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Legends of the Dark Millennium
Genestealer Cults
A Legends of the Dark Millennium novel
Members of a seemingly loyal cult devoted to the Emperor make a pilgrimage to the world on which their order began. But what they find there puts all they believe into question…
The galaxy is vast, and worship of the God-Emperor by His faithful takes many forms. The Spiral Dawn is one of the countless sanctioned sects of the Imperial Cult. As a gathering of Spiralytes make their holy pilgrimage to Redemption, the sect's world of origin and a shrine world of the Imperium, they find not a haven of enlightenment and introspection, but a soot-choked hellhole where their order's founders and an unorthodox regiment of Astra Militarum maintain an uneasy coexistence. As tensions between the serene congregation and the superstitious Guardsmen mount, the new arrivals begin to unravel the dark secrets concealed at the heart of their faith.
It's a typically thoughtful and bizarre tale from Peter Fehervari that exposes just how insidious and devastating Genestealer Cults can be.
Members of a seemingly loyal cult devoted to the Emperor make a pilgrimage to the world on which their order began. But what they find there puts all they believe into question…
The galaxy is vast, and worship of the God-Emperor by His faithful takes many forms. The Spiral Dawn is one of the countless sanctioned sects of the Imperial Cult. As a gathering of Spiralytes make their holy pilgrimage to Redemption, the sect's world of origin and a shrine world of the Imperium, they find not a haven of enlightenment and introspection, but a soot-choked hellhole where their order's founders and an unorthodox regiment of Astra Militarum maintain an uneasy coexistence. As tensions between the serene congregation and the superstitious Guardsmen mount, the new arrivals begin to unravel the dark secrets concealed at the heart of their faith.
It's a typically thoughtful and bizarre tale from Peter Fehervari that exposes just how insidious and devastating Genestealer Cults can be.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2016
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October 10, 2016
Review also published here
This is a difficult review to write, and probably to read. I've tried to keep things vague and abstract to not spoil the fun of the book. To put it bluntly: I'd highly recommend the novel. It is a great read with a lot of flavor and thrilling scenes. I certainly loved it and believe it is one of the best things to come out of Black Library's printers in quite some time.
Legends of the Dark Millennium: Genestealer Cults , despite its highly generic title and cover, are anything but. The hint is in the author's name: Peter Fehervari.
While this is only his second novel for Black Library, he has a host of short stories and a novella under his belt, all of which share a common theme: The Dark Coil, which, at this point, seems synonymous with Fehervari's trademark atmosphere, sense of hopelessness and spiralling descent into madness, unravelling the characters to the core.
The "grim darkness of the far future" is something that is invited with every Warhammer 40,000 story, but barely any of them nails that as well as Fehervari. When you pick up his stories, you're in for tightly-knit nets of implications, revelations, and psychological horror, rather than the all-out bolter porn a lot of 40k stories devolve into.
You're in for well-crafted characters who are on the brink of breaking, walking a knife's edge between revelation and damnation. You're also in for inhospitable worlds, whether they be the thick deathworld jungles of Phaedra, the eternal night of Sarastus, the frozen surface of Oblazt or, with Genestealer Cults, the volcanic and ash-tainted claustrophobia of Redemption. A lot of thought goes into the stages for Fehervari's stories, and they always seem to strike you with a feeling of isolation and imminent danger.
While this novel is noticeably shorter than Fire Caste, in line with Black Library's short novel policy these days, I didn't feel that it detracted from the book. I would certainly have wanted more content - why wouldn't I? - but Fehervari did very well with the space he was given, and even snuck in a lot of references and parallels to his other works - something that I've come to expect from his works. Specifically, the novel features characters from Fire Caste and his Fire and Ice novella, printed in Shas'o / The Tau Empire (get the latter in paperback, it includes the former plus an additional novella), along with multiple short stories by him. Generally you can read any of his stories on their own, but the more you get involved in his sub-mythos, the more you'll be able to take away from his works.
This is especially true with Genestealer Cults. It straight up sees characters with ambiguous fates return to the fold, while introducing a load of new angles at things he previously talked about.
The Black Flags, this story's Astra Militarum regiment, is even made up of forces from across worlds previously named, and offers a natural way to reintroduce old friends. It is made up of stragglers and remnants from other regiments across the Vassago Abyss, reshaped into a somewhat coherent force with very peculiar mental tendencies. A lot of them are broken men and women, including their Witch Captain or Colonel Talasca, who often retreats into his tower to scribble madly at his walls. Everybody has his ghosts here, defying their past, present and future.
The primary protagonist of the book, Captain Cross, is a newcomer to the Black Flags. He freshly arrives on Redemption at the start on the book, alongside an imperial cult's pilgrimage to the shrine world. He feels that all the Sacred Spiral hogwash is fishy and doesn't trust it, prompting him to accompany the pilgrims, and Ariken Skarth, who he shortly befriended during his voyage. He gets involved in matters despite his better judgement, and the coil twists and turns til he is irrecoverably drawn into the unfolding holy war on Redemption, and the machinations of higher authorities.
Ariken herself is a strong character as well. A healer by trade, she joined the Spiral Dawn pilgrimage to Redemption yet isn't as firm in her beliefs as most others. She is, in many ways, a driving force in the Black Flags' resistance, and her character develops heavily throughout. She was presented as intriguing, caring yet also increasingly ruthless as the stakes increase. Ariken, too, is drawn deeper into the spiral to the point of no return to ignorance.
But all that praise basically comes down to one thing: Peter Fehervari was the perfect choice for writing this first, defining novel about the modern incarnation of the Genestealer Cults. His skill set is focused on subterfuge, insidious plots, ambiguous characters and spiralling madness. This makes him the ideal pick for presenting the insidious nature of the Genstealers' indoctrination and the cult's inner workings. He touches on psychological aspects far more than any other author writing for the publisher, and that is exactly the close-up that this faction needed to flourish on the page. He dives right into the cult's activities while maintaining a front of ignorance on the side of the imperial troopers, up until the point of escalation.
Few things on Redemption are clear-cut. The Black Flags are made up of ambiguous figures, and from the beginning it is clear that there is more than meets the eye on the planet. While we, as the readers, are aware from the start that, hey, a Genestealer Cult is at work on the world, Talasca and co are oblivious as to what is going on. They suspect the Cult of the Spiral Dawn of treachery and danger, but the cult's fascade and stealthy indoctrination of their own troops, keeps them in the dark until it is almost too late. The initial reveals of hybrid monstrosities hit home, showing how out of their depth the loyalists are. Where they suspect the taint of Chaos, the reality of the situation is quite different.
However, the Genestealer Magi actively use the fear of the regiment to turn them on one another, and sway further soldiers to seek refuge in the Spiral. It really was nicely put together, and highlighted the psychic manipulation of the cult, and showed why these xenos infiltrators are as successful at undermining whole societies as they are.
From the first page on, up til the very last, the Genestealer infestation is showing its magic. In fact, right in the prologue we get to see the first steps in the Patriarch's evolution through the first infection on Redemption. They grow their strength and even penetrate the sanctity of the local Adepta Sororitas abbey! The whole prologue and later sections dealing with the more alien hybrids and aberrants are utterly inhuman and as close to the Tyranid psyche as you're going to get.
Honestly, this is the most difficult type of review to write for me. There are so many cool scenes and characters in here that I cannot really touch on without spoiling hugely enjoyable parts of the book. Across all of Fehervari's stories, the sense of mystery and satisfaction of discovering twists and turns and connections between stories is one of the things I cherish most, and I'd be doing any potential reader a disservice if I were to address them directly. So I have to talk in the abstract far more than I would like.
To give you a more direct example of how grim, gruesome and terrifying the Cult is depicted here, let me quote you one snippet:
Yep. That really twists your stomach, doesn't it? I know it did mine. And I loved the book for it. It doesn't try to hide the utter perversity of the infection. It hits right where it hurts, on multiple occassions. Not a single major character here is ever safe from the cult's influences and attacks. They can die in droves, just like that, without big acts of heroism or the often criticised plot armor. Fehervari was never afraid of getting his original characters fall to madness or an enemy's (or ally's) guns, and this is true here as well.
To my delight, there are various plot points left open for the future. While the plot itself is wrapped up as well as one can expect, Fehervari leaves the door open for themes and characters to feature in his future works, carrying on the Dark Coil's legacy. Thus the spiral turns again, deepening the overarching mysteries while delivering a damn fine read in its own right.
Genestealer Cults is one hell of a novel. It kept me awake at night, staying up longer than I should have, just to finish one more chapter, one more chapter. I ended up taking a few days off from reading more, just to let it simmer a little and not burn through it too quickly. After all, I waited years for Fehervari's next novel, so why cut the experience short. But even when I got back to it, I was drawn right into the thick of Redemption again, as if nothing had happened. The book does a fantastic job staying interesting and engaging all throughout, without any dull downtime, and when the cold war escalates and the Spiral Dawn reveals its true nature and purpose, things never let up again.
I'd highly recommend this novel to anyone with even a passing interest in Genestealer Cults as a faction, or anybody really who wants more out of the 40k IP than just numb bolter action flicks. I'd call Legends of the Dark Millennium: Genestealer Cults one of the best books to come out of Black Library this year - and they had a lot of pretty good stuff this time around...
This is a difficult review to write, and probably to read. I've tried to keep things vague and abstract to not spoil the fun of the book. To put it bluntly: I'd highly recommend the novel. It is a great read with a lot of flavor and thrilling scenes. I certainly loved it and believe it is one of the best things to come out of Black Library's printers in quite some time.
Legends of the Dark Millennium: Genestealer Cults , despite its highly generic title and cover, are anything but. The hint is in the author's name: Peter Fehervari.
While this is only his second novel for Black Library, he has a host of short stories and a novella under his belt, all of which share a common theme: The Dark Coil, which, at this point, seems synonymous with Fehervari's trademark atmosphere, sense of hopelessness and spiralling descent into madness, unravelling the characters to the core.
The "grim darkness of the far future" is something that is invited with every Warhammer 40,000 story, but barely any of them nails that as well as Fehervari. When you pick up his stories, you're in for tightly-knit nets of implications, revelations, and psychological horror, rather than the all-out bolter porn a lot of 40k stories devolve into.
You're in for well-crafted characters who are on the brink of breaking, walking a knife's edge between revelation and damnation. You're also in for inhospitable worlds, whether they be the thick deathworld jungles of Phaedra, the eternal night of Sarastus, the frozen surface of Oblazt or, with Genestealer Cults, the volcanic and ash-tainted claustrophobia of Redemption. A lot of thought goes into the stages for Fehervari's stories, and they always seem to strike you with a feeling of isolation and imminent danger.
While this novel is noticeably shorter than Fire Caste, in line with Black Library's short novel policy these days, I didn't feel that it detracted from the book. I would certainly have wanted more content - why wouldn't I? - but Fehervari did very well with the space he was given, and even snuck in a lot of references and parallels to his other works - something that I've come to expect from his works. Specifically, the novel features characters from Fire Caste and his Fire and Ice novella, printed in Shas'o / The Tau Empire (get the latter in paperback, it includes the former plus an additional novella), along with multiple short stories by him. Generally you can read any of his stories on their own, but the more you get involved in his sub-mythos, the more you'll be able to take away from his works.
This is especially true with Genestealer Cults. It straight up sees characters with ambiguous fates return to the fold, while introducing a load of new angles at things he previously talked about.
The Black Flags, this story's Astra Militarum regiment, is even made up of forces from across worlds previously named, and offers a natural way to reintroduce old friends. It is made up of stragglers and remnants from other regiments across the Vassago Abyss, reshaped into a somewhat coherent force with very peculiar mental tendencies. A lot of them are broken men and women, including their Witch Captain or Colonel Talasca, who often retreats into his tower to scribble madly at his walls. Everybody has his ghosts here, defying their past, present and future.
The primary protagonist of the book, Captain Cross, is a newcomer to the Black Flags. He freshly arrives on Redemption at the start on the book, alongside an imperial cult's pilgrimage to the shrine world. He feels that all the Sacred Spiral hogwash is fishy and doesn't trust it, prompting him to accompany the pilgrims, and Ariken Skarth, who he shortly befriended during his voyage. He gets involved in matters despite his better judgement, and the coil twists and turns til he is irrecoverably drawn into the unfolding holy war on Redemption, and the machinations of higher authorities.
Ariken herself is a strong character as well. A healer by trade, she joined the Spiral Dawn pilgrimage to Redemption yet isn't as firm in her beliefs as most others. She is, in many ways, a driving force in the Black Flags' resistance, and her character develops heavily throughout. She was presented as intriguing, caring yet also increasingly ruthless as the stakes increase. Ariken, too, is drawn deeper into the spiral to the point of no return to ignorance.
But all that praise basically comes down to one thing: Peter Fehervari was the perfect choice for writing this first, defining novel about the modern incarnation of the Genestealer Cults. His skill set is focused on subterfuge, insidious plots, ambiguous characters and spiralling madness. This makes him the ideal pick for presenting the insidious nature of the Genstealers' indoctrination and the cult's inner workings. He touches on psychological aspects far more than any other author writing for the publisher, and that is exactly the close-up that this faction needed to flourish on the page. He dives right into the cult's activities while maintaining a front of ignorance on the side of the imperial troopers, up until the point of escalation.
Few things on Redemption are clear-cut. The Black Flags are made up of ambiguous figures, and from the beginning it is clear that there is more than meets the eye on the planet. While we, as the readers, are aware from the start that, hey, a Genestealer Cult is at work on the world, Talasca and co are oblivious as to what is going on. They suspect the Cult of the Spiral Dawn of treachery and danger, but the cult's fascade and stealthy indoctrination of their own troops, keeps them in the dark until it is almost too late. The initial reveals of hybrid monstrosities hit home, showing how out of their depth the loyalists are. Where they suspect the taint of Chaos, the reality of the situation is quite different.
However, the Genestealer Magi actively use the fear of the regiment to turn them on one another, and sway further soldiers to seek refuge in the Spiral. It really was nicely put together, and highlighted the psychic manipulation of the cult, and showed why these xenos infiltrators are as successful at undermining whole societies as they are.
From the first page on, up til the very last, the Genestealer infestation is showing its magic. In fact, right in the prologue we get to see the first steps in the Patriarch's evolution through the first infection on Redemption. They grow their strength and even penetrate the sanctity of the local Adepta Sororitas abbey! The whole prologue and later sections dealing with the more alien hybrids and aberrants are utterly inhuman and as close to the Tyranid psyche as you're going to get.
Honestly, this is the most difficult type of review to write for me. There are so many cool scenes and characters in here that I cannot really touch on without spoiling hugely enjoyable parts of the book. Across all of Fehervari's stories, the sense of mystery and satisfaction of discovering twists and turns and connections between stories is one of the things I cherish most, and I'd be doing any potential reader a disservice if I were to address them directly. So I have to talk in the abstract far more than I would like.
To give you a more direct example of how grim, gruesome and terrifying the Cult is depicted here, let me quote you one snippet:
[character a] sighed. ‘The last time I saw [character b] she was two months pregnant, though it looked closer to six. Their spawn grow fast.’ He shook his head. ‘She was overjoyed because she’d been honoured by the cult Iconward.’
Yep. That really twists your stomach, doesn't it? I know it did mine. And I loved the book for it. It doesn't try to hide the utter perversity of the infection. It hits right where it hurts, on multiple occassions. Not a single major character here is ever safe from the cult's influences and attacks. They can die in droves, just like that, without big acts of heroism or the often criticised plot armor. Fehervari was never afraid of getting his original characters fall to madness or an enemy's (or ally's) guns, and this is true here as well.
To my delight, there are various plot points left open for the future. While the plot itself is wrapped up as well as one can expect, Fehervari leaves the door open for themes and characters to feature in his future works, carrying on the Dark Coil's legacy. Thus the spiral turns again, deepening the overarching mysteries while delivering a damn fine read in its own right.
Genestealer Cults is one hell of a novel. It kept me awake at night, staying up longer than I should have, just to finish one more chapter, one more chapter. I ended up taking a few days off from reading more, just to let it simmer a little and not burn through it too quickly. After all, I waited years for Fehervari's next novel, so why cut the experience short. But even when I got back to it, I was drawn right into the thick of Redemption again, as if nothing had happened. The book does a fantastic job staying interesting and engaging all throughout, without any dull downtime, and when the cold war escalates and the Spiral Dawn reveals its true nature and purpose, things never let up again.
I'd highly recommend this novel to anyone with even a passing interest in Genestealer Cults as a faction, or anybody really who wants more out of the 40k IP than just numb bolter action flicks. I'd call Legends of the Dark Millennium: Genestealer Cults one of the best books to come out of Black Library this year - and they had a lot of pretty good stuff this time around...
October 5, 2016
"Members of the Spiral Dawn, a religious sect officially sanctioned by the Imperium, are embarking on a journey to the homeworld of the "Spiral Father". For them it is a sort of "pilgrimage to Mecca". This group of hopefuls is cobbled together from members of all walks of life; from young civilians to former hive gangers and ex-PDF members. All share the common goal of returning to the Spiral Father for the "Unfolding". And so, donned in white robes and various spiral dedications, they are on their way.
It is, of course, no spoiler to state that they have no idea what special kind of hell awaits them on Redemption. We learn from an explosive prologue that there is an evil presence that took hold of Redemption around a century earlier. It was a force so strong that it was able to overthrow the former stewards of the world, the stalwart Sisters of Battle (even going so far as to successfully mentally convince one to betray her order, a task which in theory should be impossible). A force of creatures; daemonic in appearance but matching no priorly catalogued xenos, slaughters the Sisters.
Present day Redemption is a dark and abysmal world. The entire atmosphere is a soot-choked landscape. The only industry of any tangible value is its promethium harvesting. All industry, livelihood, etc. is centralized in an area called the Koronatus Ring. This is a circular landscape, surrounded by six immense spires (one being the former Sororitas abbey), with a plateau of sorts in the middle known as The Slab. At one point is the only location resembling a "city" any sort: Hope City, where pale, bald workers known as "grubs" slave in the promethium harvesting sector. At the other end is a base known as "The Locker", home of the current guardians of Redemption - the Vassago Black Flags.
The Black Flags are a prime example of another Fehervari construct - the unconventional Imperial Guard unit. For this group, he created a sector known as the Vassago Abyss, wherein one finds the Sunken Worlds. Several of these worlds were mentioned in prior works like Fire Caste, and they include Lethe and Verzante. The Black Flags are a remnant force left to garrison Redemption; survivors of a betrayal on the planet Oblazt (Fire and Ice), and drawing troops from across the Sunken Worlds (as well as taking a tithe from all new arrivals). They are a weary, paranoid group; scarred by the betrayal and consigned to a soot stained world where odd shadows dance on the periphery. Their leadership is unconventional as well - they are led by a reclusive, "holy crusader" colonel, a dying preacher, a pale eyed, enigmatic commissar, and a brutally pragmatic captain.
It is unto this unforgiving world that the worshipers of the Spiral Dawn are delivered; along with a new member of their group - a living ghost who goes by the name of Cross (I won't spoil who this revenant actually is, as it is revealed early on, but the name of the ship he is found on - the Iron Calliope - is a good clue).
What transpires from that point is a tale told in true Fehervari fashion - as the true motives of all the parties in play are revealed, or at least hinted at, tensions and agendas boil to a bursting point.
And so, to avoid any spoilers, let's take a look at the elements of the tale, one by one.
Setting: Oh man, this is great. Tone, imagery, detail. These are all elements that Fehervari excels at, and his usage here bolsters the tale. Again, it's no secret that there is a genestealer cult infestation on Redemption - it's right there in the title. So, what PF does is immerse the reader entirely in this dark, dismal world. The pervading gloominess of this world saps away at the reader emotionally (at least it did to me), leaving you feeling as mentally weary as the Black Flags stationed there. Then, he employs some elements of horror - creatures scuttling and slithering around just out of eyesight; and inherent wrongness of the human yet somewhat inhuman denizens of Hope City (sort of Innsmouth 40K). There is also an otherworldly siren call echoing in the heads of certain Black Flags, tempting and taunting them with promises of truth, hope, and change, and all such lies.
With the framework laid out like this, it is still a refreshing surprise when the things we knew would come actually arrive.
As for imagery, this is PF's specialty. His tone is reinforced by stark imagery, and is enhanced with references to his other tales. The Koronatus Ring itself is a literal Crown of Thorns (and was once home to a garrison of Angels Resplendent). In fact, iconography of the tormented Emperor runs throughout, as do the incessant corkscrewing icons of the Spiral Dawn.
The Slab itself presents itself as a sort of game board for the proceedings - at first, for the tenuous peace between the Black Flags and the upper hierarchy of the Spiral Dawn, a sort of chess match of wills. Later, it serves as an outright game board for an outstanding climax.
Characters: In many ways, Genestealer Cults is two books play out in a helix formation; advancing their own plotlines and occasionally intersecting. On one hand, you have the events that transpire for Cross, as he brings his more than jaded worldview into dissecting the goings on. When the focus is on him, we can see more of the machinations of those who have a hand in what is transpiring, and who are watching from afar (I really don't want to go into details; but a lot of dots will be connected for readers of PF's previous works).
Then, we have our players in the more linear Black Flags vs. Cultists dynamic. To be honest, the characters who receive the most development on the Imperial side are the enigmatic captain Omazet, and her pilgrim turned protege, Ariken.
Ariken is a fantastic character. She is a character possessing inner strength from the very beginning, and she finds her mental strength tempered by the fires of life on Redemption. If one were to strip away all the extraneous elements featuring Cross and the powers that be, and just leave this a straight up Guard vs. Genestealers novel, she could've carried the weight of strong protagonist on her small shoulders.
Other than that, most of the other Guardsmen/women are relegated to secondary roles. This includes the higher ranking Black Flag officers. In a perfect world, I'd would've loved more background on the mysterious Colonel Talasca (then again, he is mysterious by intent, so...), as well as more scenes of how the friendship between Cross and Lazaro developed. There are a few recurring characters that we root for, especially troopers Grijalva and Jei. And, of course, we all would love an account of Cross' journeys from Phaedra up until now, but that is a story that could (and should) fill its own book.
Genestealers: Well, this is what it really comes down to, isn't it? The minis are out, and this is the first tie-in novel, so how did Fehervari do with bringing them to life?
I love the way the Genestealers are portrayed here. Again, I knew very little of their lore before this, so, it wasn't going to be an easy sell. Then again, I think I've mentioned before that I was no fan of the Tau at all until I read PF's portrayal of them.
Fehervari has a skill for analyzing whichever faction he is writing about, and truly delving deep into what makes them what they are. This is a rare talent which leads greatly to portrayals that resonate with legitimacy and authenticity.
So, he does not simply line his cultists up, describe their appearance, and have the battle commence. He makes the cult of the Spiral Dawn into a sympathetic religion; for whom the impetus of their actions is the propagation of their belief (although at that point they might be unaware that the method of propagation involves turning new believers into creatures like themselves). Also, their acts of violence are not necessarily predicated upon a natural inclination towards violence, but what they perceive to be a reciprocal response to heretical non-believers who would do them harm.
Being a Genestealer neophyte, I had some trouble remember who the different levels and paradigms were. But the descriptions of the cultists and creatures was phenomenal. The more "monstrous" in appearance (purestrains, etc.) were absolutely lethal and terrifying, while those more "human" in appearance had the aforementioned odd balance of normal/abnormal to them (including one freakish trait of retaining a certain resemblance to the original host infected on Redemption over a century ago).
And, along with a realistic portrayal of them, PF also does his duty in incorporating all the current unit types into the novel. Go ahead and look back at the minis on the GW page; you'll see that they are all in here: even the bulky battle trucks and the modified Sentinels.
Action: One can go on and on about the depths, twists, and turns in Fehervari's storytelling, but let's be honest: he does great, straight up action scenes. His fight choreography is brutal and balletic; there are grievous wounds and horrendous deaths. When the fighting zooms in to focus on certain characters/events, Fehervari employs a movie director's eye to render scenes that come to life.
Plus, this is yet another PF book to feature blistering Sentinel action.
Wordplay: Ah, yes. A great deal of the enjoyment in reading one of Fehervari's works is trying to catch riddles, puzzle pieces, and Easter Eggs in names and other word cues. Genestealer Cults is no exception. My suggestion is to keep Google handy and start searching each new name as it comes up. A few of my favorites here include the naming of a Tempestus Scion after Robert Aickman, another author know for narrative magic tricks, "strange stories", and in general twisting readers' brains into knots. The usage of wine-dark as an adjective is another nod to Aickman as well.
Certain words peppered throughout reference others stories as well; a personal favorite being the usage of "puissance", a mention to that dread battleship from Fire Caste (the fate of which I would love to learn).
But, best of all was the laugh out loud moment that arose from naming a certain ship "Obariyon". Great job.
All in all, I think it is fairly obvious that this short novel contains well rendered Guard and Genestealer characters, a complete tale, as well as substantial progression on other story arcs weaving their ways through the book, and riveting action scenes. Plus, stark imagery and a meticulously crafted world enhance the readers' feeling of personal investment. As always, can't wait to see more from Fehervari in the future."
You can read my full review of this, Peter Fehervari's excellent second novel, here:
http://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/20...
It is, of course, no spoiler to state that they have no idea what special kind of hell awaits them on Redemption. We learn from an explosive prologue that there is an evil presence that took hold of Redemption around a century earlier. It was a force so strong that it was able to overthrow the former stewards of the world, the stalwart Sisters of Battle (even going so far as to successfully mentally convince one to betray her order, a task which in theory should be impossible). A force of creatures; daemonic in appearance but matching no priorly catalogued xenos, slaughters the Sisters.
Present day Redemption is a dark and abysmal world. The entire atmosphere is a soot-choked landscape. The only industry of any tangible value is its promethium harvesting. All industry, livelihood, etc. is centralized in an area called the Koronatus Ring. This is a circular landscape, surrounded by six immense spires (one being the former Sororitas abbey), with a plateau of sorts in the middle known as The Slab. At one point is the only location resembling a "city" any sort: Hope City, where pale, bald workers known as "grubs" slave in the promethium harvesting sector. At the other end is a base known as "The Locker", home of the current guardians of Redemption - the Vassago Black Flags.
The Black Flags are a prime example of another Fehervari construct - the unconventional Imperial Guard unit. For this group, he created a sector known as the Vassago Abyss, wherein one finds the Sunken Worlds. Several of these worlds were mentioned in prior works like Fire Caste, and they include Lethe and Verzante. The Black Flags are a remnant force left to garrison Redemption; survivors of a betrayal on the planet Oblazt (Fire and Ice), and drawing troops from across the Sunken Worlds (as well as taking a tithe from all new arrivals). They are a weary, paranoid group; scarred by the betrayal and consigned to a soot stained world where odd shadows dance on the periphery. Their leadership is unconventional as well - they are led by a reclusive, "holy crusader" colonel, a dying preacher, a pale eyed, enigmatic commissar, and a brutally pragmatic captain.
It is unto this unforgiving world that the worshipers of the Spiral Dawn are delivered; along with a new member of their group - a living ghost who goes by the name of Cross (I won't spoil who this revenant actually is, as it is revealed early on, but the name of the ship he is found on - the Iron Calliope - is a good clue).
What transpires from that point is a tale told in true Fehervari fashion - as the true motives of all the parties in play are revealed, or at least hinted at, tensions and agendas boil to a bursting point.
And so, to avoid any spoilers, let's take a look at the elements of the tale, one by one.
Setting: Oh man, this is great. Tone, imagery, detail. These are all elements that Fehervari excels at, and his usage here bolsters the tale. Again, it's no secret that there is a genestealer cult infestation on Redemption - it's right there in the title. So, what PF does is immerse the reader entirely in this dark, dismal world. The pervading gloominess of this world saps away at the reader emotionally (at least it did to me), leaving you feeling as mentally weary as the Black Flags stationed there. Then, he employs some elements of horror - creatures scuttling and slithering around just out of eyesight; and inherent wrongness of the human yet somewhat inhuman denizens of Hope City (sort of Innsmouth 40K). There is also an otherworldly siren call echoing in the heads of certain Black Flags, tempting and taunting them with promises of truth, hope, and change, and all such lies.
With the framework laid out like this, it is still a refreshing surprise when the things we knew would come actually arrive.
As for imagery, this is PF's specialty. His tone is reinforced by stark imagery, and is enhanced with references to his other tales. The Koronatus Ring itself is a literal Crown of Thorns (and was once home to a garrison of Angels Resplendent). In fact, iconography of the tormented Emperor runs throughout, as do the incessant corkscrewing icons of the Spiral Dawn.
The Slab itself presents itself as a sort of game board for the proceedings - at first, for the tenuous peace between the Black Flags and the upper hierarchy of the Spiral Dawn, a sort of chess match of wills. Later, it serves as an outright game board for an outstanding climax.
Characters: In many ways, Genestealer Cults is two books play out in a helix formation; advancing their own plotlines and occasionally intersecting. On one hand, you have the events that transpire for Cross, as he brings his more than jaded worldview into dissecting the goings on. When the focus is on him, we can see more of the machinations of those who have a hand in what is transpiring, and who are watching from afar (I really don't want to go into details; but a lot of dots will be connected for readers of PF's previous works).
Then, we have our players in the more linear Black Flags vs. Cultists dynamic. To be honest, the characters who receive the most development on the Imperial side are the enigmatic captain Omazet, and her pilgrim turned protege, Ariken.
Ariken is a fantastic character. She is a character possessing inner strength from the very beginning, and she finds her mental strength tempered by the fires of life on Redemption. If one were to strip away all the extraneous elements featuring Cross and the powers that be, and just leave this a straight up Guard vs. Genestealers novel, she could've carried the weight of strong protagonist on her small shoulders.
Other than that, most of the other Guardsmen/women are relegated to secondary roles. This includes the higher ranking Black Flag officers. In a perfect world, I'd would've loved more background on the mysterious Colonel Talasca (then again, he is mysterious by intent, so...), as well as more scenes of how the friendship between Cross and Lazaro developed. There are a few recurring characters that we root for, especially troopers Grijalva and Jei. And, of course, we all would love an account of Cross' journeys from Phaedra up until now, but that is a story that could (and should) fill its own book.
Genestealers: Well, this is what it really comes down to, isn't it? The minis are out, and this is the first tie-in novel, so how did Fehervari do with bringing them to life?
I love the way the Genestealers are portrayed here. Again, I knew very little of their lore before this, so, it wasn't going to be an easy sell. Then again, I think I've mentioned before that I was no fan of the Tau at all until I read PF's portrayal of them.
Fehervari has a skill for analyzing whichever faction he is writing about, and truly delving deep into what makes them what they are. This is a rare talent which leads greatly to portrayals that resonate with legitimacy and authenticity.
So, he does not simply line his cultists up, describe their appearance, and have the battle commence. He makes the cult of the Spiral Dawn into a sympathetic religion; for whom the impetus of their actions is the propagation of their belief (although at that point they might be unaware that the method of propagation involves turning new believers into creatures like themselves). Also, their acts of violence are not necessarily predicated upon a natural inclination towards violence, but what they perceive to be a reciprocal response to heretical non-believers who would do them harm.
Being a Genestealer neophyte, I had some trouble remember who the different levels and paradigms were. But the descriptions of the cultists and creatures was phenomenal. The more "monstrous" in appearance (purestrains, etc.) were absolutely lethal and terrifying, while those more "human" in appearance had the aforementioned odd balance of normal/abnormal to them (including one freakish trait of retaining a certain resemblance to the original host infected on Redemption over a century ago).
And, along with a realistic portrayal of them, PF also does his duty in incorporating all the current unit types into the novel. Go ahead and look back at the minis on the GW page; you'll see that they are all in here: even the bulky battle trucks and the modified Sentinels.
Action: One can go on and on about the depths, twists, and turns in Fehervari's storytelling, but let's be honest: he does great, straight up action scenes. His fight choreography is brutal and balletic; there are grievous wounds and horrendous deaths. When the fighting zooms in to focus on certain characters/events, Fehervari employs a movie director's eye to render scenes that come to life.
Plus, this is yet another PF book to feature blistering Sentinel action.
Wordplay: Ah, yes. A great deal of the enjoyment in reading one of Fehervari's works is trying to catch riddles, puzzle pieces, and Easter Eggs in names and other word cues. Genestealer Cults is no exception. My suggestion is to keep Google handy and start searching each new name as it comes up. A few of my favorites here include the naming of a Tempestus Scion after Robert Aickman, another author know for narrative magic tricks, "strange stories", and in general twisting readers' brains into knots. The usage of wine-dark as an adjective is another nod to Aickman as well.
Certain words peppered throughout reference others stories as well; a personal favorite being the usage of "puissance", a mention to that dread battleship from Fire Caste (the fate of which I would love to learn).
But, best of all was the laugh out loud moment that arose from naming a certain ship "Obariyon". Great job.
All in all, I think it is fairly obvious that this short novel contains well rendered Guard and Genestealer characters, a complete tale, as well as substantial progression on other story arcs weaving their ways through the book, and riveting action scenes. Plus, stark imagery and a meticulously crafted world enhance the readers' feeling of personal investment. As always, can't wait to see more from Fehervari in the future."
You can read my full review of this, Peter Fehervari's excellent second novel, here:
http://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/20...
April 3, 2018
It's so good to see Fehervari's second novel, Genestealer Cults, get a wider release via this paperback. Keep in mind that the title of the story itself has been changed to Cult of the Spiral Dawn. Also in this edition, you get the print version of the excellent short story "Cast a Hungry Shadow", which has the same dark, evocative tone, as well as some intense chase scenes.
Here, I'll be cobbling together my previously released reviews for these two titles. Do yourself a favor and grab your copy today!!!
Cult of the Spiral Dawn (Formerly Genestealer Cults):
Few things fill me with a true sense of unbridled excitement at this point. One of them, of course, is a new release by a favorite author. So, imagine my elation when I saw that the tie-in book to Games Workshop's new Genestealer Cult miniature line was not only written by personal BL favorite author Peter Fehervari, but that this also marked his second full-length novel. The questions began to run rampant - what would his unique take on the Genestealers be? Which characters from previous works would find their way into this story? Would this story contain narrative elements that intertwine with the bizarre, twisted tapestry that Fehervari has woven over his past novel, novella, and short stories?
Members of the Spiral Dawn, a religious sect officially sanctioned by the Imperium, are embarking on a journey to the homeworld of the "Spiral Father". For them it is a sort of "pilgrimage to Mecca". This group of hopefuls is cobbled together from members of all walks of life; from young civilians to former hive gangers and ex-PDF members. All share the common goal of returning to the Spiral Father for the "Unfolding". And so, donned in white robes and various spiral dedications, they are on their way.
It is, of course, no spoiler to state that they have no idea what special kind of hell awaits them on Redemption. We learn from an explosive prologue that there is an evil presence that took hold of Redemption around a century earlier. It was a force so strong that it was able to overthrow the former stewards of the world, the stalwart Sisters of Battle (even going so far as to successfully mentally convince one to betray her order, a task which in theory should be impossible). A force of creatures; daemonic in appearance but matching no priorly catalogued xenos, slaughters the Sisters.
Present day Redemption is a dark and abysmal world. The entire atmosphere is a soot-choked landscape. The only industry of any tangible value is its promethium harvesting. All industry, livelihood, etc. is centralized in an area called the Koronatus Ring. This is a circular landscape, surrounded by seven immense spires (one being the former Sororitas abbey), with a plateau of sorts in the middle known as The Slab. At one point is the only location resembling a "city" any sort: Hope City, where pale, bald workers known as "grubs" slave in the promethium harvesting sector. At the other end is a base known as "The Locker", home of the current guardians of Redemption - the Vassago Black Flags.
The Black Flags are a prime example of another Fehervari construct - the unconventional Imperial Guard unit. For this group, he created a sector known as the Vassago Abyss, wherein one finds the Sunken Worlds. Several of these worlds were mentioned in prior works like Fire Caste, and they include Lethe and Verzante. The Black Flags are a remnant force left to garrison Redemption; survivors of a betrayal on the planet Oblazt (Fire and Ice), and drawing troops from across the Sunken Worlds (as well as taking a tithe from all new arrivals). They are a weary, paranoid group; scarred by the betrayal and consigned to a soot stained world where odd shadows dance on the periphery. Their leadership is unconventional as well - they are led by a reclusive, "holy crusader" colonel, a dying preacher, a pale eyed, enigmatic commissar, and a brutally pragmatic captain.
It is unto this unforgiving world that the worshipers of the Spiral Dawn are delivered; along with a new member of their group - a living ghost who goes by the name of Cross (I won't spoil who this revenant actually is, as it is revealed early on, but the name of the ship he is found on - the Iron Calliope - is a good clue).
What transpires from that point is a tale told in true Fehervari fashion - as the true motives of all the parties in play are revealed, or at least hinted at, tensions and agendas boil to a bursting point.
And so, to avoid any spoilers, let's take a look at the elements of the tale, one by one.
Setting: Oh man, this is great. Tone, imagery, detail. These are all elements that Fehervari excels at, and his usage here bolsters the tale. Again, it's no secret that there is a genestealer cult infestation on Redemption - it's right there in the title. So, what PF does is immerse the reader entirely in this dark, dismal world. The pervading gloominess of this world saps away at the reader emotionally (at least it did to me), leaving you feeling as mentally weary as the Black Flags stationed there. Then, he employs some elements of horror - creatures scuttling and slithering around just out of eyesight; and inherent wrongness of the human yet somewhat inhuman denizens of Hope City (sort of Innsmouth 40K). There is also an otherworldly siren call echoing in the heads of certain Black Flags, tempting and taunting them with promises of truth, hope, and change, and all such lies.
With the framework laid out like this, it is still a refreshing surprise when the things we knew would come actually arrive.
As for imagery, this is PF's specialty. His tone is reinforced by stark imagery, and is enhanced with references to his other tales. The Koronatus Ring itself is a literal Crown of Thorns (and was once home to a garrison of Angels Resplendent). The fact that there are seven spires is significant. Te number seven has been a running motif in Fehervari's works, tying in with the Arkan's belief of seven stars and seven hells. And, as we all know, spires have featured in PF's works since his first BL outing, Nightfall. In fact, iconography of the tormented Emperor runs throughout, as do the incessant corkscrewing icons of the Spiral Dawn.
The Slab itself presents itself as a sort of game board for the proceedings - at first, for the tenuous peace between the Black Flags and the upper hierarchy of the Spiral Dawn, a sort of chess match of wills. Later, it serves as an outright game board for an outstanding climax.
Characters: In many ways, Genestealer Cults is two books play out in a helix formation; advancing their own plotlines and occasionally intersecting. On one hand, you have the events that transpire for Cross, as he brings his more than jaded worldview into dissecting the goings on. When the focus is on him, we can see more of the machinations of those who have a hand in what is transpiring, and who are watching from afar (I really don't want to go into details; but a lot of dots will be connected for readers of PF's previous works).
Then, we have our players in the more linear Black Flags vs. Cultists dynamic. To be honest, the characters who receive the most development on the Imperial side are the enigmatic captain Omazet, and her pilgrim turned protege, Ariken.
Ariken is a fantastic character. She is a character possessing inner strength from the very beginning, and she finds her mental strength tempered by the fires of life on Redemption. If one were to strip away all the extraneous elements featuring Cross and the powers that be, and just leave this a straight up Guard vs. Genestealers novel, she could've carried the weight of strong protagonist on her small shoulders.
Other than that, most of the other Guardsmen/women are relegated to secondary roles. This includes the higher ranking Black Flag officers. In a perfect world, I'd would've loved more background on the mysterious Colonel Talasca (then again, he is mysterious by intent, so...), as well as more scenes of how the friendship between Cross and Lazaro developed. There are a few recurring characters that we root for, especially troopers Grijalva and Jei. And, of course, we all would love an account of Cross' journeys from Phaedra up until now, but that is a story that could (and should) fill its own book.
Genestealers: Well, this is what it really comes down to, isn't it? The minis are out, and this is the first tie-in novel, so how did Fehervari do with bringing them to life?
I love the way the Genestealers are portrayed here. Again, I knew very little of their lore before this, so, it wasn't going to be an easy sell. Then again, I think I've mentioned before that I was no fan of the Tau at all until I read PF's portrayal of them.
Fehervari has a skill for analyzing whichever faction he is writing about, and truly delving deep into what makes them what they are. This is a rare talent which leads greatly to portrayals that resonate with legitimacy and authenticity.
So, he does not simply line his cultists up, describe their appearance, and have the battle commence. He makes the cult of the Spiral Dawn into a sympathetic religion; for whom the impetus of their actions is the propagation of their belief (although at that point they might be unaware that the method of propagation involves turning new believers into creatures like themselves). Also, their acts of violence are not necessarily predicated upon a natural inclination towards violence, but what they perceive to be a reciprocal response to heretical non-believers who would do them harm.
Being a Genestealer neophyte, I had some trouble remember who the different levels and paradigms were. But the descriptions of the cultists and creatures was phenomenal. The more "monstrous" in appearance (purestrains, etc.) were absolutely lethal and terrifying, while those more "human" in appearance had the aforementioned odd balance of normal/abnormal to them (including one freakish trait of retaining a certain resemblance to the original host infected on Redemption over a century ago).
And, along with a realistic portrayal of them, PF also does his duty in incorporating all the current unit types into the novel. Go ahead and look back at the minis on the GW page; you'll see that they are all in here: even the bulky battle trucks and the modified Sentinels.
Action: One can go on and on about the depths, twists, and turns in Fehervari's storytelling, but let's be honest: he does great, straight up action scenes. His fight choreography is brutal and balletic; there are grievous wounds and horrendous deaths. When the fighting zooms in to focus on certain characters/events, Fehervari employs a movie director's eye to render scenes that come to life.
Plus, this is yet another PF book to feature blistering Sentinel action.
Wordplay: Ah, yes. A great deal of the enjoyment in reading one of Fehervari's works is trying to catch riddles, puzzle pieces, and Easter Eggs in names and other word cues. Genestealer Cults is no exception. My suggestion is to keep Google handy and start searching each new name as it comes up. A few of my favorites here include the naming of a Tempestus Scion after Robert Aickman, another author know for narrative magic tricks, "strange stories", and in general twisting readers' brains into knots. The usage of wine-dark as an adjective is another nod to Aickman as well.
Certain words peppered throughout reference others stories as well; a personal favorite being the usage of "puissance", a mention to that dread battleship from Fire Caste (the fate of which I would love to learn).
But, best of all was the laugh out loud moment that arose from naming a certain ship "Obariyon". Great job.
All in all, I think it is fairly obvious that this short novel contains well rendered Guard and Genestealer characters, a complete tale, as well as substantial progression on other story arcs weaving their ways through the book, and riveting action scenes. Plus, stark imagery and a meticulously crafted world enhance the readers' feeling of personal investment. As always, can't wait to see more from Fehervari in the future.
Personal thoughts/observations: Pardon me in advance, since a lot of this might come off as some harsh criticism of the Black Library.
First, I want to stress again how great it is to finally get a second novel from Peter Fehervari. And, it's a great one. This book does not disappoint by any means. But then, you ask yourself, why is it so short? Genestealer Cults does not leave any (unintentional) loose ends, but you can tell that it is a story that is begging for another 50 or 100 pages to stretch its legs a bit more. I wonder why the tight page count was put into effect.
Now, speaking of the title, why the beyond generic title of Genestealer Cults? I was in a Facebook discussion regarding this, and one person mentioned that most of the Legends of the Dark Millennium books get these generic, specific titles. Ok, fine (I don't understand why). So how about the faction type, and then the actual title? Like WH40K LotDM Genestealer Cults: Actual Freaking Book Title. It's just that Fehervari puts a lot of work and thought into his word choices within the novel; so I'm sure he will do the same with the book title. How many more "Fire Caste", "Vanguard", and now "Genestealer Cults" will we get before they trust this man's authorial skills?
Rant over. Hopefully my review of the companion short, "Cast a Hungry Shadow" will be up in the next few days.
Oh, one last thing actually. I cannot stress enough how epic the prologue, featuring the Sisters of Battle, was. So, again, Black Library, please give the Sisters the treatment they deserve. GW, give them a Codex and some badass minis. And BL, get some SoB books churning out. And let Fehervari do one. In just a few pages, he gave a great depiction of them.
EDIT 10/10/16: Just wanted to add something that should have been in the original review. Usually I make the statement as to whether or not prior familiarity with the author's work is necessary to enjoy the book. Genestealer Cults is still an accessible book, on the genestealer side, if this is your first Fehervari outing. I'd strongly recommend reading Fire Caste first, primarily so you can appreciate the appearance of Cross, and begin to postulate what his journey from Phaedra was like, but also because everyone should read Fire Caste because it is just that good. If any story is to be deemed absolutely necessary reading prior to Genestealer Cults, I'd say it is the Fire & Ice novella, available here. With the foundations set in that excellent story, you can better appreciate the advancements in the Calavera storyline.
Cast A Hungry Shadow:
Back in September there was much rejoicing as we were graced with not only a full-length novel (albeit on the short side) from personal favorite Peter Fehervari based upon the newly released Genestealer Cults Codex, but we also got a tie-in short story as well.
The events chronicled in the cryptically named Cast a Hungry Shadow transpire between the explosive prologue of Genestealer Cults (during which the former stewards of the soot-ridden hellhole of Redemption, the Sisters of Battle, met their demise), and the rest of the novel, that brilliant chess match between the adherents of the Spiral Dawn and the Guard members of the Vassago Black Flags.
However, instead of the cultists vs. the Guard, what we have in Shadow is a different kind of gang war; one between the Spiral Dawn cultists (furthering their foothold on the planet), and members of an entirely different cult: the Chaos worshipers of the Scorched Creed. The devotees of the Scorched Creed abide by the calling of the teeming currents of Chaos which roil madly below the spires of Redemption, maintaining its liquidity; maintaining its....lie. Is the planet Redemption a lie? Or is redemption simply a lie? Both?
The cultists of the Scorched Creed are led by a fearsome brute named Gharth; a giant, hulking Chaos puritan who lost his eyes and gained true sight. On the side of the Spiral Dawn stands Aziah, a Chosen Claw, bodyguard of the Spiral Father, and trusted son of the glorious Saint Etelka, better known as the Sororita who betrayed her kin. What brings these two factions on a (literal) collision course is a presence of power so potent, so attractive...so useful, that it simply cannot be ignored.
Said source of power is a female psyker; one of such latent potency that it boggles the mind. It is also an amount strong enough to tip the scales of dominance in favor of the faction which retains her first; making it no shock that Gharth and Aziah a jockeying so voraciously to earn her favor.
From that framework, Fehervari delivers what may be his darkest story yet, with some of the most brutal action I've witnessed anywhere in the 40K universe. While it doesn't have as many links and Easter Eggs tied to other "Dark Coil" tales, what it does showcase is PF's immense creative ability in crafting unique characters and factions.
We already saw in Genestealer Cults the legitimacy and authenticity with which this new take on an old faction was presented (which reminds me; I'd recommend that one reads GC before Cast a Hungry Shadow). Aziah makes a fine, sympathetic protagonist here; especially this being a story bereft of "normal" humans for us to root for. He is a devout, true believer, but also prone to rage and fury issues.
But the real show-stealers here are the members of the Scorched Creed. Lifelong slaves to the slab-mines of Redemption, they find purpose and gifts of the flesh through their abominable creed. And yet, as Fehervari demonstrated in the belief system presented in GC, there is a seeming logic, dare I say a validity, to their belief? Gharth, the Blind Pilgrim himself, is so set in his way that until he was named and given a specific background I could have sworn that the burning shell of Audie Joyce had seeped through the Dark Coil from Phaedra to Redemption. Maybe he did....remember, everything is a lie. The psyker, the "Teller", sure reminds me of someone seen in a previous work. There's no telling for sure.
What really excited me in this story was the physical descriptions of the Scorched Creed. For the older readers, remember back in the 80's when people loved attaching the descriptor "from Hell" at the end of anything inherently evil? Well, the Creed is literally a "Biker Gang From Hell". They are haphazard amalgamations of black plating, razorwire, sharp edges, anger, and fury, all astride demonic motorcycles.
When you go back, and think about the things that first excited you about Warhammer and 40K, it was the torchlight to unleash images like this from your imagination that probably first drew you in. And that's what makes this story so fresh, and makes it leave such an impression. When you give an author like Fehervari free reign to create, these are the types of memorable figures you are left with. After you read the climactic battle, go back and reread it, and truly study the choreography of it all. This is some of the best action out there.
And yet, it is not all action and badass characters in Cast a Hungry Shadow. All the other hallmarks of Fehervari's authorial craftsmanship are evident here as well: deep sadness, despair, harrowing regrets, and misguided determination. Perhaps the best element of Shadow is the inner turmoil of the betrayer, Sister Etelka. As she comes closer to the Teller, and to the climax of her own story arc, she is continuously assailed by the gravity of her past actions. It is a form of the Act of Penance, in which she must make her own personal reconciliation.
Dark, foreboding, and crackling with chaotic energy, Cast a Hungry Shadow offers rich characters, a stark setting, brutal action, and bar none the best vehicle chase scene that I've read in any 40K work. Plus, it is all fleshed out with Fehervari's intentional, intelligent prose.
Here, I'll be cobbling together my previously released reviews for these two titles. Do yourself a favor and grab your copy today!!!
Cult of the Spiral Dawn (Formerly Genestealer Cults):
Few things fill me with a true sense of unbridled excitement at this point. One of them, of course, is a new release by a favorite author. So, imagine my elation when I saw that the tie-in book to Games Workshop's new Genestealer Cult miniature line was not only written by personal BL favorite author Peter Fehervari, but that this also marked his second full-length novel. The questions began to run rampant - what would his unique take on the Genestealers be? Which characters from previous works would find their way into this story? Would this story contain narrative elements that intertwine with the bizarre, twisted tapestry that Fehervari has woven over his past novel, novella, and short stories?
Members of the Spiral Dawn, a religious sect officially sanctioned by the Imperium, are embarking on a journey to the homeworld of the "Spiral Father". For them it is a sort of "pilgrimage to Mecca". This group of hopefuls is cobbled together from members of all walks of life; from young civilians to former hive gangers and ex-PDF members. All share the common goal of returning to the Spiral Father for the "Unfolding". And so, donned in white robes and various spiral dedications, they are on their way.
It is, of course, no spoiler to state that they have no idea what special kind of hell awaits them on Redemption. We learn from an explosive prologue that there is an evil presence that took hold of Redemption around a century earlier. It was a force so strong that it was able to overthrow the former stewards of the world, the stalwart Sisters of Battle (even going so far as to successfully mentally convince one to betray her order, a task which in theory should be impossible). A force of creatures; daemonic in appearance but matching no priorly catalogued xenos, slaughters the Sisters.
Present day Redemption is a dark and abysmal world. The entire atmosphere is a soot-choked landscape. The only industry of any tangible value is its promethium harvesting. All industry, livelihood, etc. is centralized in an area called the Koronatus Ring. This is a circular landscape, surrounded by seven immense spires (one being the former Sororitas abbey), with a plateau of sorts in the middle known as The Slab. At one point is the only location resembling a "city" any sort: Hope City, where pale, bald workers known as "grubs" slave in the promethium harvesting sector. At the other end is a base known as "The Locker", home of the current guardians of Redemption - the Vassago Black Flags.
The Black Flags are a prime example of another Fehervari construct - the unconventional Imperial Guard unit. For this group, he created a sector known as the Vassago Abyss, wherein one finds the Sunken Worlds. Several of these worlds were mentioned in prior works like Fire Caste, and they include Lethe and Verzante. The Black Flags are a remnant force left to garrison Redemption; survivors of a betrayal on the planet Oblazt (Fire and Ice), and drawing troops from across the Sunken Worlds (as well as taking a tithe from all new arrivals). They are a weary, paranoid group; scarred by the betrayal and consigned to a soot stained world where odd shadows dance on the periphery. Their leadership is unconventional as well - they are led by a reclusive, "holy crusader" colonel, a dying preacher, a pale eyed, enigmatic commissar, and a brutally pragmatic captain.
It is unto this unforgiving world that the worshipers of the Spiral Dawn are delivered; along with a new member of their group - a living ghost who goes by the name of Cross (I won't spoil who this revenant actually is, as it is revealed early on, but the name of the ship he is found on - the Iron Calliope - is a good clue).
What transpires from that point is a tale told in true Fehervari fashion - as the true motives of all the parties in play are revealed, or at least hinted at, tensions and agendas boil to a bursting point.
And so, to avoid any spoilers, let's take a look at the elements of the tale, one by one.
Setting: Oh man, this is great. Tone, imagery, detail. These are all elements that Fehervari excels at, and his usage here bolsters the tale. Again, it's no secret that there is a genestealer cult infestation on Redemption - it's right there in the title. So, what PF does is immerse the reader entirely in this dark, dismal world. The pervading gloominess of this world saps away at the reader emotionally (at least it did to me), leaving you feeling as mentally weary as the Black Flags stationed there. Then, he employs some elements of horror - creatures scuttling and slithering around just out of eyesight; and inherent wrongness of the human yet somewhat inhuman denizens of Hope City (sort of Innsmouth 40K). There is also an otherworldly siren call echoing in the heads of certain Black Flags, tempting and taunting them with promises of truth, hope, and change, and all such lies.
With the framework laid out like this, it is still a refreshing surprise when the things we knew would come actually arrive.
As for imagery, this is PF's specialty. His tone is reinforced by stark imagery, and is enhanced with references to his other tales. The Koronatus Ring itself is a literal Crown of Thorns (and was once home to a garrison of Angels Resplendent). The fact that there are seven spires is significant. Te number seven has been a running motif in Fehervari's works, tying in with the Arkan's belief of seven stars and seven hells. And, as we all know, spires have featured in PF's works since his first BL outing, Nightfall. In fact, iconography of the tormented Emperor runs throughout, as do the incessant corkscrewing icons of the Spiral Dawn.
The Slab itself presents itself as a sort of game board for the proceedings - at first, for the tenuous peace between the Black Flags and the upper hierarchy of the Spiral Dawn, a sort of chess match of wills. Later, it serves as an outright game board for an outstanding climax.
Characters: In many ways, Genestealer Cults is two books play out in a helix formation; advancing their own plotlines and occasionally intersecting. On one hand, you have the events that transpire for Cross, as he brings his more than jaded worldview into dissecting the goings on. When the focus is on him, we can see more of the machinations of those who have a hand in what is transpiring, and who are watching from afar (I really don't want to go into details; but a lot of dots will be connected for readers of PF's previous works).
Then, we have our players in the more linear Black Flags vs. Cultists dynamic. To be honest, the characters who receive the most development on the Imperial side are the enigmatic captain Omazet, and her pilgrim turned protege, Ariken.
Ariken is a fantastic character. She is a character possessing inner strength from the very beginning, and she finds her mental strength tempered by the fires of life on Redemption. If one were to strip away all the extraneous elements featuring Cross and the powers that be, and just leave this a straight up Guard vs. Genestealers novel, she could've carried the weight of strong protagonist on her small shoulders.
Other than that, most of the other Guardsmen/women are relegated to secondary roles. This includes the higher ranking Black Flag officers. In a perfect world, I'd would've loved more background on the mysterious Colonel Talasca (then again, he is mysterious by intent, so...), as well as more scenes of how the friendship between Cross and Lazaro developed. There are a few recurring characters that we root for, especially troopers Grijalva and Jei. And, of course, we all would love an account of Cross' journeys from Phaedra up until now, but that is a story that could (and should) fill its own book.
Genestealers: Well, this is what it really comes down to, isn't it? The minis are out, and this is the first tie-in novel, so how did Fehervari do with bringing them to life?
I love the way the Genestealers are portrayed here. Again, I knew very little of their lore before this, so, it wasn't going to be an easy sell. Then again, I think I've mentioned before that I was no fan of the Tau at all until I read PF's portrayal of them.
Fehervari has a skill for analyzing whichever faction he is writing about, and truly delving deep into what makes them what they are. This is a rare talent which leads greatly to portrayals that resonate with legitimacy and authenticity.
So, he does not simply line his cultists up, describe their appearance, and have the battle commence. He makes the cult of the Spiral Dawn into a sympathetic religion; for whom the impetus of their actions is the propagation of their belief (although at that point they might be unaware that the method of propagation involves turning new believers into creatures like themselves). Also, their acts of violence are not necessarily predicated upon a natural inclination towards violence, but what they perceive to be a reciprocal response to heretical non-believers who would do them harm.
Being a Genestealer neophyte, I had some trouble remember who the different levels and paradigms were. But the descriptions of the cultists and creatures was phenomenal. The more "monstrous" in appearance (purestrains, etc.) were absolutely lethal and terrifying, while those more "human" in appearance had the aforementioned odd balance of normal/abnormal to them (including one freakish trait of retaining a certain resemblance to the original host infected on Redemption over a century ago).
And, along with a realistic portrayal of them, PF also does his duty in incorporating all the current unit types into the novel. Go ahead and look back at the minis on the GW page; you'll see that they are all in here: even the bulky battle trucks and the modified Sentinels.
Action: One can go on and on about the depths, twists, and turns in Fehervari's storytelling, but let's be honest: he does great, straight up action scenes. His fight choreography is brutal and balletic; there are grievous wounds and horrendous deaths. When the fighting zooms in to focus on certain characters/events, Fehervari employs a movie director's eye to render scenes that come to life.
Plus, this is yet another PF book to feature blistering Sentinel action.
Wordplay: Ah, yes. A great deal of the enjoyment in reading one of Fehervari's works is trying to catch riddles, puzzle pieces, and Easter Eggs in names and other word cues. Genestealer Cults is no exception. My suggestion is to keep Google handy and start searching each new name as it comes up. A few of my favorites here include the naming of a Tempestus Scion after Robert Aickman, another author know for narrative magic tricks, "strange stories", and in general twisting readers' brains into knots. The usage of wine-dark as an adjective is another nod to Aickman as well.
Certain words peppered throughout reference others stories as well; a personal favorite being the usage of "puissance", a mention to that dread battleship from Fire Caste (the fate of which I would love to learn).
But, best of all was the laugh out loud moment that arose from naming a certain ship "Obariyon". Great job.
All in all, I think it is fairly obvious that this short novel contains well rendered Guard and Genestealer characters, a complete tale, as well as substantial progression on other story arcs weaving their ways through the book, and riveting action scenes. Plus, stark imagery and a meticulously crafted world enhance the readers' feeling of personal investment. As always, can't wait to see more from Fehervari in the future.
Personal thoughts/observations: Pardon me in advance, since a lot of this might come off as some harsh criticism of the Black Library.
First, I want to stress again how great it is to finally get a second novel from Peter Fehervari. And, it's a great one. This book does not disappoint by any means. But then, you ask yourself, why is it so short? Genestealer Cults does not leave any (unintentional) loose ends, but you can tell that it is a story that is begging for another 50 or 100 pages to stretch its legs a bit more. I wonder why the tight page count was put into effect.
Now, speaking of the title, why the beyond generic title of Genestealer Cults? I was in a Facebook discussion regarding this, and one person mentioned that most of the Legends of the Dark Millennium books get these generic, specific titles. Ok, fine (I don't understand why). So how about the faction type, and then the actual title? Like WH40K LotDM Genestealer Cults: Actual Freaking Book Title. It's just that Fehervari puts a lot of work and thought into his word choices within the novel; so I'm sure he will do the same with the book title. How many more "Fire Caste", "Vanguard", and now "Genestealer Cults" will we get before they trust this man's authorial skills?
Rant over. Hopefully my review of the companion short, "Cast a Hungry Shadow" will be up in the next few days.
Oh, one last thing actually. I cannot stress enough how epic the prologue, featuring the Sisters of Battle, was. So, again, Black Library, please give the Sisters the treatment they deserve. GW, give them a Codex and some badass minis. And BL, get some SoB books churning out. And let Fehervari do one. In just a few pages, he gave a great depiction of them.
EDIT 10/10/16: Just wanted to add something that should have been in the original review. Usually I make the statement as to whether or not prior familiarity with the author's work is necessary to enjoy the book. Genestealer Cults is still an accessible book, on the genestealer side, if this is your first Fehervari outing. I'd strongly recommend reading Fire Caste first, primarily so you can appreciate the appearance of Cross, and begin to postulate what his journey from Phaedra was like, but also because everyone should read Fire Caste because it is just that good. If any story is to be deemed absolutely necessary reading prior to Genestealer Cults, I'd say it is the Fire & Ice novella, available here. With the foundations set in that excellent story, you can better appreciate the advancements in the Calavera storyline.
Cast A Hungry Shadow:
Back in September there was much rejoicing as we were graced with not only a full-length novel (albeit on the short side) from personal favorite Peter Fehervari based upon the newly released Genestealer Cults Codex, but we also got a tie-in short story as well.
The events chronicled in the cryptically named Cast a Hungry Shadow transpire between the explosive prologue of Genestealer Cults (during which the former stewards of the soot-ridden hellhole of Redemption, the Sisters of Battle, met their demise), and the rest of the novel, that brilliant chess match between the adherents of the Spiral Dawn and the Guard members of the Vassago Black Flags.
However, instead of the cultists vs. the Guard, what we have in Shadow is a different kind of gang war; one between the Spiral Dawn cultists (furthering their foothold on the planet), and members of an entirely different cult: the Chaos worshipers of the Scorched Creed. The devotees of the Scorched Creed abide by the calling of the teeming currents of Chaos which roil madly below the spires of Redemption, maintaining its liquidity; maintaining its....lie. Is the planet Redemption a lie? Or is redemption simply a lie? Both?
The cultists of the Scorched Creed are led by a fearsome brute named Gharth; a giant, hulking Chaos puritan who lost his eyes and gained true sight. On the side of the Spiral Dawn stands Aziah, a Chosen Claw, bodyguard of the Spiral Father, and trusted son of the glorious Saint Etelka, better known as the Sororita who betrayed her kin. What brings these two factions on a (literal) collision course is a presence of power so potent, so attractive...so useful, that it simply cannot be ignored.
Said source of power is a female psyker; one of such latent potency that it boggles the mind. It is also an amount strong enough to tip the scales of dominance in favor of the faction which retains her first; making it no shock that Gharth and Aziah a jockeying so voraciously to earn her favor.
From that framework, Fehervari delivers what may be his darkest story yet, with some of the most brutal action I've witnessed anywhere in the 40K universe. While it doesn't have as many links and Easter Eggs tied to other "Dark Coil" tales, what it does showcase is PF's immense creative ability in crafting unique characters and factions.
We already saw in Genestealer Cults the legitimacy and authenticity with which this new take on an old faction was presented (which reminds me; I'd recommend that one reads GC before Cast a Hungry Shadow). Aziah makes a fine, sympathetic protagonist here; especially this being a story bereft of "normal" humans for us to root for. He is a devout, true believer, but also prone to rage and fury issues.
But the real show-stealers here are the members of the Scorched Creed. Lifelong slaves to the slab-mines of Redemption, they find purpose and gifts of the flesh through their abominable creed. And yet, as Fehervari demonstrated in the belief system presented in GC, there is a seeming logic, dare I say a validity, to their belief? Gharth, the Blind Pilgrim himself, is so set in his way that until he was named and given a specific background I could have sworn that the burning shell of Audie Joyce had seeped through the Dark Coil from Phaedra to Redemption. Maybe he did....remember, everything is a lie. The psyker, the "Teller", sure reminds me of someone seen in a previous work. There's no telling for sure.
What really excited me in this story was the physical descriptions of the Scorched Creed. For the older readers, remember back in the 80's when people loved attaching the descriptor "from Hell" at the end of anything inherently evil? Well, the Creed is literally a "Biker Gang From Hell". They are haphazard amalgamations of black plating, razorwire, sharp edges, anger, and fury, all astride demonic motorcycles.
When you go back, and think about the things that first excited you about Warhammer and 40K, it was the torchlight to unleash images like this from your imagination that probably first drew you in. And that's what makes this story so fresh, and makes it leave such an impression. When you give an author like Fehervari free reign to create, these are the types of memorable figures you are left with. After you read the climactic battle, go back and reread it, and truly study the choreography of it all. This is some of the best action out there.
And yet, it is not all action and badass characters in Cast a Hungry Shadow. All the other hallmarks of Fehervari's authorial craftsmanship are evident here as well: deep sadness, despair, harrowing regrets, and misguided determination. Perhaps the best element of Shadow is the inner turmoil of the betrayer, Sister Etelka. As she comes closer to the Teller, and to the climax of her own story arc, she is continuously assailed by the gravity of her past actions. It is a form of the Act of Penance, in which she must make her own personal reconciliation.
Dark, foreboding, and crackling with chaotic energy, Cast a Hungry Shadow offers rich characters, a stark setting, brutal action, and bar none the best vehicle chase scene that I've read in any 40K work. Plus, it is all fleshed out with Fehervari's intentional, intelligent prose.
December 23, 2016
It takes me a while to finish this review. Now, after I reread the book I can finally gather my thoughts about it.
I started my Fire Caste review with warning. This novel needs no such thing. Of course, if you are already familiar with the Dark Coil you will get more from this book, you will encounter characters from other stories and the inner coil of the plot would be easier to unfold. But if you are not it isn’t a problem. The “exterior” of this story is not less interesting, but very dynamic and enjoyable. After witnessing genesis of Genestealer Cult and its philosophy in prologue we are thrown along with the pilgrims into ongoing conflict between unorthodox regiment of Imperial… coh, coh, Astra Millitarum and the Spiral Dawn, who by this point already owns the planet. And as one could expect, things only go nastier from here: the terrible truths begin to reveal themselves, conflict exchanges coldness of mistrust for fire of sacred hatred and blood would be spilled onto scorched and lifeless surface of Redemption. The spring of narration shrinks slowly at the beginning, but rapidly accumulates sufficient amount of tension which is resolved in brutal, fulminant third part of the book. It is very satisfying dynamics.
And of course I should commend one of the most distinctive features of Fehervari writings – his ability to grasp the mindset of factions he is writing about and to make them interesting. And it’s not only about xenos. For example, as long as I knew about warhammer, I despised Sisters of Battle with passion. I considered them the least interesting faction in the setting and could only perceive them as targets for my troops. But after reading short sketch about abbey in the prologue I suddenly realize that Adepta Sororitas finally catch my attention and maybe I was wrong about them. Anyway, I would be happy to read another story or two about Thorn Eternal. Avelin and Phaesta were very charismatic characters and have a lot of potential. But sadly unlike Etelka, who shines in Cast a Hungry Shadow, they have limited screen time. It would be good to know more about them and their order.
Titular genestealer cult is another great example of Fehervari’s mastery. His ability to describe the alienness of xenos mind but without making it incomprehensible shines even brighter than in Cast a Hungry Shadow. Hybrids and cultists, their thoughts and actions are very similar to the normal humans, as they should be, but it would be a grave mistake to think that they are the same. If you read carefully you can even start to wonder – are they really sentient or their personalities are just shaped by the Broodmind, their actions are completely dictated by terrible alien will and their “normal behavior” is just a mindless instinct. But despite these terrible implications the Spiral Dawn looks very attractive, alluring and in a sense “good”. It’s easy to empathize with their doctrine. In any case if anything can draw me into collecting the Genestealer Cult (beautiful models are solid blow, but this is certainly not enough), it would be their depiction in this novel
To achieve this connection with the reader Fehervari present us with colorful cast of characters. I already mentioned the canoness of Adepta Sororitas, and characters from earlier stories who managed to survive somehow in the Dark Coil, but new “heroes” don’t disappoint us either. While I should admit that due to the small length of the novel they are elaborated not as well as characters from the Fire Caste, they have played their roles well. Fehervari signature feature (lost and broken souls among the cast) is not as prominent as always, but still presents. There are a lot of likeable characters, but my favorite is without a doubt Virunas – magi of the Cult. He is reasonable, benevolent, compassionate and focused on understanding others, but all this virtues are created in him to serve the horrible purpose of the Cult and he is aware of this. This duality is really fascinating. On the other hand, Ariken – deuteragonist of the novel – is a decent example of strong female character. Sadly, I was able to appreciate her only after second reading, but she definitely would be interesting to many readers. The officers of Black Flags, regiment garrisoned on Redemption, and especially their colonel – Retriever of Faith and Faithfull, is another but not less enjoyable part of the cast which brings a lot of tension, emotions and mysteries. And even minor characters are doing great job to variegate narration.
The style of the novel is as good as always, I really relish the language of the book, with all this meaningful diction full of carefully crafted phrases. But what really made Fehervari’s works unique to my view is flawless application of dramatic irony – beautiful and merciless. Even if you are creature of the stars, the god who came from beyond the void you cannot escape it. And when it finds you… I start to suspect that even Fourth Wall doesn’t protect against that cruel irony, and sometimes I doubt that I am safe. In this novel we have the best example of that delicate technique in Fehervari works this far. When I read this particular line I can’t stop smiling for a long time…
It’s not like this novel has no flaws (or rather shortcomings). In my opinion, time skip after first part of the book deals fair amount of damage. The rhythm of narration is disturbed, characters’ plotlines and their development sags and several characters don’t receive deserved treatment because of it. All this problems and some other issues could be solved with just another hundred of pages, but sadly we don’t have them. And there was at least one scene, that doesn’t convince me. But due to the merits of the novel I overlook these issues with easy and didn’t pay attention to them. After all, not all of them are really author’s fault.
And of course there are a lot of treasures for those who explore Fehervari stories from the start. This is not only usual hints and implications, this time the Dark Coil literally reveals itself to the reader. It presents in the novel on several different levels: in Retriever‘s paintings, in events on Redemption, in narration itself, in the plot and beyond this plot. Actually, I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about Dark Coil becoming that prominent, but without a doubt it is significant moment in Fehervari great work.
At the beginning I said that this book doesn’t need warning, but I still give you one. Don’t look into Dark Coil too deeply. You can suddenly find yourself murmuring “Spirals… Needles… Coils… They are everywhere!” or in the middle of writing four-page-long review. I have warned you!
And with this my review is over and you should stop reading. What goes next is just my criticism towards GW and have no particular worth.
P.S. Lethe endures!
March 10, 2018
The long awaited paperback edition of Genestealer Cults is finally here, and adds Cast a Hungry Shadow on top. I'll see about reposting my 2016 review here later, but for now, please do yourselves (and me, as a fan) a favor and pick it up and read it. The original release was one of my highlights of 2016 for good reason.
November 16, 2020
Cult of the Spiral Dawn collects the second novel of Peter Fehervari ("Legends of the Dark Millenium: Genestealer Cults") together with an excellent companion short-story, "Cast a Hungry Shadow".
The latter acts like a bridge between the novel's prologue and its first Chapter (between which a time-jump of several decades occurs) and further deepens the mythology of Redemption 219, the Koronatus Ring and the Genestealer Cult of the Spiral Dawn as well as telling an engaging story in itself. It's a great addition to the novel, and re-releasing Fehervari's second novel under a less...cumbersome and generic title was definitely a worthy act in on itself. I'll refer to the novel from here on onwards as 'Spiral Dawn'.
Like Fire Caste before it, Spiral Dawn is a dark, complex and intimate story dealing with a variety of themes such as faith, redemption and the abyssal depths of human (and alien) souls. This is wrapped in an altogether engaging story, deftly weaving together various genres of horror with military fiction (more of the former than the latter), sprinkled with a host of interesting and mostly sympathetic characters - and yes, this goes for the members of alien Cult, too.
Like the T'au in Fire Caste, Fehervari manages to really get into the head of the Genestealer Cults, from the utterly alien Purestrains to the very human acolytes. He manages to capture their inherent horror as well as giving them a soul of themselves, and the interplay of both leads to some of the most terrifying and some of the most touching scenes of the book as well as creating a compelling web of social and psychological interactions.
The deceptively simple premise of showing the course of a Genestealer intrusion and the inevitable violence that occurs gets enhanced by layers of story that are best discovered by oneself. Just like Phaedra in Fire Caste, Fehervari manages to imbue the place of his story - the planet Redemption 219 and the Spire-circle of the Koronatus Ring - with a rich mythology and a character of its own.
Opposite of the Genestealers, the human characters are just as compelling: a mysterious outsider, a young recruit of the garrison Guard Regiment, a mad colonel, a dark spectre of an officer (some with connections to other Fehervari-stories)...all are written with care and a sense for character, and I would love to read more about every single one of them.
Spiral Dawn is a relatively short book, but is perfectly paced and makes every word count. It's another fascinating addition to the Dark Coil, Fehervari's web of stories set in the 41st millennium, and an altogether entertaining novel on it's own as well as a perfect showcase of the nature of the Genestealer Cults, one of the oldest pieces of 40k-lore.
Addendum: For anyone seeking guidance among or easier access into the perhaps daunting number of stories of "The Dark Coil", the book blog Track Of Words has an extensive article titled "A Traveller's Guide to the Dark Coil", including an overview over factions and places as well as a recommended reading order and links to various interviews with the author.
The latter acts like a bridge between the novel's prologue and its first Chapter (between which a time-jump of several decades occurs) and further deepens the mythology of Redemption 219, the Koronatus Ring and the Genestealer Cult of the Spiral Dawn as well as telling an engaging story in itself. It's a great addition to the novel, and re-releasing Fehervari's second novel under a less...cumbersome and generic title was definitely a worthy act in on itself. I'll refer to the novel from here on onwards as 'Spiral Dawn'.
Like Fire Caste before it, Spiral Dawn is a dark, complex and intimate story dealing with a variety of themes such as faith, redemption and the abyssal depths of human (and alien) souls. This is wrapped in an altogether engaging story, deftly weaving together various genres of horror with military fiction (more of the former than the latter), sprinkled with a host of interesting and mostly sympathetic characters - and yes, this goes for the members of alien Cult, too.
Like the T'au in Fire Caste, Fehervari manages to really get into the head of the Genestealer Cults, from the utterly alien Purestrains to the very human acolytes. He manages to capture their inherent horror as well as giving them a soul of themselves, and the interplay of both leads to some of the most terrifying and some of the most touching scenes of the book as well as creating a compelling web of social and psychological interactions.
The deceptively simple premise of showing the course of a Genestealer intrusion and the inevitable violence that occurs gets enhanced by layers of story that are best discovered by oneself. Just like Phaedra in Fire Caste, Fehervari manages to imbue the place of his story - the planet Redemption 219 and the Spire-circle of the Koronatus Ring - with a rich mythology and a character of its own.
Opposite of the Genestealers, the human characters are just as compelling: a mysterious outsider, a young recruit of the garrison Guard Regiment, a mad colonel, a dark spectre of an officer (some with connections to other Fehervari-stories)...all are written with care and a sense for character, and I would love to read more about every single one of them.
Spiral Dawn is a relatively short book, but is perfectly paced and makes every word count. It's another fascinating addition to the Dark Coil, Fehervari's web of stories set in the 41st millennium, and an altogether entertaining novel on it's own as well as a perfect showcase of the nature of the Genestealer Cults, one of the oldest pieces of 40k-lore.
Addendum: For anyone seeking guidance among or easier access into the perhaps daunting number of stories of "The Dark Coil", the book blog Track Of Words has an extensive article titled "A Traveller's Guide to the Dark Coil", including an overview over factions and places as well as a recommended reading order and links to various interviews with the author.
October 4, 2016
Peter Fehervari weaves a wonderfully tense and atmospheric tale of corruption and insanity, building on his past works to a crescendo of symbolism and savagery.
Every odious detail of the cult of the Spiral Dawn is laid bare and given an incredibly potent fleshing out, as is the Black Flag regiment that garrisons the world of Redemption. These opposing forces feel vital and real in the madness of the setting, and you begin to care for (and loathe) each in turn.
The claustrophobic atmosphere is heightened by the corruptive nature of the cult and its alien taint; with characters succumbing or being revealed as complicit in ways that feel like something from The Thing or Invasion of the Bodysnatchers.
The true strength of the story, though, lies in how it ties into Fehervari's other works for the Black Library. Not since Dan Abnett has an author built such a wonderfully connected and complimentary mini-niche within the greater body of 40k, spreading by Coil and Spiral like the infection that forms the bulk of this novella. Returning characters, concepts, and references all combine to create a book so much more than the sum of its parts. Fehervari is a potent weapon in Black Library's arsenal and potentially one of their best, and most overlooked, modern authors.
Every odious detail of the cult of the Spiral Dawn is laid bare and given an incredibly potent fleshing out, as is the Black Flag regiment that garrisons the world of Redemption. These opposing forces feel vital and real in the madness of the setting, and you begin to care for (and loathe) each in turn.
The claustrophobic atmosphere is heightened by the corruptive nature of the cult and its alien taint; with characters succumbing or being revealed as complicit in ways that feel like something from The Thing or Invasion of the Bodysnatchers.
The true strength of the story, though, lies in how it ties into Fehervari's other works for the Black Library. Not since Dan Abnett has an author built such a wonderfully connected and complimentary mini-niche within the greater body of 40k, spreading by Coil and Spiral like the infection that forms the bulk of this novella. Returning characters, concepts, and references all combine to create a book so much more than the sum of its parts. Fehervari is a potent weapon in Black Library's arsenal and potentially one of their best, and most overlooked, modern authors.
October 1, 2016
The latest in this burgeoning series, Legends of the Dark Millennium: Genestealer Cults sees the welcome return of Peter Fehervari with his second Black Library novel after a three-year wait since his first, Fire Caste. Set on the troubled shrine world of Redemption, the coming of an insidious alien menace results in the rise of a strange religious sect in place of the planet’s previous defenders. When distant sect members make pilgrimage to the shrine world, instead of welcoming arms they’re met by harsh, paranoid guardsmen led by officers who treat the sect with deep suspicion.
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
September 30, 2016
And so another Peter Fehervari masterpiece has arrived. And I would say quite unexpectedly. I never have thought, that I would be given such a great read with the parallel release of a new Codex.
It's sad that some people will probably walked past this book, thanks to it's 'faceless' title. Due to it's release right for the advertisement of 'Codex: Genestealers Cult', some of the readers will simply think that it's another model advertisement range and not a great book. AND THEY WOULD BE SADLY MISTAKEN.
Because, Peter's novel is BRILLIANT. As with his previous titles he has weaved great narrative where everything is exactly as it should be. As with a Fire Caste and his uber cool novella 'Fire and Ice' from Shas'o anthology the story is a self-conscious road to a darkness, which so usually resides in human hearts.
So let's proceed with our spoiler-free review.
I would strongly suggest to anyone who would plan to read this novel - to read Fire Caste and short story Cast a Hungry Shadow before this book. You will not regret it. First one has one character and his transition to the point of this novel. The second 'short story' has a status of a prequel to the actual narrative and take place between Prologue and first part of the novel.
Plot As with the cover, the plot of the book seems to be simple from the start - right? Nope - you would be wrong again.
Even, if it's a typically thoughtful and bizarre tale from Peter Fehervari that exposes just how insidious and devastating Genestealer Cults can be, it is still more than that. It provides insight on how Genestealer Cult appropriates and falsely aligns with Imperial Cult; on Patriarch metamorphosis from regular Genestealer; show all levels of cult infiltration from uninfected but unwitting cult followers, to newly infected humans, to cult born hybrids. First after Steve Parkers Deathwatch view on on hybrid birth, which is quick, but not instant. With further addition of a lot of 'misborn' aberrants. Command hierarchy of the cult and Genestealers menace - patriarch, it's indocrination technics, magus with it's evolution and 'family' hierarchy - their interactions with humans and internal Cult dynamics. Guard duties for the Cult chosen. In other words - almost every point of life and evolution of the Cult. Add to that a level of Lovecraftian horror, IG story - and you will have a splendid read.
Comparing to Fire Caste this novel Genestealer Cults it's much easier to read. But same as with his previous great book, Genestealer Cults requires quiet a lot from it’s readers: they should be attentive to the details, sensitive to speech and language nuances and most of all – they should be ready to embrace the madness, despair, bitterness, grimdark of the story. Exactly the list - why we truly love W40K. If you want a book about bravery, real life choices, human spirit evolution, horrific enemies, POV view from inside the head of an enemy - this book is definitely for you, because there is no more frightening enemy for a man here than his own sins and bad choices.
Novel is not simply great due to it's narrative, but due to way it's presented to a reader. We have several great examples of how a spirit of almost 'usual human being' could go into dark places and vise versa. In case of a 'shadow' (great character and an old fella from the Fire Caste) it's a road of redemption and additional despair. In case of a 'piligrim' - it's a case of hardness, unfairness and disappointment. But at the same time it's a road to duty, salvation and very distant 'hope'. And there are several such piligrims in the book.
And of course there are 'Black Flags' - that IG regiment and the actual planet provided a good, engrossing atmosphere throughout, and, I thought, gave a real grit to a fighting the Genestealers cult menace.
The main source of emotion an joy, are the characters and their interaction. They are all different, all alive and every one of them has a lot of secrets, doubts,sins and crossroad of choices. You can’t use the word “bright” while describing them, but they definitely will be memorable for those who still can empathize with broken souls 'shadows' and how did they get where. The reader will be able to experience all depth of pain and despair together with characters :)
Prose of the book. It's a Shakesperean opera and true compodium of a bigger lot of points: language, the nuances of which are changed when narration switches the point of view from one character to another, reflecting their mentality; structure of the book, which like classical ancient tragedy leads us from exposition to catastrophe; invisible link between the characters, when sins and madness of one affect others and just tightening the spiral of despair… Spiral which goes and coils with each chapter and paragraph... In conjunctions thousand of this little details create Spiral and Redemption – beautiful symphony of madness, slow corruption, decay, total despair. Separately it is necessary to mention «foreshadowing» – the art of innuendo. There are subtle hints on many developments from the beginning and attentive reader should spot them. Some of them are wrapped in images, symbols and metaphors, others require attention to details...
It is a dark book. But not so dark as a Fire Caste. There are more hope and 'kindness' here than in aforementioned novel.
Peter Fehervari writes with a passion and skill that belies belief. He keeps you invested and engaged throughout the narrative. He has a flair for writing action, and the detail of violence rendered matches the tool utilized. I wouldn't be surprised if he would write a lot of truly Lovecraftian stories in the future (Maybe he already did them - who knows).
Small cons. Book length, which really isn't working for its own good. There's a lot of things happening and they don't get to shine nor being properly explored - because BL get it's writing department into the smaller pages count. Give this book maybe 100 more pages and it would have been a masterpiece for ages (at least for 40k).
The other only point I did miss, comparing to his previous work is that in Fire Caste each chapter begins with an excerpt from Iverson's personal journal, and it is intriguing to watch the progression (or deterioration) of his mental state from event to event. This time only different parts of the novel starts with the 'Spiral wisdom', which is not as epic as Iverson's queries.
Due to all the aforementioned points Genestealer Cults totally deserve 5 starts. It's another great example of how true grim dark W40K novels should be written.
And additional praises to great author Peter Fehervari who has created this and previous masterpieces. It's an excellent continuation to his previous work and greatest novellas of them all 'Fire and Ice', that is atmospheric, brutal, and filled with horror. If the previous tale was about a man lost in his own 'heart of darkness', this one is about the humanity darkness in general. I simply can't wait for his next novel. Because I know for sure - that It would be AWESOME!
It's sad that some people will probably walked past this book, thanks to it's 'faceless' title. Due to it's release right for the advertisement of 'Codex: Genestealers Cult', some of the readers will simply think that it's another model advertisement range and not a great book. AND THEY WOULD BE SADLY MISTAKEN.
Because, Peter's novel is BRILLIANT. As with his previous titles he has weaved great narrative where everything is exactly as it should be. As with a Fire Caste and his uber cool novella 'Fire and Ice' from Shas'o anthology the story is a self-conscious road to a darkness, which so usually resides in human hearts.
So let's proceed with our spoiler-free review.
I would strongly suggest to anyone who would plan to read this novel - to read Fire Caste and short story Cast a Hungry Shadow before this book. You will not regret it. First one has one character and his transition to the point of this novel. The second 'short story' has a status of a prequel to the actual narrative and take place between Prologue and first part of the novel.
Plot As with the cover, the plot of the book seems to be simple from the start - right? Nope - you would be wrong again.
Even, if it's a typically thoughtful and bizarre tale from Peter Fehervari that exposes just how insidious and devastating Genestealer Cults can be, it is still more than that. It provides insight on how Genestealer Cult appropriates and falsely aligns with Imperial Cult; on Patriarch metamorphosis from regular Genestealer; show all levels of cult infiltration from uninfected but unwitting cult followers, to newly infected humans, to cult born hybrids. First after Steve Parkers Deathwatch view on on hybrid birth, which is quick, but not instant. With further addition of a lot of 'misborn' aberrants. Command hierarchy of the cult and Genestealers menace - patriarch, it's indocrination technics, magus with it's evolution and 'family' hierarchy - their interactions with humans and internal Cult dynamics. Guard duties for the Cult chosen. In other words - almost every point of life and evolution of the Cult. Add to that a level of Lovecraftian horror, IG story - and you will have a splendid read.
Comparing to Fire Caste this novel Genestealer Cults it's much easier to read. But same as with his previous great book, Genestealer Cults requires quiet a lot from it’s readers: they should be attentive to the details, sensitive to speech and language nuances and most of all – they should be ready to embrace the madness, despair, bitterness, grimdark of the story. Exactly the list - why we truly love W40K. If you want a book about bravery, real life choices, human spirit evolution, horrific enemies, POV view from inside the head of an enemy - this book is definitely for you, because there is no more frightening enemy for a man here than his own sins and bad choices.
Novel is not simply great due to it's narrative, but due to way it's presented to a reader. We have several great examples of how a spirit of almost 'usual human being' could go into dark places and vise versa. In case of a 'shadow' (great character and an old fella from the Fire Caste) it's a road of redemption and additional despair. In case of a 'piligrim' - it's a case of hardness, unfairness and disappointment. But at the same time it's a road to duty, salvation and very distant 'hope'. And there are several such piligrims in the book.
And of course there are 'Black Flags' - that IG regiment and the actual planet provided a good, engrossing atmosphere throughout, and, I thought, gave a real grit to a fighting the Genestealers cult menace.
The main source of emotion an joy, are the characters and their interaction. They are all different, all alive and every one of them has a lot of secrets, doubts,sins and crossroad of choices. You can’t use the word “bright” while describing them, but they definitely will be memorable for those who still can empathize with broken souls 'shadows' and how did they get where. The reader will be able to experience all depth of pain and despair together with characters :)
Prose of the book. It's a Shakesperean opera and true compodium of a bigger lot of points: language, the nuances of which are changed when narration switches the point of view from one character to another, reflecting their mentality; structure of the book, which like classical ancient tragedy leads us from exposition to catastrophe; invisible link between the characters, when sins and madness of one affect others and just tightening the spiral of despair… Spiral which goes and coils with each chapter and paragraph... In conjunctions thousand of this little details create Spiral and Redemption – beautiful symphony of madness, slow corruption, decay, total despair. Separately it is necessary to mention «foreshadowing» – the art of innuendo. There are subtle hints on many developments from the beginning and attentive reader should spot them. Some of them are wrapped in images, symbols and metaphors, others require attention to details...
It is a dark book. But not so dark as a Fire Caste. There are more hope and 'kindness' here than in aforementioned novel.
Peter Fehervari writes with a passion and skill that belies belief. He keeps you invested and engaged throughout the narrative. He has a flair for writing action, and the detail of violence rendered matches the tool utilized. I wouldn't be surprised if he would write a lot of truly Lovecraftian stories in the future (Maybe he already did them - who knows).
Small cons. Book length, which really isn't working for its own good. There's a lot of things happening and they don't get to shine nor being properly explored - because BL get it's writing department into the smaller pages count. Give this book maybe 100 more pages and it would have been a masterpiece for ages (at least for 40k).
The other only point I did miss, comparing to his previous work is that in Fire Caste each chapter begins with an excerpt from Iverson's personal journal, and it is intriguing to watch the progression (or deterioration) of his mental state from event to event. This time only different parts of the novel starts with the 'Spiral wisdom', which is not as epic as Iverson's queries.
Due to all the aforementioned points Genestealer Cults totally deserve 5 starts. It's another great example of how true grim dark W40K novels should be written.
And additional praises to great author Peter Fehervari who has created this and previous masterpieces. It's an excellent continuation to his previous work and greatest novellas of them all 'Fire and Ice', that is atmospheric, brutal, and filled with horror. If the previous tale was about a man lost in his own 'heart of darkness', this one is about the humanity darkness in general. I simply can't wait for his next novel. Because I know for sure - that It would be AWESOME!
November 6, 2025
My good dudes and dudettes, this one is even *better* than Cult Of The Warmason. Apparently I shouldn't have been sleeping on Genestealer cult novels. The inside look at the cult here is easily some of the best stuff in 40K. The characters are engaging, the factions involved work well together, and there's a genuine bit of mystery. Unfortunately, some things won't make sense if you haven't read Requiem Infernal and know about what's going on with Redemption. The only other downside is that the ending leaves a number of loose threads dangling, which might not sit well with a lot of readers. Since this one takes place a century after Requiem Infernal, maybe we'll get another book in the future on Redemption that wraps them up?
February 15, 2018
A great read with lots of depth and theme. Explores how genestealer cults work and really dives into the Astra Militarum and how they garrison planets. Lots of sentinel work which is great. My only beef would be that some of the human Astra Militarum characters were hard to distinguish from each other.
May 20, 2023
This is one of the best GSC books I read. The end seemed a bit vague, would have loved more closure. But its an AWESOME read in any regards, even as a stand alone sci-fi book.
March 22, 2018
This was originally released under a “Legends of the Dark Millennium” label with the generic title of “Genestealer Cults” and had a limited hardback run only. Copies of that original are now as rare as an Ork ballet dancer so it’s great that this has finally got the run it deserves in paperback- and more importantly with the original title intended by the author. This edition also includes the fabulous, albeit previously released, eBook short story (though long by most standards): “Cast a Hungry Shadow” which neatly sets up the events of the book.
A genestealer cult is all about mind games, subterfuge and body horror and I know of no Black Library author better suited to tackling this grim topic – it really plays to Fehervari’s skill set as a writer (kudos to BL for tapping him for this). It’s a genuinely creepy and unsettling story and it would be fair to say this is the closest the 40K universe has come to the works of HP Lovecraft, with “Shadow Over Innsmouth” being an obvious influence. Shades of “The Thing”/”Who Goes There?” are also evident.
The author has a knack for creating colourful and compelling Imperial Guard (I still call them that) regiments and that’s again very evident here in the shape of the Vassago Black Flags – would love to see more from these. There’s also welcome reappearances by likeable characters from the author’s previous novel “Fire Caste” and the novella “Fire and Ice” (the latter character being a real standout for me)- no spoilers. In fact watchful readers will spot many connections to the author’s other works - proving that his “Dark Coil” sub-universe keeps on twisting…
Whereas the author’s previous novel “Fire Caste” was complex and wonderfully demented, the current work has a much tighter and more focussed narrative with fewer characters to keep tabs on. For sure, there are twists, turns and wrong-footings to keep the reader guessing and as befits the portrayal of a Genestealer Cult – but at its core it’s a very accessible story and once the action gets going there’s no let-up. The focus is tight enough in fact that I believe this is the kind of story that could appeal even to readers unfamiliar with the 40K universe; certainly those who like a deftly-written combo of psychological horror, action, and SF.
If I had one minor complaint it’s that the book is a little on the short side – another 50 pages or so would have been welcome, though being paired with the excellent short does somewhat off-set this gripe.
A genestealer cult is all about mind games, subterfuge and body horror and I know of no Black Library author better suited to tackling this grim topic – it really plays to Fehervari’s skill set as a writer (kudos to BL for tapping him for this). It’s a genuinely creepy and unsettling story and it would be fair to say this is the closest the 40K universe has come to the works of HP Lovecraft, with “Shadow Over Innsmouth” being an obvious influence. Shades of “The Thing”/”Who Goes There?” are also evident.
The author has a knack for creating colourful and compelling Imperial Guard (I still call them that) regiments and that’s again very evident here in the shape of the Vassago Black Flags – would love to see more from these. There’s also welcome reappearances by likeable characters from the author’s previous novel “Fire Caste” and the novella “Fire and Ice” (the latter character being a real standout for me)- no spoilers. In fact watchful readers will spot many connections to the author’s other works - proving that his “Dark Coil” sub-universe keeps on twisting…
Whereas the author’s previous novel “Fire Caste” was complex and wonderfully demented, the current work has a much tighter and more focussed narrative with fewer characters to keep tabs on. For sure, there are twists, turns and wrong-footings to keep the reader guessing and as befits the portrayal of a Genestealer Cult – but at its core it’s a very accessible story and once the action gets going there’s no let-up. The focus is tight enough in fact that I believe this is the kind of story that could appeal even to readers unfamiliar with the 40K universe; certainly those who like a deftly-written combo of psychological horror, action, and SF.
If I had one minor complaint it’s that the book is a little on the short side – another 50 pages or so would have been welcome, though being paired with the excellent short does somewhat off-set this gripe.
February 28, 2024
3.5/5 - I liked it but felt it was pretty short and a lot of story threads were disappointingly resolved (if at all). Hopefully Peter will pick some of them up in anything new he does.
March 23, 2018
And so another Peter Fehervari masterpiece has arrived - this time it is a good old 'Genestealer Cults' masterpiece novel. Also this paperback edition contains a bonus short story, 'Cast a Hungry Shadow', available in print for the first time.
Having that picture and different name should definitely separate this novel from the Codex. Mistake which GW fixed only now. A lot of readers simply missed the previous 'Genestealer Cults' release last year, cause it has the same cover and name of the GC codex.
So having it with an amazing short under one cover let me remind you why you need to read 'Spiral Dawn' if you haven't already.
Well, - because, Peter's novel is BRILLIANT. As with his previous titles he has weaved great narrative where everything is exactly as it should be. As with a 'Fire Caste' and his uber cool novella 'Fire and Ice' from Shas'o anthology the story is a self-conscious road to a darkness, which so usually resides in human hearts.
So let's proceed with our spoiler-free review.
I would strongly suggest to anyone who would plan to read this novel - to read Fire Caste and short story 'Cast a Hungry Shadow' before this book. You will not regret it. First one has one character and his transition to the point of this novel. The second 'short story' has a status of a prequel to the actual narrative and take place between Prologue and first part of the novel.
Plot As with the cover, the plot of the book seems to be simple from the start - right? Nope - you would be wrong again.
Even, if it's a typically thoughtful and bizarre tale from Peter Fehervari that exposes just how insidious and devastating Genestealer Cults can be, it is still more than that. It provides insight on how Genestealer Cult appropriates and falsely aligns with Imperial Cult; on Patriarch metamorphosis from regular Genestealer; show all levels of cult infiltration from uninfected but unwitting cult followers, to newly infected humans, to cult born hybrids. First after Steve Parkers Deathwatch view on on hybrid birth, which is quick, but not instant. With further addition of a lot of 'misborn' aberrants. Command hierarchy of the cult and Genestealers menace - patriarch, it's indocrination technics, magus with it's evolution and 'family' hierarchy - their interactions with humans and internal Cult dynamics. Guard duties for the Cult chosen. In other words - almost every point of life and evolution of the Cult. Add to that a level of Lovecraftian horror, IG story - and you will have a splendid read.
Comparing to Fire Caste this novel Genestealer Cults it's much easier to read. But same as with his previous great book, Genestealer Cults requires quiet a lot from it’s readers: they should be attentive to the details, sensitive to speech and language nuances and most of all – they should be ready to embrace the madness, despair, bitterness, grimdark of the story. Exactly the list - why we truly love W40K. If you want a book about bravery, real life choices, human spirit evolution, horrific enemies, POV view from inside the head of an enemy - this book is definitely for you, because there is no more frightening enemy for a man here than his own sins and bad choices.
Novel is not simply great due to it's narrative, but due to way it's presented to a reader. We have several great examples of how a spirit of almost 'usual human being' could go into dark places and vise versa. In case of a 'shadow' (great character and an old fella from the Fire Caste) it's a road of redemption and additional despair. In case of a 'piligrim' - it's a case of hardness, unfairness and disappointment. But at the same time it's a road to duty, salvation and very distant 'hope'. And there are several such piligrims in the book.
And of course there are 'Black Flags' - that IG regiment and the actual planet provided a good, engrossing atmosphere throughout, and, I thought, gave a real grit to a fighting the Genestealers cult menace.
The main source of emotion an joy, are the characters and their interaction. They are all different, all alive and every one of them has a lot of secrets, doubts,sins and crossroad of choices. You can’t use the word “bright” while describing them, but they definitely will be memorable for those who still can empathize with broken souls 'shadows' and how did they get where. The reader will be able to experience all depth of pain and despair together with characters :)
Prose of the book. It's a Shakesperean opera and true compodium of a bigger lot of points: language, the nuances of which are changed when narration switches the point of view from one character to another, reflecting their mentality; structure of the book, which like classical ancient tragedy leads us from exposition to catastrophe; invisible link between the characters, when sins and madness of one affect others and just tightening the spiral of despair… Spiral which goes and coils with each chapter and paragraph... In conjunctions thousand of this little details create Spiral and Redemption – beautiful symphony of madness, slow corruption, decay, total despair. Separately it is necessary to mention «foreshadowing» – the art of innuendo. There are subtle hints on many developments from the beginning and attentive reader should spot them. Some of them are wrapped in images, symbols and metaphors, others require attention to details...
It is a dark book. But not so dark as a Fire Caste. There are more hope and 'kindness' here than in aforementioned novel.
Peter Fehervari writes with a passion and skill that belies belief. He keeps you invested and engaged throughout the narrative. He has a flair for writing action, and the detail of violence rendered matches the tool utilized. I wouldn't be surprised if he would write a lot of truly Lovecraftian stories in the future (Maybe he already did them - who knows).
Small cons. Book length, which really isn't working for its own good. There's a lot of things happening and they don't get to shine nor being properly explored - because BL get it's writing department into the smaller pages count. Give this book maybe 100 more pages and it would have been a masterpiece for ages (at least for 40k).
The other only point I did miss, comparing to his previous work is that in Fire Caste each chapter begins with an excerpt from Iverson's personal journal, and it is intriguing to watch the progression (or deterioration) of his mental state from event to event. This time only different parts of the novel starts with the 'Spiral wisdom', which is not as epic as Iverson's queries.
Due to all the aforementioned points Genestealer Cults totally deserve 5 starts. It's another great example of how true grim dark W40K novels should be written.
And additional praises to great author Peter Fehervari who has created this and previous masterpieces. It's an excellent continuation to his previous work and greatest novellas of them all 'Fire and Ice', that is atmospheric, brutal, and filled with horror. If the previous tale was about a man lost in his own 'heart of darkness', this one is about the humanity darkness in general. I simply can't wait for his next novel. Because I know for sure - that It would be AWESOME!
Having that picture and different name should definitely separate this novel from the Codex. Mistake which GW fixed only now. A lot of readers simply missed the previous 'Genestealer Cults' release last year, cause it has the same cover and name of the GC codex.
So having it with an amazing short under one cover let me remind you why you need to read 'Spiral Dawn' if you haven't already.
Well, - because, Peter's novel is BRILLIANT. As with his previous titles he has weaved great narrative where everything is exactly as it should be. As with a 'Fire Caste' and his uber cool novella 'Fire and Ice' from Shas'o anthology the story is a self-conscious road to a darkness, which so usually resides in human hearts.
So let's proceed with our spoiler-free review.
I would strongly suggest to anyone who would plan to read this novel - to read Fire Caste and short story 'Cast a Hungry Shadow' before this book. You will not regret it. First one has one character and his transition to the point of this novel. The second 'short story' has a status of a prequel to the actual narrative and take place between Prologue and first part of the novel.
Plot As with the cover, the plot of the book seems to be simple from the start - right? Nope - you would be wrong again.
Even, if it's a typically thoughtful and bizarre tale from Peter Fehervari that exposes just how insidious and devastating Genestealer Cults can be, it is still more than that. It provides insight on how Genestealer Cult appropriates and falsely aligns with Imperial Cult; on Patriarch metamorphosis from regular Genestealer; show all levels of cult infiltration from uninfected but unwitting cult followers, to newly infected humans, to cult born hybrids. First after Steve Parkers Deathwatch view on on hybrid birth, which is quick, but not instant. With further addition of a lot of 'misborn' aberrants. Command hierarchy of the cult and Genestealers menace - patriarch, it's indocrination technics, magus with it's evolution and 'family' hierarchy - their interactions with humans and internal Cult dynamics. Guard duties for the Cult chosen. In other words - almost every point of life and evolution of the Cult. Add to that a level of Lovecraftian horror, IG story - and you will have a splendid read.
Comparing to Fire Caste this novel Genestealer Cults it's much easier to read. But same as with his previous great book, Genestealer Cults requires quiet a lot from it’s readers: they should be attentive to the details, sensitive to speech and language nuances and most of all – they should be ready to embrace the madness, despair, bitterness, grimdark of the story. Exactly the list - why we truly love W40K. If you want a book about bravery, real life choices, human spirit evolution, horrific enemies, POV view from inside the head of an enemy - this book is definitely for you, because there is no more frightening enemy for a man here than his own sins and bad choices.
Novel is not simply great due to it's narrative, but due to way it's presented to a reader. We have several great examples of how a spirit of almost 'usual human being' could go into dark places and vise versa. In case of a 'shadow' (great character and an old fella from the Fire Caste) it's a road of redemption and additional despair. In case of a 'piligrim' - it's a case of hardness, unfairness and disappointment. But at the same time it's a road to duty, salvation and very distant 'hope'. And there are several such piligrims in the book.
And of course there are 'Black Flags' - that IG regiment and the actual planet provided a good, engrossing atmosphere throughout, and, I thought, gave a real grit to a fighting the Genestealers cult menace.
The main source of emotion an joy, are the characters and their interaction. They are all different, all alive and every one of them has a lot of secrets, doubts,sins and crossroad of choices. You can’t use the word “bright” while describing them, but they definitely will be memorable for those who still can empathize with broken souls 'shadows' and how did they get where. The reader will be able to experience all depth of pain and despair together with characters :)
Prose of the book. It's a Shakesperean opera and true compodium of a bigger lot of points: language, the nuances of which are changed when narration switches the point of view from one character to another, reflecting their mentality; structure of the book, which like classical ancient tragedy leads us from exposition to catastrophe; invisible link between the characters, when sins and madness of one affect others and just tightening the spiral of despair… Spiral which goes and coils with each chapter and paragraph... In conjunctions thousand of this little details create Spiral and Redemption – beautiful symphony of madness, slow corruption, decay, total despair. Separately it is necessary to mention «foreshadowing» – the art of innuendo. There are subtle hints on many developments from the beginning and attentive reader should spot them. Some of them are wrapped in images, symbols and metaphors, others require attention to details...
It is a dark book. But not so dark as a Fire Caste. There are more hope and 'kindness' here than in aforementioned novel.
Peter Fehervari writes with a passion and skill that belies belief. He keeps you invested and engaged throughout the narrative. He has a flair for writing action, and the detail of violence rendered matches the tool utilized. I wouldn't be surprised if he would write a lot of truly Lovecraftian stories in the future (Maybe he already did them - who knows).
Small cons. Book length, which really isn't working for its own good. There's a lot of things happening and they don't get to shine nor being properly explored - because BL get it's writing department into the smaller pages count. Give this book maybe 100 more pages and it would have been a masterpiece for ages (at least for 40k).
The other only point I did miss, comparing to his previous work is that in Fire Caste each chapter begins with an excerpt from Iverson's personal journal, and it is intriguing to watch the progression (or deterioration) of his mental state from event to event. This time only different parts of the novel starts with the 'Spiral wisdom', which is not as epic as Iverson's queries.
Due to all the aforementioned points Genestealer Cults totally deserve 5 starts. It's another great example of how true grim dark W40K novels should be written.
And additional praises to great author Peter Fehervari who has created this and previous masterpieces. It's an excellent continuation to his previous work and greatest novellas of them all 'Fire and Ice', that is atmospheric, brutal, and filled with horror. If the previous tale was about a man lost in his own 'heart of darkness', this one is about the humanity darkness in general. I simply can't wait for his next novel. Because I know for sure - that It would be AWESOME!
August 11, 2024
The completion of this book marks my complete journey through the tangled web of The Dark Coil as it is at the time of writing. It is with some sadness that I write this review knowing I have no more to read and must remain patient. Peter writes at his own pace, and with the consistently excellent quality of his work, I urge him to continue to do so, as they are always worth the wait.
The Cult of The Spiral Dawn is an interesting tale, anything that takes us back to the afflicted world of Vytarn (Redemption-219 as it is now known) is always going to be interesting, and into the tangled mess of chaos incursions and hidden Eldar constructs we now have a Genestealer infection. Peter has shown he's a master of metaphysical cosmic horrors in any of his previous works, but this time the cosmic horror is a living breathing creature, and so has different rules and laws through which it operates. And yet, this has not deterred Peter Fehervari from once again showing that he is a master of the horrors of 40K. The titular Cult of the Spiral Dawn are mysterious and compelling characters to follow on their ultimately tragic journey (for anyone familiar with 40k you know how their efforts are going to end up, ultimately, even if that fate is still very far off).
The more mundane characters the story follows are also among his best. Ariken is a strong grounding for the story, while returning characters from earlier mysteries continue to take the narrative of the Coil to new and interesting places. The action, when it comes, is also among the best Peter has done. The siege of the Locker is incredibly tense, built up well in what is a short novel, and made better by the reminders that just because you thought they were a main character, doesn't mean they're going to see the end of the story.
While I have not reviewed every story in the series, I have read and rated them all, and anyone who reads this, I encourage you to do the same. There is nothing like Peter Fehervari anywhere else in fiction. Some of these stories are easier to track down than others, but it is absolutely worth the effort.
Thank you, Peter. I will await your next instalment with bated breath.
The Cult of The Spiral Dawn is an interesting tale, anything that takes us back to the afflicted world of Vytarn (Redemption-219 as it is now known) is always going to be interesting, and into the tangled mess of chaos incursions and hidden Eldar constructs we now have a Genestealer infection. Peter has shown he's a master of metaphysical cosmic horrors in any of his previous works, but this time the cosmic horror is a living breathing creature, and so has different rules and laws through which it operates. And yet, this has not deterred Peter Fehervari from once again showing that he is a master of the horrors of 40K. The titular Cult of the Spiral Dawn are mysterious and compelling characters to follow on their ultimately tragic journey (for anyone familiar with 40k you know how their efforts are going to end up, ultimately, even if that fate is still very far off).
The more mundane characters the story follows are also among his best. Ariken is a strong grounding for the story, while returning characters from earlier mysteries continue to take the narrative of the Coil to new and interesting places. The action, when it comes, is also among the best Peter has done. The siege of the Locker is incredibly tense, built up well in what is a short novel, and made better by the reminders that just because you thought they were a main character, doesn't mean they're going to see the end of the story.
While I have not reviewed every story in the series, I have read and rated them all, and anyone who reads this, I encourage you to do the same. There is nothing like Peter Fehervari anywhere else in fiction. Some of these stories are easier to track down than others, but it is absolutely worth the effort.
Thank you, Peter. I will await your next instalment with bated breath.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2025
I mean, yeah, you get what is advertised – I popped this one open my first day at the beach, drawn by the cool title and promise of violence and mayhem in a distant grimdark future, and I got just that. Fehervari has a distinct style that he applies to all things W40k, and this one is no different. It helps a bit to have read Requiem Eternal as (AFAIK) this occurs some time after the events of that book in the same location, but it is not strictly necessary. A fun little detail for speakers of the language is how he keeps using plain ordinary Hungarian names for some of his characters – Saint Etelka kept reminding me of my kindergarten cleaning lady and it was a bit dissonant imagining her in an Adepta Sororitas getup battling monsters on a distant hellworld.
September 4, 2025
I was very happy with this read but at the same time it was too much for me.
At times I didn't knew what was happening and for a book of 250 pages there are lot of named characters plus titles and so I felt lost.
There is also some stories that I've should have read before (Fire Caste per example). This is the last book chronologically speaking of the Dark Coil.
75/100
At times I didn't knew what was happening and for a book of 250 pages there are lot of named characters plus titles and so I felt lost.
There is also some stories that I've should have read before (Fire Caste per example). This is the last book chronologically speaking of the Dark Coil.
75/100
September 17, 2017
Excellent build and characters. Fehervari is becoming one of my favorite BL authors.
April 1, 2019
Reads more like a horror novel than the usual wh fair.
October 6, 2024
This is my first Fehervari novel and it is utterly horrifying in the best ways. A twin helix of a story, multifactional and masterfully directed.
August 21, 2025
An abrupt, cliffhanger-esque ending that spoils an otherwise great story.
September 26, 2025
Fantastic book.
Captures perfectly the despair, horror and hopelesness of the 40k universe.
The worldbuilding is top notch.
Captures perfectly the despair, horror and hopelesness of the 40k universe.
The worldbuilding is top notch.
October 2, 2025
I liked this a lot, but stories like these are always kinda hard to feel the full impact of since you know the universe the big twist is known from the beginning.
May 6, 2018
Peter Fehervari’s Cult of the Spiral Dawn comprises a short but powerful novel – originally released with the bland title of Legends of the Dark Millennium: Genestealer Cults – plus an accompanying short story, Cast a Hungry Shadow (or Casts…depending on which version you read). Whether as an introduction to Fehervari’s writing or part of an ongoing exploration, it is – quite simply – essential reading for any 40k fan looking to dig beneath the surface a little.
Taken as a whole this is a 40k story that’s a dark as any other, layered with detail and told with a real eye for both compelling storytelling and the essential elements that make 40k unlike any other science fiction setting. Fehervari’s work isn’t going to appeal to everyone, and this is no different, so you’re best off going into this with your eyes open. If what you want is a story that’s bleak and complex and powerful and creepy – and that rewards you for really paying attention – then there’s not much else out there which compares to this. Just be warned – it’s a dark and twisted path, and you might find yourself ensnared.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/04/...
Taken as a whole this is a 40k story that’s a dark as any other, layered with detail and told with a real eye for both compelling storytelling and the essential elements that make 40k unlike any other science fiction setting. Fehervari’s work isn’t going to appeal to everyone, and this is no different, so you’re best off going into this with your eyes open. If what you want is a story that’s bleak and complex and powerful and creepy – and that rewards you for really paying attention – then there’s not much else out there which compares to this. Just be warned – it’s a dark and twisted path, and you might find yourself ensnared.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/04/...
January 18, 2019
As a WH40k book it was awesome. It had excellent world building, lore, and interesting characters. The mystery was also great! However, there is just too much going on to commit the large cast of characters and events to memory. It was more of a string of chronological event shown in scenes, similar to a timeline, rather than a novel. I had difficulty keeping characters straight because every other page a new person was named and described. While I appreciated the storytelling from the AM and the GSC perspectives it would have been a more powerful book if it was narrowed down to one side and one main character. It is also a cheap hook to introduce a cast of characters only to immediately kill them off (prologue). I wanted to follow that story, but it ended up as just an empty scene. It deters readers from caring and getting to know the main character, if there was one...
Again, it is a great book to read for 40k, but as a novel to read for enjoyment I found it was ok.
Again, it is a great book to read for 40k, but as a novel to read for enjoyment I found it was ok.
November 1, 2019
Dense and opaque, with a real sense of unfolding; unlike anything I’ve ever read from Black Library. There are layers upon layers of mystery here: many only partially revealed. You have to circle back and think hard on all that is presented yet there are precious few moments to do so as the plot continues apace and the action, rare but effective, is gripping.
Peter Fehervari is an enigma, his writing is labyrinthine; such puzzle box story telling can be difficult to pay-off and it doesn’t quite come together here. I’ve heard he seeds his mysteries across all his works in a dislocated manner so I’m willing to be patient and keep reading.
Peter Fehervari is an enigma, his writing is labyrinthine; such puzzle box story telling can be difficult to pay-off and it doesn’t quite come together here. I’ve heard he seeds his mysteries across all his works in a dislocated manner so I’m willing to be patient and keep reading.
February 29, 2020
A middling effort from Fehervari. His strength for me is in creation of atmosphere (Fire Caste was AMAZING, and although it got a bit overblown at the end, Requiem Infernal had some skin-crawlingly creepy moments), and this one just never reached the same pitch. I've seen other reviewers say Spiral Dawn was unique in its depiction of a genestealer cult from the inside, and maybe that's so, but still compared to his other work I felt this one was a bit. lackluster.
February 20, 2022
I really wanted to like this, and it started relatively well, but it just feels like a mess by the end. There end up being a lot of characters, many of whom aren't that different to others, so end up not being memorable, and the main story just seems to... stop. It feels incomplete. There's also a short story at the end which is a bit meaningless and comes entirely out of sequence with the rest of the plot.
December 19, 2022
Peter Fehervari is the unlikely Evelyn Waugh of 40k authors. Writing about Tyrannid genestealer cults is not an obvious opportunity to showcase a prose style that combines the economy of Evelyn Waugh’s Decline and Fall with the jewel crusted baroquetries of his Brideshead Revisited, but Fehervari, rather extraordinarily, manages to do so. One of the very, very few 40k books to read for its literary qualities.
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