Tempestus

Shield of Baal #Novella

by Braden Campbell

The deadly worlds of the Cryptus System, always beset by the gravitational and radioactive forces of their twin stars, have come under a new threat - the xenos might of the tyranids. A tendril of Hive Fleet Leviathan has reached the Cryptus shieldworlds. The Imperium musters its strength, for the aliens must be stopped here, as next in the hive fleet's path is the home world of the Blood Angels Space Marines, Baal itself. On the world of Lysios, as the valiant Adepta Sororitas defend the planet against the creatures of the Leviathan, a platoon of Tempestus Scions, the Imperium's elite storm troopers, are seconded to the service of the mysterious Inquisitor Ulrich to perform a dangerous - and vital - to capture a unique tyranid bioform from the treacherous tidal swell of Lysios - even if it costs Tempestor Chavis and his men their lives.

Read it because
The elite warriors of the Militarum Tempestus take on the xenos hordes of the tyranids in the finest tradition of man versus alien. This book also demonstrates some of the tensions that exist between the various arms of the Imperium, none of whom see eye to eye, but all of which must unite against the onslaught of Hive Fleet Leviathan.

Genres: 40k, Science Fiction, Fiction

96 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 14, 2014

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe this is the first of 3 books in the Shield of Baal series in the 40K universe. I loved Tyranids when I was into 40K many years ago, so was excited to read a story with them as the enemy. However, not a lot of Tyranid action until the end. Interesting note. The cult represented in the story reminded me of a Cthulhu like god and his followers. Although this was clearly meant to be Tyranid. Still enjoyed this book, and will be picking up the next one shortly.

[Ken Giles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is a mix of Warhammer 40k and Lovecraft. I initially was reading this because. it features Tempestus Scions. However the Lovecraft feel to the book really captured me and i ended up reading it a lot quicker than i expected.
I highly recommend this book.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. Just eh. The book description is misleading as hell by the way.

[Anthony Giordano · Rating 3 out of 5]

"But what hurts the depiction of the stormtroopers is that there is nothing spectacular about their field tactics. This is a problem that plagued another Tempestus story, The Trophy. We see examples of their superior endurance and toughness, and one display of resourcefulness (the Taurox vs. the flood scene). But the battles all pretty much read the same: stormtroopers square off with enemy, let loose the firepower, the guy with the volley gun unleashes merry hell, the enemies die, and we read who has been hurt/killed. Now don't get me wrong, Campbell makes the scenes a bit more exciting than that, and his descriptions of flying gobbets and gore, and brutal injuries are all very good. But there is never a scene where a strong strategy yielded a great response, prompting the reader to proclaim "See, that's why the Tempestus Scions are a force to be reckoned with". No, what this is amounts to traditional tie-in book rote: a commercial in prose."

You can read my full review of this serviceable novella here:

http://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/20...

[Benjamin Ho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inquisition Bad. Scions Good. Sororitas Holy.

Is it any freaking surprise anymore that 99% of Inquisitors are corrupted by their own ambition and vision? A great read and awesome depiction of the kind of rapid mutation, evolution, and subversion the Tyranids are capable of once they’ve infiltrated a populace. Desperate firefights that quickly unravel into frenzied melees are on hand, and the servants of the Imperium sell their lives dearly in the face of traitors, cultists, and aliens!

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the beginning short story in a longer Imperium vs. Tyranids campaign. It is meant to promote the new Militarum Tempestus figures and highlight conflict in the Imperium. As one reviewer pointed out, it is difficult to differentiate how elite the Scions are compared to the Astra Militarum. The inquisitor leading the secret 'retrieve the alien for study' mission is a duplicitous ladder climber. In other words, this is a comfortable 40K story following the established genre tropes.

[Jorge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing new. You can skip it without any problem