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Warhammer 40,000
Jain Zar: The Storm of Silence
The second book in the Phoenix Lords series, focusing on the fast and deadly female warrior, Jain Zar, first exarch of the Howling Banshees.
The enigmatic eldar are one of the many intelligent races that battle humankind for control of the stars. Though few in number, they are an ancient race, and their mode of war blends spirituality with a unique mastery of technology. In times of need, the entire eldar race will rouse to war led by terrifying, almost mythological figures – the phoenix lords. Each different in his or her own way, these immortal beings embody the warrior nature of the eldar. Jain Zar – the Storm of Silence – was the first phoenix lord to be recruited by Asurmen, and would prove a swift and deadly fighter, able to harness the rage of her scream to slaughter any who dare oppose her.
The enigmatic eldar are one of the many intelligent races that battle humankind for control of the stars. Though few in number, they are an ancient race, and their mode of war blends spirituality with a unique mastery of technology. In times of need, the entire eldar race will rouse to war led by terrifying, almost mythological figures – the phoenix lords. Each different in his or her own way, these immortal beings embody the warrior nature of the eldar. Jain Zar – the Storm of Silence – was the first phoenix lord to be recruited by Asurmen, and would prove a swift and deadly fighter, able to harness the rage of her scream to slaughter any who dare oppose her.
ebook
Published January 1, 2017
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About the author
Gav Thorpe
377 books576 followersGav spent 14 years as a developer for Games Workshop, and started writing novels and short stories in the worlds of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 when the Black Library imprint was launched in 1997.
He continues to write for Black Library, and his first 'homegrown' novel series The Crown of the Blood has been released via Angry Robot.
Currently living in Nottingham, Gav shares his home with his loving and very understanding partner - Kez, and their beautiful little boy - Sammy.
He continues to write for Black Library, and his first 'homegrown' novel series The Crown of the Blood has been released via Angry Robot.
Currently living in Nottingham, Gav shares his home with his loving and very understanding partner - Kez, and their beautiful little boy - Sammy.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 9, 2018
Jain Zar is one of those Warhammer books where the value of the tale lies in the background information provided by the tale.
First things first Jain Zar is one of the baddest female characters I've run into. Unlike the virtue-signalling Mary-Sues that tend to populate modern fiction, Jain Zar is a character who appeals to me because of her background. It is a harsh upbringing and her growth from a gladiator to training to become one of the Phoenix Lords. It is in the retelling of her tale that we begin to glean the concepts behind the concepts of the Eldar.
It is in this description that the story shines. The tale set in the modern time is rather mundane and slightly confusing. I won't even touch on it beyond saying it has to do with turning an Ork invasion towards another world,likely Imperial, to save a Craftworld. The history behind the Eldar is fascinating. Jain Zar is functionally immortal and has been around awhile. She was there for the Fall of the Eldar and witnessed the birth of Slaneesh and the destruction of the Eldar empire.
In order to avoid having their souls consumed by She Who Thirsts, the Eldar that survived all choose a Path. Those who never change their Path, as Eldar tend to do over time, on the Aspect of the Warrior are known as Exarchs. They are Eldar who specialize in war. The most powerful of the Exarchs become the living Aspect Warrior of the different Paths of the Warrior. When the Exarch dons the ancient war suit they are subsumed by the Spirit within the armor. Jain Zar is the Aspect Warrior of the Howling Banshees. Her name means "The Storm of Silence".
It is in this tale and her training with Aurmen, the Hand of Asuryan, that this story had me hooked. If you are looking for a great background story on the Fall, Exarchs, Phoenix Lords and the Eldar you will love this book. Not to mention this is the first story with Asdrubael Vect, the Dark Eldar Archon of the Kabal of the Black Heart and the current Supreme Overlord of the Dark City of Commorragh. What an awesome character.
Good book, mediocre story, great background history. Highly recommended for any Warhammer 40K .
First things first Jain Zar is one of the baddest female characters I've run into. Unlike the virtue-signalling Mary-Sues that tend to populate modern fiction, Jain Zar is a character who appeals to me because of her background. It is a harsh upbringing and her growth from a gladiator to training to become one of the Phoenix Lords. It is in the retelling of her tale that we begin to glean the concepts behind the concepts of the Eldar.
It is in this description that the story shines. The tale set in the modern time is rather mundane and slightly confusing. I won't even touch on it beyond saying it has to do with turning an Ork invasion towards another world,likely Imperial, to save a Craftworld. The history behind the Eldar is fascinating. Jain Zar is functionally immortal and has been around awhile. She was there for the Fall of the Eldar and witnessed the birth of Slaneesh and the destruction of the Eldar empire.
In order to avoid having their souls consumed by She Who Thirsts, the Eldar that survived all choose a Path. Those who never change their Path, as Eldar tend to do over time, on the Aspect of the Warrior are known as Exarchs. They are Eldar who specialize in war. The most powerful of the Exarchs become the living Aspect Warrior of the different Paths of the Warrior. When the Exarch dons the ancient war suit they are subsumed by the Spirit within the armor. Jain Zar is the Aspect Warrior of the Howling Banshees. Her name means "The Storm of Silence".
It is in this tale and her training with Aurmen, the Hand of Asuryan, that this story had me hooked. If you are looking for a great background story on the Fall, Exarchs, Phoenix Lords and the Eldar you will love this book. Not to mention this is the first story with Asdrubael Vect, the Dark Eldar Archon of the Kabal of the Black Heart and the current Supreme Overlord of the Dark City of Commorragh. What an awesome character.
Good book, mediocre story, great background history. Highly recommended for any Warhammer 40K .
April 14, 2021
The book has a lot of interesting background on the Eldar, the Dark Eldar the harlequins and even a little ork, but the over all story suffers a lot from this.
I’d recommend it to anyone who’s interested in the Eldar factions, but not to someone who’s looking for an interesting book.
I’d recommend it to anyone who’s interested in the Eldar factions, but not to someone who’s looking for an interesting book.
February 13, 2025
Jain Zar, Howling Banshee Phoenix Lord, happens to be one of the first named characters I ever encountered in an early 90s 40k game. About a quarter of a century later Gav Thorpe put together this entertaining novel which expands on the Storm of Silence's backstory, provides numerous enjoyable interactions with other notable Eldar characters, and fights lots of Orks for reasons that aren't terribly clear.
A fun read, admirably free of Space Marines, which gives perhaps the Black Library's most neglected 40k faction some overdue love but is lighter on plot than it could have been.
A fun read, admirably free of Space Marines, which gives perhaps the Black Library's most neglected 40k faction some overdue love but is lighter on plot than it could have been.
October 28, 2017
If you’re an eldar fan then this is essential reading, with the cleverly chosen story arcs and timeframes giving Gav the opportunity to really delve into the early stages of what you might call ‘current’ eldar development, and spend time with unusual characters across the range of eldar archetypes. While it might not have the wow factor of a pre-Fall story, it has a depth and breadth of exploration that’s beyond pretty much any other eldar story. For the same reasons, if you’re not already a fan then this might just be the book to persuade you otherwise and demonstrate why these characters are so fascinating.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2017/10/...
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2017/10/...
January 24, 2018
You can read the full review over at my blog:
https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...
When I first got into reading Warhammer fiction and when I first came upon the Eldar race, I was always fascinated with their concept of the immortal heroes known as the Phoenix Lords. Warriors of great skill who laid down the foundations of what would be known as the Path of the Eldar, they are figures both historical and mythological, and they are utterly fascinating. When I eventually started playing the tabletop game, my first Eldar army featured lots of jetbikes and other fast units, emulating how a Shining Spear army would perform. The Phoenix Lords are a concept that is fairly unique and exciting to explore, which is why the new series from Black Library interests me a lot.
Jain Zar: The Storm of Silence is the second novel in the Phoenix Lords series, and the first of its kind that I’ve read. Written by Eldar-maestro Gav Thorpe himself, it offers a compelling origin story of the first Howling Banshee juxtaposed against a tale of conflict and sorrow in a more modern time as she leads a strike-force against the bestial Orks. A largely-sedate story with some gripping action scenes, Jain Zar is very much a definitive Eldar novel, exposing some of the xenos race’s greatest secrets and myths.
The Howling Banshees are one of the most preeminent of all the Eldar Aspect Warrior schools. Formed largely by female Eldar, their preferred manner of war is to get up-close and personal in hand-to-hand combat and unleash their psychic screams. They are, in and of themselves, a fascinating warrior concept, and Jain Zar is the pinnacle of what the Howling Banshees can be.
Gav divides Jain Zar into two distinct halves. The first deals with a shared mission by the various Phoenix Lords as they are called together and imparted visions of the future that must, in some way, prevent. We focus exclusively on Jain Zar here as her vision takes her first to Commorragh, the Webway-bound city-world of the Dark Eldar, and then to the Craftworld Ulthwe to forestall an Ork invasion in the distant future. The second half deals with Jain Zar’s origin story as she transitions from being a gladiatrix warrior lost in the aftermath of the Fall of the Eldar to a savior of her people. Asurmen, the first Phoenix Lord, also makes his appearance here as he helps guide Jain Zar onto her new path and as they create a new reality for their people.
I must say, it is a delight to be reading about the Eldar when the stories are written by Gav. He has written a number over the years and has proven himself to be a master of the same. He has a certain command over how to build-up their culture and their personalities and though some fantasy elements do sprinkle in time-to-time, his works are always enlightening to some degree. The same holds true for Jain Zar for I picked up the novel just going by the name and what that promised, knowing nothing else. And I was surprised by every chapter as I read more and more.
https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...
When I first got into reading Warhammer fiction and when I first came upon the Eldar race, I was always fascinated with their concept of the immortal heroes known as the Phoenix Lords. Warriors of great skill who laid down the foundations of what would be known as the Path of the Eldar, they are figures both historical and mythological, and they are utterly fascinating. When I eventually started playing the tabletop game, my first Eldar army featured lots of jetbikes and other fast units, emulating how a Shining Spear army would perform. The Phoenix Lords are a concept that is fairly unique and exciting to explore, which is why the new series from Black Library interests me a lot.
Jain Zar: The Storm of Silence is the second novel in the Phoenix Lords series, and the first of its kind that I’ve read. Written by Eldar-maestro Gav Thorpe himself, it offers a compelling origin story of the first Howling Banshee juxtaposed against a tale of conflict and sorrow in a more modern time as she leads a strike-force against the bestial Orks. A largely-sedate story with some gripping action scenes, Jain Zar is very much a definitive Eldar novel, exposing some of the xenos race’s greatest secrets and myths.
The Howling Banshees are one of the most preeminent of all the Eldar Aspect Warrior schools. Formed largely by female Eldar, their preferred manner of war is to get up-close and personal in hand-to-hand combat and unleash their psychic screams. They are, in and of themselves, a fascinating warrior concept, and Jain Zar is the pinnacle of what the Howling Banshees can be.
Gav divides Jain Zar into two distinct halves. The first deals with a shared mission by the various Phoenix Lords as they are called together and imparted visions of the future that must, in some way, prevent. We focus exclusively on Jain Zar here as her vision takes her first to Commorragh, the Webway-bound city-world of the Dark Eldar, and then to the Craftworld Ulthwe to forestall an Ork invasion in the distant future. The second half deals with Jain Zar’s origin story as she transitions from being a gladiatrix warrior lost in the aftermath of the Fall of the Eldar to a savior of her people. Asurmen, the first Phoenix Lord, also makes his appearance here as he helps guide Jain Zar onto her new path and as they create a new reality for their people.
I must say, it is a delight to be reading about the Eldar when the stories are written by Gav. He has written a number over the years and has proven himself to be a master of the same. He has a certain command over how to build-up their culture and their personalities and though some fantasy elements do sprinkle in time-to-time, his works are always enlightening to some degree. The same holds true for Jain Zar for I picked up the novel just going by the name and what that promised, knowing nothing else. And I was surprised by every chapter as I read more and more.
March 2, 2025
Jain Zar is beyond a certified badass woman whose name alone strikes fear into her enemies. Strong female characters in almost any universe will always be my favorite. The ones whom I forever root for and wish to be like one day. I'm just hoping I can someone channel even a small morsel of their confidence and badassery that comes with being such a force to be reckoned with.
Thorpe did a wonderful job in teleporting the reader into the grim dark world of 40k and made me feel like I was dropped down on an alien planet with the characters. The narrator for the audio book was made for this type of character and really helped bring to life the story of Jain Zar becoming the renowned Phoenix Lord of the Howling Banshees. Then, continuing on to the never-ending and harrowing mission of protecting the Eldar, so they survive long enough to one day know peace. I would love to see this story along with others Thorpe has written on screen someday in the form of some high-quality animation.
Throughout the story, I had moments when I had to pause and relisten to shock and jaw-dropping details about just how dark it has become for the Eldar. One moment was when Asurmen was recollecting on the shift of when the Eldar started to turn a ball game into a blood sport. The goal being, to satiate their glutton desire of feeding on emotions in excess out of boredom. I had to pause and relisten to that moment twice to make sure I heard it right. It put into perspective just how far they had drifted from who the Eldar originally were as a people. Immortality does not seem all sunshine and rainbows now, does it? Definitely not, especially when a race can overtime become so bored and ruthless that murdering for sport becomes to be known as a type of dance. The Eldar history in the world of 40k continues to fascinate me, and I look forward to reading more of Thorpe's books about the other grim dark badasses in a universe that's even more fucked up than the beings and creatures dwelling within.
4/5 Banshees
Thorpe did a wonderful job in teleporting the reader into the grim dark world of 40k and made me feel like I was dropped down on an alien planet with the characters. The narrator for the audio book was made for this type of character and really helped bring to life the story of Jain Zar becoming the renowned Phoenix Lord of the Howling Banshees. Then, continuing on to the never-ending and harrowing mission of protecting the Eldar, so they survive long enough to one day know peace. I would love to see this story along with others Thorpe has written on screen someday in the form of some high-quality animation.
Throughout the story, I had moments when I had to pause and relisten to shock and jaw-dropping details about just how dark it has become for the Eldar. One moment was when Asurmen was recollecting on the shift of when the Eldar started to turn a ball game into a blood sport. The goal being, to satiate their glutton desire of feeding on emotions in excess out of boredom. I had to pause and relisten to that moment twice to make sure I heard it right. It put into perspective just how far they had drifted from who the Eldar originally were as a people. Immortality does not seem all sunshine and rainbows now, does it? Definitely not, especially when a race can overtime become so bored and ruthless that murdering for sport becomes to be known as a type of dance. The Eldar history in the world of 40k continues to fascinate me, and I look forward to reading more of Thorpe's books about the other grim dark badasses in a universe that's even more fucked up than the beings and creatures dwelling within.
4/5 Banshees
June 28, 2018
This is an intriguing read as it actually a misnomer. None of this book actually occurs in the 41st Millenium. It is split over two time zones including the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic birth of Slaanesh that all but annihilated the Eldar race. This book essentially follows the creation of the division of the Eldar race and their attitudes to dealing with other races in such straightened circumstances.
Having said that, this is a great read. Gav Thorpe has always been a good writer of all things elvish or Eldar and here he is on top form. Jain Zar has her back story filled out and we get to see aspects of the history of the Eldar that we have never really explored. That is the fascinating aspect of the novel, more than the fighting, which is reasonably handled by the veteran writet of these things.
This is well worth a read, as it reads well as a sci fi novel and worth an extra star if you love your WH40K fluff.
Having said that, this is a great read. Gav Thorpe has always been a good writer of all things elvish or Eldar and here he is on top form. Jain Zar has her back story filled out and we get to see aspects of the history of the Eldar that we have never really explored. That is the fascinating aspect of the novel, more than the fighting, which is reasonably handled by the veteran writet of these things.
This is well worth a read, as it reads well as a sci fi novel and worth an extra star if you love your WH40K fluff.
August 20, 2018
This new series set in the 40K universe that is focused on the Phoenix Lords of the Eldar, is becoming really good.
It started with Asurmen and it had a bit of a slow burn, but that was more because that is what Asurmen is, slow to anger and methodical. This book is more fitting with what Jain Zar is too, moments of raw unbridled rage and violence, then moments of clarity and calm.
She is more the interesting character than Asurmen, but more because she has more a struggle with her emotions, she is by that extension more human. Where Asurmen is calm and balanced.
You also get to see Eldrad Ulthuan about 700-800 years before present setting in 40K. As well as quite an interesting view on the Dark Eldar.
All in all, if you are interested in the Eldar this is a great book for you. If you just want to see an interesting character in the 40K setting, it is still a really good read.
It started with Asurmen and it had a bit of a slow burn, but that was more because that is what Asurmen is, slow to anger and methodical. This book is more fitting with what Jain Zar is too, moments of raw unbridled rage and violence, then moments of clarity and calm.
She is more the interesting character than Asurmen, but more because she has more a struggle with her emotions, she is by that extension more human. Where Asurmen is calm and balanced.
You also get to see Eldrad Ulthuan about 700-800 years before present setting in 40K. As well as quite an interesting view on the Dark Eldar.
All in all, if you are interested in the Eldar this is a great book for you. If you just want to see an interesting character in the 40K setting, it is still a really good read.
May 27, 2021
Really enjoyed it, once again its a little confusing as someone who knows next to nothing about Warhammer and just thought Jain Zar was cool and wanted to know more about her.
The names are tough to pronounce but that just comes with Eldar.
I loved the different timelines and the stories that came with them. After this book Jain Zar is still great and I now have her model that I need to put together and paint, I love her so much!
Probably not the best place to start learning about Warhammer lore but I don't particularly care about any other part of it.
Some parts felt a little slow and over explained but overall the pace was well done and the fighting was very enjoyable to read.
There were a few times where I wanted to put the book down in order to go do other things and just immediately picked the book back up again, I took it everywhere with me in the 2 days it took me to read it.
The names are tough to pronounce but that just comes with Eldar.
I loved the different timelines and the stories that came with them. After this book Jain Zar is still great and I now have her model that I need to put together and paint, I love her so much!
Probably not the best place to start learning about Warhammer lore but I don't particularly care about any other part of it.
Some parts felt a little slow and over explained but overall the pace was well done and the fighting was very enjoyable to read.
There were a few times where I wanted to put the book down in order to go do other things and just immediately picked the book back up again, I took it everywhere with me in the 2 days it took me to read it.
December 1, 2017
Another excellent tale about the era immediately after the Fall. The first entry in the series, "Asurmen" was pretty interesting, and this book is no exception. An additional insight is how the Dark Eldar came to be and that they are not that much different from their Craftworld-dwelling counterparts.
Even the two larger-scale fight scenes were pretty nicely written without overpowering the main story as it happens far too often with Warhammer stories.
All in all, enjoyed both books so far and waiting breathlessly for further installments, hoping to read more about the other Phoenix Lords...
Even the two larger-scale fight scenes were pretty nicely written without overpowering the main story as it happens far too often with Warhammer stories.
All in all, enjoyed both books so far and waiting breathlessly for further installments, hoping to read more about the other Phoenix Lords...
August 10, 2021
Having only recently gotten into the warhammer 40K universe this turned out to be essential reading to give life to the many characters I’ve been looking at playing within the army I’m collecting.
Sadly this name dropping was the only thing I really enjoyed about the book. The story for me played second fiddle. And in this case that’s ok as I enjoyed the wider world in which this story is set. But readers looking for a standalone good story will be disappointed.
Sadly this name dropping was the only thing I really enjoyed about the book. The story for me played second fiddle. And in this case that’s ok as I enjoyed the wider world in which this story is set. But readers looking for a standalone good story will be disappointed.
March 5, 2019
Another necessary book of canon for the Aeldari background. It really makes me want to read another. It slightly baffled me at first as to the shifted time frame from Asurmen, but once I got used to it I sped through the book hungry for more.
August 25, 2021
Great WH book
January 23, 2022
Bit complicated and hard to follow.
April 17, 2022
Decent WH40k book but felt that the plot was strung too thinly to justify the length.
March 1, 2023
Great book about Jain Zar! Great content and prose!
February 24, 2024
A coming of age story in where an elf finds herself following a great loss.
February 2, 2025
Warhammer book gives enough context to explain situations challenge: level impossible
November 12, 2025
This is a book about a character from the table top game Warhammer 40,000. It was a gift from my boyfriend, because I like the characters the Eldar. I have read one other book in the same universe by the same author and I had a really hard time getting through it. But this one was much better, I really liked how it gave some history of how the character became who they are, and had some nice battles in the present day. It was a really good mixture of action and storyline. I was able to easily connect with the main character, and really liked her. I also really liked her characters attributes etc, I just wish the models were more appealing to me. It had a nice even flow, and the battles were detailed, but a non-player could enjoy the book too.
For more reviews see my blog: https://adventuresofabibliophile.blog...
For more reviews see my blog: https://adventuresofabibliophile.blog...
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews