Necessary Evil

Warhammer 40,000

by Rob Sanders

Inquisitor Bronislaw Czevak – scholar, adventurer, fugitive. Since fleeing the fabled Black Library of the eldar with the Atlas Infernal, he has been hunted by xenos, heretic and sorcerer just as he once hunted them.Guided and protected by this ancient tome bound in human skin, he has now found his way to the daemon world of Nereus in search of a powerful Chaos artefact. With Ahriman and the Thousand Sons racing to claim it for themselves, Czevak must scour the colony of Perdition's Landing if he is to outwit his old enemeis... but might this bedraggled outpost hide an even darker secret of its own?

Read it because
Inquisitor Czevak, never the friendliest of Imperial servants, forges a genuine connection with a human surviving on a Chaos-tainted world... That can't end well. A fascinating exploration of how life clings on and humanity adapts to the most dangerous of circumstances... though sometimes with a little help from higher powers.

Genres: Short Stories

27 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 28, 2015

About the author

Rob Sanders is the author of twelve novels, as well as numerous anthologised short stories, novellas, audio dramas, computer games and comics. His fiction has won national writing competitions, been featured on the BBC and appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list. His poetry has been short listed in national contests. He lives off the beaten track in the small city of Lincoln, UK.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent e-short sequel that I enjoyed much more than his prequel: Rob Sanders' "Atlas Infernal" novel from Black Library.
Hunted by the Imperium, the Eldar, Chaos Sorcerer Ahzek Ahriman and the Thousand Sons, for what he done and what he could do, former Inquisitor Bronislav Czevak uses the Atlas Infernal, an ancient Imperial tome dating from before the Horus Heresy, to run from his pursuers across the Webway.
But when he arrives on the daemon world of Nereus to destroy the Bacillum Formidonis, Dreadsceptre of the Word Bearers Dark Apostle Rhadamanthys, a mighty Chaos artifact Ahriman is looking for, and starts sympathizing with the human survivors there, many limbed mutants mutated by their proximity to the Eye of Terror, things are not going to end well when Rubric Marines finally arrive.




And the final twist about the real patronage behind the people of Nereus was just a real surprising blast for me.

[Slov · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know it's a short story, but you could definitely cut out some of the descriptor paragraphs and numerous sentences about how much blood is on Czevak's leg.

Maybe spend a paragraph developing more of a connection to the people on Nereus, maybe help them out for another paragraph. The story moves so fast you don't develop any connection at all to anything, so when things start happening and people die it doesn't really matter at all.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm finding a lot of machismo that's unenjoyable in a lot of 40k literature. Are there any wordsmiths that write 40k books? I have yet to find a well written book that takes joy in it's prose.

It also seems that Czevak is unstoppable, even with a leg that had a pipe stuck in it 10 hours before. Somehow he still hobbles on and completes his mission. I believe it to be possible, but maybe really show how much he is suffering because of it? It's really hard to connect with characters that are all just Rambo.

[Tom Webster · Rating 4 out of 5]

really nice little short

[Taddow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Great short story! Great ending! There was so much in this that was to my liking but I cannot say what I liked because I do not want to give anything away.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dunno how I didn't see that twist coming but it's a banger.