations, delving more into the heads of our troubled heroes than their bloody bodycounts.
It certainly captures the grim, ultimately doomed hopelessness of the setting.
For more specifics, in simple terms the tales describe the Imperium's struggles to cope with the outside threat of the T'au Empire and the internal menace of Genestealer Cults, both corrupting in their own way. While these alien forces do have scenes shown from their perspectives, these are largely the stories of the Imperial forces confronting them.
As regards that confrontation, while there are large scale battles that 40k fans will be looking for, the majority of the text is moody investigations, delving more into the heads of our troubled heroes than their bloody bodycounts.
It certainly captures the grim, ultimately doomed hopelessness of the setting.
April 28, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 8, 2025
I quickly recognised Fehervari as a top tier 40k writer. He is so good at characterising the insidious nature of corruption (Chaos or otherwise...), and putting fascinating, warped spins on the settings, factions and general stories in this universe. That he subtly layers the different stories into each other without them being directly connected is also rewarding for the reader.
The first novel here, Fire Caste (like with everyone else, including the author, I acknowledge it's not a fitting name), was the most impressive part of the omnibus to me. The twisted and feverish jungle/swampworld, the Heart of Darkness feel, the fungal body horror, the humans-and-Tau conflicts mixed with Chaos (and biological) corruption, the Lovecraftian touches, and on top of that the uniqueness of forces clearly inspired by the American Civil War (and before that, conquistadors), was just ideal for me.
If there is any downside to this collection, it's that the ending of many of the stories leave you with so many remaining questions and confusions... But maybe they will find answers - or hints at answers - in yet more stories in the Dark Coil.
Looking forward to reading the second omnibus.
The first novel here, Fire Caste (like with everyone else, including the author, I acknowledge it's not a fitting name), was the most impressive part of the omnibus to me. The twisted and feverish jungle/swampworld, the Heart of Darkness feel, the fungal body horror, the humans-and-Tau conflicts mixed with Chaos (and biological) corruption, the Lovecraftian touches, and on top of that the uniqueness of forces clearly inspired by the American Civil War (and before that, conquistadors), was just ideal for me.
If there is any downside to this collection, it's that the ending of many of the stories leave you with so many remaining questions and confusions... But maybe they will find answers - or hints at answers - in yet more stories in the Dark Coil.
Looking forward to reading the second omnibus.
June 26, 2025
I loved this little anthology. With two full novels and a fistful of short stories this book gave me my money's worth. Never thought I would care about gene stealer cults or the Tau but here I am, deeply invested. Fun fact, one of the characters from each story will carry into another story. Some more obvious than others, but it was such a treat seeing their stories continue...if only for a little while longer.
July 16, 2025
Fire & Ice is still, hands-down, the gem of this anthology: propulsive, contemplative, characterful. I enjoyed Fire Caste, especially because it was in the middle of the book, so for once I was reading a novel without being able to tell how many pages were left.
Towards the end, the stories got a bit same-y, so my attention waned. But overall I do really like Fehervari's voice and style.
Towards the end, the stories got a bit same-y, so my attention waned. But overall I do really like Fehervari's voice and style.
July 24, 2025
A GOOD 3.
July 20, 2025
Reading Peter Fehervari's Warhammer 40,000 books is like partaking in a fever dream of the grimdark world of the 41st millennium. The scenes come in and out of focus like a roughly-painted echo as the characters often blink in-and-out of existence in the deadly universe they temporarily live in. Like dust motes, they shimmer in the light so briefly before disappearing into space that I have a hard time grasping them.
This is not a negative review. It only means his stories, like the ones contained in this compilation, are likely to be revisited in the future. Like watching a movie for the first time just to experience it, only to revisit it and have a better grasp on it to attempt to delve into the mysteries of the details.
This is not a negative review. It only means his stories, like the ones contained in this compilation, are likely to be revisited in the future. Like watching a movie for the first time just to experience it, only to revisit it and have a better grasp on it to attempt to delve into the mysteries of the details.
December 26, 2025
One of the best written 40k stories
Excellent writing compared to some of the more 'bolter-porn' style novels in this universe.
All the stories in this collection tie into one another with many references, recurring characters, mysteries, and horror elements.
The author treats the reader like an adult, and it shows in the mature themes and relatable characters (and their associated flaws) while retaining the 40k action we know and love.
Excellent writing compared to some of the more 'bolter-porn' style novels in this universe.
All the stories in this collection tie into one another with many references, recurring characters, mysteries, and horror elements.
The author treats the reader like an adult, and it shows in the mature themes and relatable characters (and their associated flaws) while retaining the 40k action we know and love.
October 9, 2025
Awesome omnibus collecting 2 very good novels and a handful of similarly good short stories written by Fehervari in the 40k setting. Two thumbs up!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews