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Vagabond Squadron
A Warhammer 40,000 Novel
The Valkyrie pilots of the Vagabond Squadron are sent in to support a massive engagement on an ork front, but no mission is ever simple. Though challenged like never before, they will rise to the occasion and complete their mission – or die trying.
READ IT BECAUSE
Jump into the cockpit with elite pilots for a different perspective on the Astra Militarum. This thrill-ride has it all, from high-flying action, to down and dirty combat, along with a heaping dose of behind-the-scenes drama from the point of view of the crucial air crew.
THE STORY
Valkyrie pilots are among the finest aviators in the Imperium, and few more so than Vagabond Squadron, the elite of the 901st Tactical Wing. Hard flying, hard fighting, and defiance in the face of all odds are trademarks of the Vagabond. But their latest deployment – against the overwhelming might of the ork invasion of Kanai Tertius – will test them like never before.
The integration of a new, fledgling aviator, divisions among high command, and the rising threat of xenos air superiority mean the Vagabonds now face their most desperate mission yet, its full details known only to squadron leader Cassandra Elza. The fate of the planet-spanning campaign to hold the line on Kanai Tertius will be decided by the skill, daring and dedication of Vagabond Squadron. But this time, not all of them will be coming home.
Written by Robbie MacNiven.
The Valkyrie pilots of the Vagabond Squadron are sent in to support a massive engagement on an ork front, but no mission is ever simple. Though challenged like never before, they will rise to the occasion and complete their mission – or die trying.
READ IT BECAUSE
Jump into the cockpit with elite pilots for a different perspective on the Astra Militarum. This thrill-ride has it all, from high-flying action, to down and dirty combat, along with a heaping dose of behind-the-scenes drama from the point of view of the crucial air crew.
THE STORY
Valkyrie pilots are among the finest aviators in the Imperium, and few more so than Vagabond Squadron, the elite of the 901st Tactical Wing. Hard flying, hard fighting, and defiance in the face of all odds are trademarks of the Vagabond. But their latest deployment – against the overwhelming might of the ork invasion of Kanai Tertius – will test them like never before.
The integration of a new, fledgling aviator, divisions among high command, and the rising threat of xenos air superiority mean the Vagabonds now face their most desperate mission yet, its full details known only to squadron leader Cassandra Elza. The fate of the planet-spanning campaign to hold the line on Kanai Tertius will be decided by the skill, daring and dedication of Vagabond Squadron. But this time, not all of them will be coming home.
Written by Robbie MacNiven.
- GenresScience Fiction40k
390 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 14, 2025
12 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Robbie MacNiven
123 books116 followersRobbie MacNiven is a Scottish author and historian. His published fiction includes over a dozen novels, many fantasy or sci-fi works for IPs such as Warhammer 40,000 and Marvel's X-Men. He has also written two novellas, numerous short stories and audio dramas, has worked on narrative and character dialogue for multiple digital games (SMITE: Blitz and Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground), has written the colour text for multiple RPG rulebooks and has penned the scripts for two graphic novels and three comics, for Osprey Publishing and Commando Comics respectively. In 2022 his X-Men novel "First Team" won a Scribe Award.
On the non-fiction front, Robbie specialises in Early Modern military history, particularly focussing on the 18th century. He has a PhD in American Revolutionary War massacres from the University of Edinburgh - where he won the Compton Prize for American History - and an MLitt in War Studies from the University of Glasgow. Along with numerous articles for military history magazines he has written six books on different aspects of the American Revolutionary War, five for Osprey Publishing and one for Helion Books. He has also written the scripts for ten episodes of the hit YouTube educational channel Extra Credits.
Outside of work and writing, his passions include re-enacting, gaming, and football.
On the non-fiction front, Robbie specialises in Early Modern military history, particularly focussing on the 18th century. He has a PhD in American Revolutionary War massacres from the University of Edinburgh - where he won the Compton Prize for American History - and an MLitt in War Studies from the University of Glasgow. Along with numerous articles for military history magazines he has written six books on different aspects of the American Revolutionary War, five for Osprey Publishing and one for Helion Books. He has also written the scripts for ten episodes of the hit YouTube educational channel Extra Credits.
Outside of work and writing, his passions include re-enacting, gaming, and football.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 5, 2026
As someone for whom one of his formative reading experiences was the Star Wars Rogue Squadron books, it’s hard not to draw a comparison to it in this “licensed science fiction about a aerial squadron named after ne’er-do-wells.” I’d be shocked if it wasn’t an intentional homage, frankly!
This is my third MacNiven Black Library book, and I think it’s my favorite of his three. Without getting too specific, I think it subverts a lot of Black Library/fighter pilot book tropes in interesting ways. The journey of the new pilot is very different to the journeys of Corran Horn or the rookie in Abnett’s Double Eagle. The political machinations of the Astra Militarum leadership aren’t naked “we have reserves” callousness, mustache twirling evil, or flat out incompetence, and I think those are some of the most interesting parts of the book. Rather than fighter pilots, the squadron are Valkyrie pilots (part gunship, part troop transport akin to a modern military helicopter), which makes for very different set piece action scenes compared to the ones you get in the Rogue Squadron/Double Eagles of the world. Again, without getting into spoiler territory, this is very much a book where Anyone Can Die, and death is often abrupt and without fanfare, which I think worked here. I felt like the climactic battle was unfortunately a return to playing a lot of tropes straight that was a bit of a letdown, but there were still some great character moments in the finale that were effective.
Two notes on the audiobook, which is how I read this one: Emma Gregory (Minthara in Baldur’s Gate 3) is an excellent narrator for Black Library novels (and I’m sure generally). And, I’m not clear on if this was solely a feature of the audiobook or if it’s like this in print as well, but I loved seeing the “gothicized” version of Ork names like “Deff Koptas” and “Stormboyz”.
This is my third MacNiven Black Library book, and I think it’s my favorite of his three. Without getting too specific, I think it subverts a lot of Black Library/fighter pilot book tropes in interesting ways. The journey of the new pilot is very different to the journeys of Corran Horn or the rookie in Abnett’s Double Eagle. The political machinations of the Astra Militarum leadership aren’t naked “we have reserves” callousness, mustache twirling evil, or flat out incompetence, and I think those are some of the most interesting parts of the book. Rather than fighter pilots, the squadron are Valkyrie pilots (part gunship, part troop transport akin to a modern military helicopter), which makes for very different set piece action scenes compared to the ones you get in the Rogue Squadron/Double Eagles of the world. Again, without getting into spoiler territory, this is very much a book where Anyone Can Die, and death is often abrupt and without fanfare, which I think worked here. I felt like the climactic battle was unfortunately a return to playing a lot of tropes straight that was a bit of a letdown, but there were still some great character moments in the finale that were effective.
Two notes on the audiobook, which is how I read this one: Emma Gregory (Minthara in Baldur’s Gate 3) is an excellent narrator for Black Library novels (and I’m sure generally). And, I’m not clear on if this was solely a feature of the audiobook or if it’s like this in print as well, but I loved seeing the “gothicized” version of Ork names like “Deff Koptas” and “Stormboyz”.
November 21, 2025
Damn
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2025
Decent read, not as good as Double Eagle or Interceptor City, which is what probably affected my reading
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews