Inferno! Volume 2

Inferno! #2

by Guy Haley, C.L. Werner

Tales from the Worlds of Warhammer

From the fighting pits of Ghur to the mists of Chamon, and into the Dark Imperium, this collection of short stories features mystery, danger and, of course, brutal battle.

READ IT BECAUSE
Packed full of tales by authors old and new, this is an essential short fiction collection that will be sure to thrill any reader.

DESCRIPTION
The second volume of this anthology collection comprises more new short fiction from the worlds of Warhammer. Penned by debut and current Black Library authors, its tales range from the fighting pits in the realm of Ghur to the mists of Chamon, while in the brutal galaxy of the Dark Imperium, mysteries must be solved but that doesn’t mean escaping the horrors unscathed.

In this volume, Guy Haley continues the story of the aelf wanderer, Prince Maesa, as he rides out a storm in the depths of Shyish. A skaven team attempt to carry out a daring heist in a tale of villainous betrayal, and an Imperial Guardsman must investigate an isolated town’s secret if he and his men are to survive the night. These and many other stories are collected here for the first time.

CONTENTS
The Merchant’s Story by Guy Haley
The Thirteenth Psalm by Peter Fehevari
Spiritus in Machina by Thomas Parrott
From the Deep by Jaine Fenn
Faith in Thunder by Robert Charles
What Wakes in the Dark by Miles A Drake
Solace by Steve Lyons
Ties of Blood by Jaime Crisalli
Turn of the Adder by J C Stearns
No Honour Among Vermin by C L Werner

Genres: Fantasy, 40k, Anthologies, Science Fiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 5, 2019

About the author

Guy Haley is the author of over 50 novels and novellas. His original fiction includes Crash, Champion of Mars, and the Richards and Klein, Dreaming Cities, and the Gates of the World series (as K M McKinley). However, he is best known as a prolific contributor to Games Workshop's Black Library imprint.

When not writing, he'll be out doing something dangerous in the wild, learning languages or gaming.

Reviews

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inferno is a collection of short stories set in the entirety of the Warhammer world, meaning both Fantasy and 40K. I will just give my rating/outline of the short stories. Overall? 4 stars..good collection and serves as a great intro to different aspects of the worlds. If you find a story you like you can then delve into the world around it, if you wish.

The Merchant's Story- Fantasy. 4/5. An excellent short story about a greedy dwarf, a needy elf and an interesting beau. Well done.

The Thirteenth Psalm- 40K. 5/5. A group of Angels Penitent learn about renunciation of "sin" and a look inside their souls on a mission to capture a Chaos mirror. These guys are a morbid bunch. Reminds me of flagellant monks in nature. I liked this one quite a bit and it serves as a cautionary tale about grim righteousness.

Spiritus In Machina- 40K. 4/5. A damaged Skitarri awakens to a disaster. He needs to find his Mechanicus Masters but all is not as it seems. A cool and dark story.

From the Deep- Fantasy. 2/5. meh. A bunch of Naereids fight against Nurgle's monsters who are poisoning the sea. Meh.

Faith in Thunder- Fantasy. 5/5. A captured soldier, Niara Sydona, uses her refusal to give up her faith in Sigmar inspires a fallen warrior to remember his gods. This was a solid story. Brutal and violent. This was well done.

What Wakes in the Dark- 40K. 3/5. Death Spectres inspect a "gone quiet" post and run into some not friendly Necrontyr.

Solace- 40K. 5/5. I liked this creepy story. A unit of Mordian Guard fleeing Aeldari stumble on a strange village in the middle of nowhere. How are these guys surviving out in the middle of nowhere? A great creeping horror story.

Ties of Blood-Fantasy. 5/5. A great Dark Eldar story about a Father's quest for his son. A great Slaneesh/Khorne story. Bad guys vs bad guys is always cool. I like Drukharri and enjoyed this story about their harsh and complex society.

Turn of the Adder- 40K. 5/5. Like the previous story this one focuses on the excellent Drukharri, but this time in 40K. An Archon and his sons spend quality time, learn about ambition, glory, betrayal and power. Excellent look at the Dark Eldar.

No Honour Among Vermin- Fantasy. 3/5. This wasn't a bad story. It was about Skaven, the Rat peoples, and their mission to steal a bell from a Chaos cult. It was interesting to read about the Skaven but they didn't really do it for me as a race I am that into. Sorry rat people.


So in summation- a good collection of both the Fantasy and 40K story arcs. Serves as a great intro for newcomers and a nice short read for Warhammer fans.

[Anthony Giordano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: This review only covers Peter Fehervari's entry, "The Thirteenth Psalm"; it being the sole reason I bought this title. Somewhere down the line, I might read/review the other stories contained herein, but, in the case of the Age of Sigmar stories, I highly doubt it. Also, as Inferno! features stories by new BL authors, I want to wish them the best of luck in their writing careers.

The Thirteenth Psalm, from Black Library's Inferno! Vol. 2, marks the most welcome return of the Angels Penitent, the morbid Chapter introduced to us (along with their original iteration, the Angels Resplendent) by Peter Fehervari in his profoundly deep, heart-wrenching story The Crown of Thorns.

Side note: This is for those who, perhaps, are reading a story by Fehervari for the first time. I mention this since part of the appeal of Inferno! is outreach to new readers. Peter Fehervari is, in my opinion, and in the opinion of many others, the finest, deepest, and darkest author in the Black Library stable. Throughout the course of his body of work, he has masterfully woven a bizarre, mind-twisting tapestry known as the "Dark Coil". Ergo, each of his stories are interwoven with all the others, and all contain both important bridges between them, as well as cryptic, nuanced strands and references.

If you are going into this story as a first-timer, I'd highly recommend, at least, reading The Crown of Thorns first. That is your best primer for witnessing the fate of the Angels Resplendent, and the current state of the Angels Penitent. On a side note, a reading of the outstanding novella Fire & Ice will introduce you to the planet Oblazt, upon which the action in Thirteenth Psalm transpires.

And now, back to the review proper.

Formerly unparalleled artisans and craftsmen, the brothers of the Angels Resplendent fell into brutal religious zealotry with the arrival of the Undying Martyr, a mysterious and terrifying figure who espoused a regime of piousness and penance. Reborn as the Angels Penitent, the brothers have adapted an iconoclastic stance - going to far as to dispatch teams to expunge the artifacts crafted in their 'former life' from points across the galaxy (their creations were highly sought after in days of old).

Heading up one particular team (Absolution Company) is Bjargo Rathana - a former Artisan Illuminant turned Chaplain Castigant (a member of the dreaded 'Crown of Thorns' - the brutal conclave of Chaplains which oversees the draconian tenets of the Angels Penitent with an iron hammer; errrr, crozius.

In The Thirteenth Psalm, Absolution Company is tasked with the censure of a particularly heinous artifact; a massive, magnificent mirror crafted by one of the most-esteemed (former) artisans. What causes their mission to be markedly more onerous is the fact that this artifact in particular is a prized piece in the the collection of an Oblazt aristocrat, one Konteza Esseker. Esseker's tastes run towards the baser pleasures; suffice to say her manse is named the 'Concupiscent Hearth' with very good reason.

Now, if you know 40K stories, then you can guess that those with carnal desires have usually brokered deals with carnal beings. And, if you know Fehervari, then you know that whenever a mirror appears, some dark, painful truths are bound to be revealed.

The Thirteenth Psalm is Fehervari in top form. As bizarre, deep, and twisting as it is, it is still remarkably accessible. Also, what helps it stand out is that it is, bar none, Fehervari's most outright 'horror' story (to be honest, I am extremely perplexed as to why Black Library did not place this under the umbrella of their fledgling 'Warhammer Horror' imprint; in my opinion this would have been a fantastic inaugural work for it).

So how do all the parts stack up?

Story:
As with most Fehervari stories, The Thirteenth Psalm unfolds via a nonlinear narrative. We open in front of the reviled mirror, as Rathana recounts the events of the mission to the double who stands before him.

The mission, of course, had been a rapid descent into madness, as Esseker's insidious presence hounded the stalwart Astartes from the moment they stepped foot in her cursed estate.

To say more would risk spoilers. This is a short story, and Fehervari, as always, makes every word count. In short, The Thirteenth Psalm is a true Warhammer 40K Space Marine haunted house story. To put it like that makes the premise seem ludicrously incongruous; yet through Fehervari's masterful writing, it is an effective and terrifying slice of horror.

Characters:
Exceptional. When dealing with Space Marines, an author has to be creative to accommodate their particular emotional palette. Fehervari works within these parameters, and still imbues his characters with gravitas, with passion, with despair. Always despair. Despair which knows no bounds; constrained by no falls, allowing emotional tumbles which are never rewarded with even the catharsis of hitting bottom.

The Angels Penitent walk the endless path of perennial contrition; their grim raison d'etre the search for absolution for their past 'transgressions'. Of course, simple censure will never remedy these vain crimes, as the pride upon which their passions were predicated remain a fixed smear upon their souls.

Of course, the Konteza, as well as her vile mirror, find fertile ground for manipulation within these troubled souls.

Action:
Fehervari has stated elsewhere that action is never the focal point of his stories. That may be true, but in each of his stories, the action, when and where it occurs, is always top-notch. I've stated before, Fehervari has a director's eye for orchestrating action setpieces, and the results are as brutal and ugly as one would expect of combat involving genetically-enhanced humans encased in ceramite armor, and wielding wicked weapons of mass destruction.

There is one blistering action scene at the climax of The Thirteenth Psalm. It is all things mentioned above; and the ramifications are disastrous for all involved. The descriptions of all that transpires in this scene are palpable, real, and terrifying.

Name Game:
One of the highlights of reading anything by Fehervari is connecting the dots between stories; as well as searching for hidden meanings (or outright Easter Eggs) behind character and place names.

The primary connection in The Thirteenth Psalm is, of course, the return to Oblazt. Oblazt is still, as we saw in Fire & Ice, in the throes of revolt as those who've opted to throw in their lot with the Greater Good are in the process of overthrowing their aristo overlords.

As for names, Fehervari chooses those, especially for the brothers of the Angels Penitent, which carry connotations of beauty as well as religious significance.

However, there is one 'name-string' which I found particularly well done; both meaningful and clever. It involves my absolute favorite character in the story, Brother-Redactor Anselm (the main reason why Anselm became a fast favorite should be absolutely no surprise at all 😁). Anselm, a beautiful name on its own (an Italian name which emerged from Germanic roots), means "with God's protection". However, it also links to to painter Anselm Kiefer, who created a profound piece named "The Hierarchy of the Angels", which is roughly the same size and shape of the mirror in the story. Also remember that a true "Hierarchy of Angels" stands before the mirror in the story, as we have Brothers, a Sergeant, and Bjargo, a Chaplain Castigant (the ruling faction in the Angels Penitent). Pretty cool, right?

There's a tad more. Taking Anselm's last name, Kiefer, we saunter over to Kiefer Sutherland, who starred in a movie called Mirrors, which featured a pivotal character named....Esseker.

See, not only do you get a fantastic story; you get bonus word games as well.

Get your copy of Inferno! Vol. 2. If for no other reason than to experience this story, do it. You won't be disappointed.

Here's What It Is:
Peter Fehervari finally gets to unleash his horror chops in a terrifying, atmospheric, emotional haunted house tale.

The fear is effective, keeping us peeking around every corner, pondering what horrors might lurk there. The terror becomes real when we realize the horrors have nested in our very souls.

Also, as with The Crown of Thorns, there is an oppressively pervasive sense of sorrow permeating throughout the narrative. Perhaps the true horror here is the prospect of art, of dreams, of beauty, lost forever, scorched away from the eternal annals of time.

Please stop by and read my full review of this fantastic story here:
https://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/2...

[Alina Zabiyaka · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Never have I been so repelled by mortal vice!”

Oh look, my 13th Goodreads review, posted on the 13.06 as well – and what more fitting choice for such one than the magnificent Thirteenth Psalm by Peter Fehervari?.. (though, since there’s no page for the story itself yet, I’ll post it here under Inferno #2…)

In this little masterpiece of a tale, the readers are invited to visit (or, in the case of us Dark Coil regulars, revisit) a humble speck of ice somewhere on the galactic Eastern Fringe nicely designated as Oblazt. Now, from the wonderful novella Fire and Ice we’ve already learned that this backwater planet is in the throes of a revolution. (And, very interestingly: just as its name and many other words in its natives' language come from Russian, so the rebellion itself calls back to the actual historical events of the year 1917. For example, just as the initial events of Great Russian revolution in February were in no small measure caused by urban women queuing for days to buy some bread in the grim time of World War One, so the roots of the Oblazti rebellion lie in devastating warfare of Damocles Gulf Crusade, and its ideology is claimed to have been invented by a female fishery worker).

However, the story’s protagonist and his comrades – a single squad from Angels Penitent Absolution Company – arrive on the icy planet not in order to quell the uprising, for their true purpose lies elsewhere. Namely, in the Chapter’s troubled – and as it turns out, very material – past… Which eventually brings them into the Fehervari’s extremely dark version of ‘The Haunted Mansion’, where each of the five (six? ) Space Marines shall encounter the very depths of mortal vice and chaotic madness – as well as face his ultimate test.

It’s worth noting that in a way, this tale is an indirect continuation of Peter’s magnificent eShort The Crown of Thorns. While featuring other characters from the same brotherhood, it sheds even more light onto the history of these grim scions of divine Sanguinius – resplendent, contemptible or shameful, depending on which angle you look from… The Thirteenth Psalm’s protagonist Bjargo Rathana, however, is not a quiet dissident that Mentor-Sergeant Montaig was, but a high-ranking officer – ‘Chaplain Castigant’ – plus an ardent apostle of his transformed fraternity’s new credo. At least, that’s what he supposedly holds himself to be…

Very appropriately, the tale opens with the eponymous 13th Psalm from the ‘Testament of Thorns’ – the main spiritual text of the Angels Penitent composed by a mysterious preacher by whom these gullible, idealistic warriors had been converted – which, prior to his redemption of “past sins” and subsequent elevation to the Chapter’s ruling circle, the narrator meditates upon. And I’d say it is a nice idea to do the same (well, not literally) before and while you read the story, as it would surely enrich your understanding and overall appreciation of it considerably.

Curiously, while the Imperial Cult described in many Warhammer books undoubtedly feels very severe by most of our own religious standards, for the Angels Penitent even that degree of orthodoxy is by far not enough. I suppose it’s really the case of plunging from one extreme to another (from ‘artisans illuminant’ to the bitterest of fanatics), but their newfound faith is, in essence, rendered to an intricate succession of obsolete rites and meaningless titles – which does raise the question of whether they are so different from actual heretics at all...

Turns out, all this exorbitant piety doesn’t serve the Space Marines that well within the tainted walls of a degenerate Oblazti noblewoman’s hearth – for the Archenemy does very much prefer to sway those who believe themselves righteous, while the Penitents’ apparent naivety regarding the taint of the Youngest God worship all over the place sees them gravely underrating the danger until it gets far too late to turn back.

However, it seems that no matter how strongly he might refuse to admit as much, the protagonist essentially, deep in his heart, remains an exemplary Angel Resplendent. Like the rest of his brothers, he may have externally changed beyond recognition – yet still is his former self, yearning for beauty that always defined his legacy. Nowhere in the text is this better demonstrated than in the narrative style. Indeed, all meaningful aspects of the narration are so good that I’ve already enjoyed the story a dozen times – and each reading feels just as fresh, delightful and intriguing as the very first one. The structure of the text is also unique, for the story is very cleverly divided into ‘reflections’ – six of them, actually (which must be absolutely no coincidence…)

All that said, the narrator is definitely no ‘voice of reason’ one would wish to take him for. As the story progresses, the author perfectly manages to convey the Chaplain Castigant’s growing distrust of his surroundings, his brothers and most of all himself. His initial doubts evolve into paranoia dangerously bordering on insanity as he seeks answers to the questions that probably should never have been asked in the first place – and leaving inquisitive readers to ponder about even more…
(Just one of them, for me, is the Chaplain’s name itself: it doesn’t feel at all like a “Resplendent” one, with their apparent predilection for a Spanish-Italian Renaissance flair…)

Honesty, I could go on and on and on about The Thirteenth Psalm, especially in connection to all the other Dark Coil threads (13 of them in all, by now), so will just leave it at that, instead sharing here some hopefully opportune quotes from Fehervari’s latest – and largest – addition to the Coil, the excellent Requiem Infernal:

“We look to the heart for purity, not upon the face”
“Heresy lies in the heart, not in careless words”
And
“It is not the truth of the answer that has significance, but the sincerity of the seeker.”

Truly, Black Library is blessed to have welcomed into its ranks an author of such devotion, talent and skill. Believe me, this is exactly the tale you would expect of Peter Fehervari – and then some.

His best short story to this day.

Six stars out of five.

[Leo H · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good collection, some great stories and some that didn't grab me as much, but that's the joy of short story collections really. Standouts for me were 'At the Sign of the Brazen Claw part 2: The Merchant's Story' by Guy Haley, and 'The Thirteenth Psalm' by Peter Fehevari.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought Inferno! 2 purely to read "The Thirteenth Psalm" by Peter Fehervari, my favourite 40k author and now in the auto-buy category, along with Dan Abnett and ADB.

There are other reviews on here that detail the plot, and how this story links into Fehervari's expanding "Dark Coil" saga, so I won't repeat what they have said, but I'll add a couple of my own impressions of the story.

The first impression is that Fehervari is on top of his writing game and his prose is superb. The narrator's voice is pitch-perfect for this type of creeping horror story, full of righteous gothic grimdark Catholicism, allowing for great character exposition as the reader follows the path that leads him to the story's denouement.

The second impression is that, despite the close paranoia and horror, this story is funny. I laughed out loud three or four times while I read it in a single sitting. Fehervari has crafted a story where the narrator's zeal and fundamentalism to his cause have blinded him to any hint of irony or error in his actions, in particular the scene where Veland, already chastised by enforced mutism, commits a further sin by not following the Order's Responses to one of the Psalms, leading to the prospect of further punishment.

As with Fehervari's other works, there is plenty to ponder and mull over, and a re-read would definitely be rewarding.

It takes great authorial skill to write a 40k short story with this level of control and engagement and Peter Fehervari has done it again. He can do more in 40+ pages, than some authors do in an entire novel, and although I'm looking forward to reading the other stories in this collection, the purchase price was worth it just for "The Thirteenth Psalm".

Highly recommended.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool collection of short stories taking place throughout the Warhammer genres. 40K, Fantasy, Guard, Chaos, heroes and villains all. Really enjoyed the Skaven take and looking forward to the next Inferno installment of Tales from the Brazen Hand. Check it out.

[Jakub Sládek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spiritus in Machina by Parrott, Thomas 4/5
Thirteenth Psalm, The by Fehervari, Peter 5/5
From the Deep by Fenn, Jaine 2/5
Faith in Thunder by Charles, Robert 3/5
What Wakes in the Dark by Drake, Miles A 4/5
Solace by Lyons, Steve 3/5
Ties of Blood by Crisalli, Jamie 3/5
Turn of the Adder by Stearns, JC 3/5
No Honour Among Vermin by Werner, CL 4/5

[Jean-Luc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great stuff! We start by looking forward to Guy Haley's story, because the "part 2" makes it very clear that this is a serial tale! Thomas Parrott is the best in the collection, a difficult call to make since all the stories are so good.


At the Sign of the Brazen Claw part 2: The Merchant's Tale by Guy Haley - Before he arrived at the inn, Idenkor Stonbrak lived in Barak Gorn. His turn is the tale of a jeweler contracted by a grey elf. The craftsman forged a necklace of the finest moonsilver to hold the watergems... but the elf did not return to claim the necklace.

The Thirteenth Psalm by Peter Fehevari - Once upon a time, the Angels Resplendent were the finest successors of the Blood Angels. As space marines, they demonstrated their devotion to the Emperor by creating great works of art. Then the Undying Martyr came, and the Angels Resplendent became the Angels Penitent. Now they must track down and destroy all of the art they created in their vanity. "Nothing matters except the truth."

Spiritus in Machina by Thomas Parrott - The Skitarius 7-Cyclae wakes up to find the spaceship he's on is FUCKED. Can anything be repaired before time runs out?

From the Deep by Jaine Fenn - Fantasy in general has always had elfs living in the forests, and kelp beds are underwater forests, so it was really only a matter of time before Games Workshop added underwater elfs. Kelara, a Naereid custodian, feels like a video game character. Forever on the edge of amazing events, always turning back the tide to buy time for others.

Faith in Thunder by Robert Charles - Ogor prisoners fight for their masters' amusement. If they're going to escape, they're going to need to trust each other long enough to work together. "Sigmar is many things, but he is not subtle."

What Wakes in the Dark by Miles A Drake - Death Spectres space marines are dragooned by the Ordo Xenos. Sergeant Acharias' time to die is soon but, before that happens, he must learn what secrets have been uncovered at a remote Mechanicus outpost.

Solace by Steve Lyons - Mordian Iron Guardsmen are lost in a forest when they come across a village. How this village has survived so long without being overrun by the enemy isn't clear, but it's a place to rest.

Ties of Blood by Jaime Crisalli - A devoted father realizes his son still lives, albeit in the clutches of a Khornate warlord. Said father is a devotee of Slaanesh, high as a fucking kite, which explains why he'd want to infiltrate their blood palace to rescue his son.

Turn of the Adder by J C Stearns - Dark elfs do stuff. It's quite treacherous. From the opening promo, which could easily have come from any professional wrestler, to an unexpectedly melancholic ending, this is the story I was surprised the most to enjoy.

No Honour Among Vermin by C L Werner - Fylch Tattertail has been hired to steal a daemon-summoning bell. Compared to the nigh-impossible ordeal of getting paid, infiltrating a Chaos cult is basically a piece of cake!

[Dan Findlay-Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual a really good collection of short stories, just fell short of the 5 stars due to one story which I just couldn’t get through. Other than that thought recommended for a read.

[Ingmar Boddington · Rating 3 out of 5]

More short stories from all over the 40k and Age of Sigmar universes - mostly page turners with the Skaven story probably being the most standout-fun.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uneven collection.