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Tomb World
A Warhammer 40,000 Novel
Khemet, a disgraced praetorian charged with protecting her tomb world as it slumbers, is roused to action once more. This is her chance to prove she is meant for greater things. She will stop at nothing to see it done.
READ IT BECAUSE
It's a chance to see the necron empire in a new way. Join a lowly cryptek with lofty ambitions and a praetorian suffering from the worst punishment imaginable – can they work together to reclaim a necron planet now infested with humans?
THE STORY
As the necron empire sleeps, the Triarch praetorians watch and wait.
Khemet has guarded the tombs of her people for millions of years, patiently waiting for the day when the numberless legions of the dead will rise again. As they finally begin to stir, old ambitions and treacheries are roused with them.
Betrayed and imprisoned, dogged by the shame of a terrible failure, Khemet has endured the gravest punishment necron ingenuity can conjure. Now she is free, offered a single chance to restore her honour and reclaim her standing. For Khemet to rise, a world must die.
Khemet, a disgraced praetorian charged with protecting her tomb world as it slumbers, is roused to action once more. This is her chance to prove she is meant for greater things. She will stop at nothing to see it done.
READ IT BECAUSE
It's a chance to see the necron empire in a new way. Join a lowly cryptek with lofty ambitions and a praetorian suffering from the worst punishment imaginable – can they work together to reclaim a necron planet now infested with humans?
THE STORY
As the necron empire sleeps, the Triarch praetorians watch and wait.
Khemet has guarded the tombs of her people for millions of years, patiently waiting for the day when the numberless legions of the dead will rise again. As they finally begin to stir, old ambitions and treacheries are roused with them.
Betrayed and imprisoned, dogged by the shame of a terrible failure, Khemet has endured the gravest punishment necron ingenuity can conjure. Now she is free, offered a single chance to restore her honour and reclaim her standing. For Khemet to rise, a world must die.
336 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2025
About the author
Jonathan D. Beer
13 books18 followersJonathan D. Beer is a science fiction and alternative history writer, whose stories for Black Library include the novels THE KING OF THE SPOIL and DOMINION GENESIS, and several short stories.
Equally obsessed by the nineteenth century and the 41st millennium, he lives with his wife and assorted cats in the untamed wilderness of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Equally obsessed by the nineteenth century and the 41st millennium, he lives with his wife and assorted cats in the untamed wilderness of Edinburgh, Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 21, 2025
A glimpse through lenses rarely held into the world of Warhammer 40,000, in particular the societies of the Necrons and the methods they use to take planets from the Imperium. More than that, Tomb World establishes greater depths surrounding the Triarch Praetorians through a medium of identity, ambition and duty while telling a ripper of a story to boot. It's not predictable fare by any stretch, and while the first Act goes deeper to study the character of Tomb Worlds utterly inhuman core characters and the third goes nuclear in its stakes, it is really Act 2 which stands out as the exemplar of Tomb World. Why? Well you'll have to read it and find out.
I'd highly recommend it as a read for 40k fans and especially those who have a long-standing love of Necrons. Even though they all occupy different characters and storylines, Tomb World would make a great 3rd stop in a 4 part Necron tetralogy read after both Twice-Dead King novels and before The Infinite and The Divine.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to reread more Necron books and see if I have any spare Necron miniatures lying around to paint.
I'd highly recommend it as a read for 40k fans and especially those who have a long-standing love of Necrons. Even though they all occupy different characters and storylines, Tomb World would make a great 3rd stop in a 4 part Necron tetralogy read after both Twice-Dead King novels and before The Infinite and The Divine.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to reread more Necron books and see if I have any spare Necron miniatures lying around to paint.
November 25, 2025
a disappointment
as necron books are typically a fairly high quality I had high hopes for this one... unfortunately it is subpar.
most all of its characters are fairly unlikable and not in a fun way.
The only thing that was getting me to the end was the hope that the main character would get her revenge for the mistreatment she faced... her just reward for putting up with their nonsense...
It is the equivalent of a custodian being shanghaied by a bunch of space Marines and forced to do their bidding...
needless to say the ending was completely wasted.. do not waste your time on this pointless story.
as necron books are typically a fairly high quality I had high hopes for this one... unfortunately it is subpar.
most all of its characters are fairly unlikable and not in a fun way.
The only thing that was getting me to the end was the hope that the main character would get her revenge for the mistreatment she faced... her just reward for putting up with their nonsense...
It is the equivalent of a custodian being shanghaied by a bunch of space Marines and forced to do their bidding...
needless to say the ending was completely wasted.. do not waste your time on this pointless story.
November 16, 2025
Incredibly fun and quite bleak book from the perspective of the Necrons. Could have used an entire novel set in the midpoint of the book with a Necron basically becoming a horror movie slasher.
High recommend.
High recommend.
December 24, 2025
It's not a bad book, but I am disappointed. Characters just seem to act without any reason, and despite fascinating motivations, their actions never feel like they reflect those motivations. Khemet is a cool character as a Praetorian, but she never seems to react to new information. She just seems to accept Hekasun's reveal that he's actively plotting revenge against her for wiping out his dynasty and despite her clear control over the tomb world she does nothing to deal with him at all throughout the story. The reveal of Hekasun's dynasty having survived has no weight, and seems to mean absolutely nothing in changing what any of the Necrons are doing in conquering Qeretesh.
While I think the human perspectives are some of the best written portions of this book, it takes away from any chance of explaining the impact of any of the reveals about the Necrons; rather than building out this internal conflict we just get an outline that Khemet is doing everything, and at no point is really at risk of losing the war. Kamoteph "forcing her hand" into an all-out war of attrition never has consequences.
Faction infighting is a major part of a lot of WH stories, but none of the Necrons seem to know what they want. The Deathmark's (whose name I don't know how to spell having listened to this as an audiobook) belief in the Destroyer Cult doesn't mean anything and we're never given a sense of why Khemet cares, Kamoteph's betrayal isn't meaningful or seem to matter at all, and him trying to kill Hekasun at the end of the book makes no sense, why wouldn't he expect Khemet to intervene?
The conclusion of this book with Khemet awarding Hekasun the planet and the control of the dynasty *could* be incredibly interesting, and a really cool way of reinforcing some of the harshness of Warhammer, commenting that Kamoteph would be the better choice, but that mataining the deeply unmeritocratic Necron hierarchy is ultimately what Khemet values most as a praetorian. But we have no reason to relate that value at all to Khemet's motivation throughout any other part of the book.
I know I'm repeating myself, but I just had so many questions about why characters did anything throughout this book. Why does Kamoteph decide to spring his "big betrayal" at just a random moment in the story? Why does Hekasun reveal his dynastic lineage and why does it mean absolutely nothing for the plot to the point that Khemet does not change anything at all in her dealings with the other Necrons? What point does Anrakyr the Traveler serve after the first chapter?
Lastly, I know Kamoteph's model was a limited-time exclusive, but I'm surprised to see him die after the first amount of backstory that we get for him! His character is definitely the most fleshed out after Khemet's, and up until his pointless betrayal, he seems like he has the most going on worth exploring.
While I think the human perspectives are some of the best written portions of this book, it takes away from any chance of explaining the impact of any of the reveals about the Necrons; rather than building out this internal conflict we just get an outline that Khemet is doing everything, and at no point is really at risk of losing the war. Kamoteph "forcing her hand" into an all-out war of attrition never has consequences.
Faction infighting is a major part of a lot of WH stories, but none of the Necrons seem to know what they want. The Deathmark's (whose name I don't know how to spell having listened to this as an audiobook) belief in the Destroyer Cult doesn't mean anything and we're never given a sense of why Khemet cares, Kamoteph's betrayal isn't meaningful or seem to matter at all, and him trying to kill Hekasun at the end of the book makes no sense, why wouldn't he expect Khemet to intervene?
The conclusion of this book with Khemet awarding Hekasun the planet and the control of the dynasty *could* be incredibly interesting, and a really cool way of reinforcing some of the harshness of Warhammer, commenting that Kamoteph would be the better choice, but that mataining the deeply unmeritocratic Necron hierarchy is ultimately what Khemet values most as a praetorian. But we have no reason to relate that value at all to Khemet's motivation throughout any other part of the book.
I know I'm repeating myself, but I just had so many questions about why characters did anything throughout this book. Why does Kamoteph decide to spring his "big betrayal" at just a random moment in the story? Why does Hekasun reveal his dynastic lineage and why does it mean absolutely nothing for the plot to the point that Khemet does not change anything at all in her dealings with the other Necrons? What point does Anrakyr the Traveler serve after the first chapter?
Lastly, I know Kamoteph's model was a limited-time exclusive, but I'm surprised to see him die after the first amount of backstory that we get for him! His character is definitely the most fleshed out after Khemet's, and up until his pointless betrayal, he seems like he has the most going on worth exploring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2025
Jonathan D. Beer’s Tomb World is a sharp, characterdriven dive into Necron society, balancing political intrigue, military escalation, and the eerie philosophical rigidity of an ancient empire. At its heart is Khemet, a disgraced Praetorian released from a nightmarish stasis punishment and tasked with aiding the reclamation of the tomb world Orymous. Her handler, the pompous and insecure Lord Hekasun, and his ambitious Cryptek Kamoteph, provide a perfect contrast to Khemet’s stoic efficiency and sense of duty.
Orymous is not the empty world they expected, and the tension between Necron secrecy, Imperial presence, and internal dynastic politics drives the novel forward. Beer excels at portraying how fragile a Necron awakening truly is: malfunctioning systems, court rivalries, hidden agendas, and the ever-looming pressure of maintaining absolute control. Khemet’s covert operations, including a chilling partnership with a chaotic Hexmark Destroyer, offer some of the most atmospheric Necron action in recent Black Library fiction.
The human perspective, especially through Adepyus Arbites Marshal Sinos investigating strange incidents on the planet, adds welcome grounding and builds suspense as the two sides inch closer to inevitable open conflict.
What truly elevates Tomb World is its focus on identity, loyalty, grudges and philosophical decay within a supposedly immortal race. Beer gives the Necrons a depth and internal complexity rarely explored, blending suspense, political maneuvering, and moments of genuine tragedy.
For fans of Necron lore, covert operations, and character-driven Warhammer stories, Tomb World is an excellent and refreshing addition to the Black Library catalogue engrossing, atmospheric, and far smarter than its premise initially suggests.
Orymous is not the empty world they expected, and the tension between Necron secrecy, Imperial presence, and internal dynastic politics drives the novel forward. Beer excels at portraying how fragile a Necron awakening truly is: malfunctioning systems, court rivalries, hidden agendas, and the ever-looming pressure of maintaining absolute control. Khemet’s covert operations, including a chilling partnership with a chaotic Hexmark Destroyer, offer some of the most atmospheric Necron action in recent Black Library fiction.
The human perspective, especially through Adepyus Arbites Marshal Sinos investigating strange incidents on the planet, adds welcome grounding and builds suspense as the two sides inch closer to inevitable open conflict.
What truly elevates Tomb World is its focus on identity, loyalty, grudges and philosophical decay within a supposedly immortal race. Beer gives the Necrons a depth and internal complexity rarely explored, blending suspense, political maneuvering, and moments of genuine tragedy.
For fans of Necron lore, covert operations, and character-driven Warhammer stories, Tomb World is an excellent and refreshing addition to the Black Library catalogue engrossing, atmospheric, and far smarter than its premise initially suggests.
December 5, 2025
Absolute trash. Some of the worst writing I've ever experienced in WH40K fluff.
Act 1 introduces the Necrons and Khemet. We're forced to endure our MC explicitly telling us how she feels, and flashbacks to actually interesting scenes instead of experiencing any of it. We're given no reason to care for any of these individuals. They're just terrible Xenos doing terrible things. Eventually Khemet's betrayed and you feel some emotions, but then she keeps doing the opposite of her stated intent, and you wonder why anything is happening. Hate your jailor? Do something about it. Stop assisting them.
Act 2 follows through by giving us dozens of cold open scenes. Page after page of disposable one-shot POV characters dying. Over and over. As if we care. As if they could win.
I refuse to continue. I'm done. This is some of the worst writing I've ever endured.
Not Recommended. The author goes right onto my shitlist.
Act 1 introduces the Necrons and Khemet. We're forced to endure our MC explicitly telling us how she feels, and flashbacks to actually interesting scenes instead of experiencing any of it. We're given no reason to care for any of these individuals. They're just terrible Xenos doing terrible things. Eventually Khemet's betrayed and you feel some emotions, but then she keeps doing the opposite of her stated intent, and you wonder why anything is happening. Hate your jailor? Do something about it. Stop assisting them.
Act 2 follows through by giving us dozens of cold open scenes. Page after page of disposable one-shot POV characters dying. Over and over. As if we care. As if they could win.
I refuse to continue. I'm done. This is some of the worst writing I've ever endured.
Not Recommended. The author goes right onto my shitlist.
January 23, 2026
This is quite the change of atmosphere from the infinite and the divine and the twice dead king omnibus.
While in those books the necrons were still inhuman, they displayed a lot of endearing traits, and often there was a touch of comedy introduced to their actions.
In this book, there is absolutely none of that, this is a book from the necrons perspective, how they usually appear as enemies in imperial focused novels.
They are ruthless, calculating and cruel, and the humans caught in their crosshairs are made to suffer.
The praetorian is an interesting concept and the character itself is likeable, and the first act of the book where we focus on Khemet is my favorite part.
While the 2nd and 3rd act, we get introduced to the "other side's" perspective and its just page after page of despair.
Is that interesting from a lore perspective? sure. Is it that fun of a read, that's subjective but its not on my fun list.
While in those books the necrons were still inhuman, they displayed a lot of endearing traits, and often there was a touch of comedy introduced to their actions.
In this book, there is absolutely none of that, this is a book from the necrons perspective, how they usually appear as enemies in imperial focused novels.
They are ruthless, calculating and cruel, and the humans caught in their crosshairs are made to suffer.
The praetorian is an interesting concept and the character itself is likeable, and the first act of the book where we focus on Khemet is my favorite part.
While the 2nd and 3rd act, we get introduced to the "other side's" perspective and its just page after page of despair.
Is that interesting from a lore perspective? sure. Is it that fun of a read, that's subjective but its not on my fun list.
June 6, 2026
This was, I think, my first Jonathan D. Beer novel, having read a handful of Necron-centric books by other authors.
The opening was an over-exhaustive infodump with far too much Necrons background that has been covered in great detail elsewhere, while the climactic battle feels like the author has been strongly steered to highlight the power of units whose models have recently been released for purchase by the parent company.
In the middle though there's an entertaining romp as our potagoron attempts to make up for past failures by awakening a slumbering army buried under the surface of an imperial planet. The sequences that highlight the differences between Necrons and humans are delightful, especially when the Necron hierarchy exploits human weaknesses such as food, hunger and fear that are entirely alien to the Necron line troops. More of this in future please.
The opening was an over-exhaustive infodump with far too much Necrons background that has been covered in great detail elsewhere, while the climactic battle feels like the author has been strongly steered to highlight the power of units whose models have recently been released for purchase by the parent company.
In the middle though there's an entertaining romp as our potagoron attempts to make up for past failures by awakening a slumbering army buried under the surface of an imperial planet. The sequences that highlight the differences between Necrons and humans are delightful, especially when the Necron hierarchy exploits human weaknesses such as food, hunger and fear that are entirely alien to the Necron line troops. More of this in future please.
July 1, 2026
I started this book after my second re-reading of Twice-Dead King and The Infinite and the Divine, and this one falls so much below them in level. The author has introduced a few new themes for the necron lore, but just keeps repeating them until they become plainly irritant. The characters feel bland and unstructured, especially the main character, which by the way didn't give me necron vibes at all. This supposedly millenarian creature, wielder of some amongst the greatest political powers of the whole empire, feels a little too human for my taste. Also, while dynastic struggle is well depicted, some of its iterations appear childish and superficial. In the end, I felt no tension whatsoever about the outcome of the war, which may or may not have been the author's intention, but surely did not add to the book as a whole.
June 21, 2026
Another great Necron novel, but...
The whole court politics of Necrons is always an interesting area in the 40k vers and this book explores that and the proud members well.
It touches on the the reality of the majority of Necrons having some kind of metal problem derived from their immortality and in the first act explores this really well. I was hoping for this to continue but after some initial stumbles this doesn't get elaborated on an the characters basically get over it quickly. It would have been a great way to ground and sympathize with some of the characters.
The rest of the book delves into a planetary invasion which is pretty typical for a 40k book. I was hoping to skip past this and move on. It felt like a lot was being saved for future books.
The whole court politics of Necrons is always an interesting area in the 40k vers and this book explores that and the proud members well.
It touches on the the reality of the majority of Necrons having some kind of metal problem derived from their immortality and in the first act explores this really well. I was hoping for this to continue but after some initial stumbles this doesn't get elaborated on an the characters basically get over it quickly. It would have been a great way to ground and sympathize with some of the characters.
The rest of the book delves into a planetary invasion which is pretty typical for a 40k book. I was hoping to skip past this and move on. It felt like a lot was being saved for future books.
July 9, 2026
Not breaking the mold but solid good fun in the warhammer universe focused on the necrons and the choices of one praetorian. As always when it comes to necrons I pay a lot of attention to how necrons are presented given that it is not easy to fully grasp the spiritual and cognitive horror the biotransference must have been.
Its was good but I also see untapped and underused potential in particular there is a duality at play with the human arbiter and Khemet's role as an arbiter of her race which could have been worked out more and would have elevated the book. Likewise the ending with the deathwatch felt underwhelming and came across as an afterthought or something that should have been worked out more but a deadline was coming up or it was insisted upon by higher ups.
Its was good but I also see untapped and underused potential in particular there is a duality at play with the human arbiter and Khemet's role as an arbiter of her race which could have been worked out more and would have elevated the book. Likewise the ending with the deathwatch felt underwhelming and came across as an afterthought or something that should have been worked out more but a deadline was coming up or it was insisted upon by higher ups.
April 7, 2026
Really??????
So now the gender less necrons have genders. What is next? The Orks or maybe daemons? I fully support strong female characters in the 40K universe but not every single story should be about a male vs. female struggle. I have never viewed a race like the necrons to be gender less since they are locked in the necrodermis given to them by the C'Tan so this seems to be unnecessary at the least. I hope this teeming need to keep everything female centric will eventually fade and we can get back to the strong narratives these books were known for.
So now the gender less necrons have genders. What is next? The Orks or maybe daemons? I fully support strong female characters in the 40K universe but not every single story should be about a male vs. female struggle. I have never viewed a race like the necrons to be gender less since they are locked in the necrodermis given to them by the C'Tan so this seems to be unnecessary at the least. I hope this teeming need to keep everything female centric will eventually fade and we can get back to the strong narratives these books were known for.
March 4, 2026
Necron politics!
Necrons being sneaky!
Necrons being downright terrifying!
A fantastic story about the Necrons doing Necron-y things when the Imperium decides, foolishly, to move onto a tomb world. I mean, sure, it's only been a few millennia but they're driving down property values and the Necrons had to do SOMETHING. This is their retirement investment home, after all, and you can't have the fleshies mucking things up.
Necrons being sneaky!
Necrons being downright terrifying!
A fantastic story about the Necrons doing Necron-y things when the Imperium decides, foolishly, to move onto a tomb world. I mean, sure, it's only been a few millennia but they're driving down property values and the Necrons had to do SOMETHING. This is their retirement investment home, after all, and you can't have the fleshies mucking things up.
Read
April 10, 2026Give me a book with an alien / immortal / different from humans being any time. This didn't seem to much emphasize their non-humanness, quite the opposite. But it had a bit of those vibes, enough that I enjoyed it.
December 30, 2025
I’ve been looking to pick up a warhammer book for a few years now and kept putting it off. I finally decided why not start with a newer release. It wasn’t a bad read and with my basic understanding of warhammer was able to follow along for the most part. There were a few things I had to ask a friend on. But it was a fun read in the end.
February 26, 2026
A little slow as soon as it started focusing on the humans, but a very interesting look into Necron hierarchy and a welcome addition to Necron lore.
Hopefully the main character does something else, she's got potential as a judge in Necron affairs and it's a nice sight when a character is not instantly defeated by a Space Marine.
Hopefully the main character does something else, she's got potential as a judge in Necron affairs and it's a nice sight when a character is not instantly defeated by a Space Marine.
March 10, 2026
Boring as hell… Not a single memorable character aside from one, and it’s not even the main character.. Most of the book was from the Human PoV, not the Necron’s. The last 10% or so finally was better, but was very predictable and ultimately the story could have been told in just a single chapter. I am obsessed with anything Necrons and this was just a slog to keep myself reading it.
November 21, 2025
Khemet is a metal skeleton down on her luck surrounded by political intrigue. But as judge, jury, and executioner. She is determined to follow the letter of the law when handling an estate in probate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2026
An intereresting concept that falls flat in some ways. The shadow war was by far the best part and the futility of trying to stop the necrons couldn't have been more grimdark. However the necron characters should have had more pages to flesh them out.
April 4, 2026
The ending came out of left field for me, and honestly I did not like it at all. Other than the last 10 pages, I thought the book was really well done. Love getting to see my skelly boys kick some ass.
April 18, 2026
A solid Necron story. The Necron POV sections are very solid, especially when it comes to the characters.
My only issue with it is that it spends a little too much time on Imperium POVs that aren't particularly interesting.
My only issue with it is that it spends a little too much time on Imperium POVs that aren't particularly interesting.
January 7, 2026
So enjoyable!
April 10, 2026
Weird slop with little interesting detail, all the politicking that people like has been done before and better, but I enjoyed the slop no the less.
April 7, 2026
This is what I wanted from a necron book! They are the protagonists with actual personalities, motivations, and lore. The primary POV character comes from a caste that, as far as I know, hasn’t been explored in any previous novels. The plot winds around with some nice twists and the usual kind of scheming backstabbing that keeps these guys from being more effective at awaking and retaking their old galactic empire. Enough fun that I give it a full 4 stars which from me is pretty rare for anything WH40k.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews