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Black Library Novella Series 2 #3
Isha's Lament
The Blackstone Fortress is a haven for those seeking fame, glory and power amongst the horrors of the galaxy. To many, it is a treasure trove beyond imagination, to others, it is an escape from their past, a chance to put their skills to use on the edge of the galaxy far from prying eyes. Brakus Andradus is the latter. A former sniper in the Astra Militarum, now a deserter aiming to drown his memories, Brakus stumbles from job to job. But, after a deadly plague breaks out following his last expedition and threatens to wipe out the denizens of Precipice, the sniper is forced back into the Fortress in search of a cure, with only the slimmest hope of finding one.
103 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 9, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 20, 2019
Nicely done, with an almost hypnotic rhythm to the sentence structure - unusual, and kept the flow of the narrative up very well.
November 9, 2019
Isha’s Lament introduces the engaging character of Brakus Andradus into the world of Blackstone Fortress. A salvaging expedition to a burned out vessel has unintended consequences - although not in a way that even a veteran reader might expect.
Strong action sequences are interspersed with a compelling story involving captivating and multi-dimensional characters. Not only is there a great deal of depth in this short but satisfying work, but it also sets up intriguing possibilities for future stories.
Parrott has provided an introduction to a complex world that is accessible to a relative newcomer like me, but I’m sure will be a welcome extension to the canon to even the most avid fan. Highly recommended.
Strong action sequences are interspersed with a compelling story involving captivating and multi-dimensional characters. Not only is there a great deal of depth in this short but satisfying work, but it also sets up intriguing possibilities for future stories.
Parrott has provided an introduction to a complex world that is accessible to a relative newcomer like me, but I’m sure will be a welcome extension to the canon to even the most avid fan. Highly recommended.
December 1, 2019
Dark, unapologetic, heartbreaking.
November 14, 2019
Isha's Lament is a fantastic story of mystery, intrigue and cooperation between unlikely allies. It's centred around the Blackstone Fortress, one of the only places in the 40k Universe where different races intermingle and cooperate. This leads to some amazing opportunities for character interaction that you don't get anywhere else in 40k, and Parrott takes full advantage of this. We have human, aeldari, drukhari, Mechanicus and a whole host more, all acting true to their factions and interacting in appropriate and satisfying ways.
The characters are all deep and complex, as we've come to expect from Parrott's writing, and they are as much a focus to this story as the Blackstone Fortress itself. Rooted deeply in the fantasy heart of this Sci fi tale, the Fortress is a character in its own right, thwarting our characters at every turn in ways that continue to amaze and astound.
The story is high stakes and weaves together exciting action and fight scenes with meaningful character interaction and thoughtful perspectives. I really loved seeing a snippet of life on Precipice, the void station that serves as a base near the Blackstone Fortress. We get to see how the races live together in some semblance of peace, and even get a quick look at some of their differing religious beliefs regarding the Emperor.
Isha's Lament introduces some really memorable characters who I desperately hope we'll see more of in the future. It left me both wanting to delve into more Blackstone Fortress fiction and read more of Parrott's writing. I'd recommend it highly to anyone and I think it would also make a great introduction to 40k literature.
The characters are all deep and complex, as we've come to expect from Parrott's writing, and they are as much a focus to this story as the Blackstone Fortress itself. Rooted deeply in the fantasy heart of this Sci fi tale, the Fortress is a character in its own right, thwarting our characters at every turn in ways that continue to amaze and astound.
The story is high stakes and weaves together exciting action and fight scenes with meaningful character interaction and thoughtful perspectives. I really loved seeing a snippet of life on Precipice, the void station that serves as a base near the Blackstone Fortress. We get to see how the races live together in some semblance of peace, and even get a quick look at some of their differing religious beliefs regarding the Emperor.
Isha's Lament introduces some really memorable characters who I desperately hope we'll see more of in the future. It left me both wanting to delve into more Blackstone Fortress fiction and read more of Parrott's writing. I'd recommend it highly to anyone and I think it would also make a great introduction to 40k literature.
November 30, 2019
Number 3 in the second Black Library Novella series and the standard hasn't dropped at all - if anything, it's improving. Brakus Andradus, the ex-Imperial Guard sniper with a mordant tongue and a death wish, makes for a suitably driven 40k hero, but Parrott skillfully blends him with a varied cast of Aeldar, Dark Aeldar and the other ne'er do wells that skulk around the Blackstone Fortress, hoping to make their fortunes or find their souls. It's a great setting, and Parrott does it justice, with something of the deep weirdness of the Fortress itself coming across in the denouement. A fine novella and hopefully notice of a major new 40k writer.
March 17, 2020
(In the interests of full disclosure, I am also a Black Library author)
Holy crap, this was a good read! I already had an inkling about the sorts of things that were going down, but Tom really brought the A-game!
If you're not familiar, Isha's Lament features a plague that hits Precipice (the shanty-town that serves as the pirate port for the Blackstone Fortress explorers). Veteran explorer Brakus Andradus has to team up with Maugra, a dark eldar gladiatrix, and the eldar Amallyn (of board game fame) to find a cure before everyone is wiped out.
The thing that jumps out quickly is how well Tom captures the idea that there are no heroes out on the rim. The Blackstone Fortress is home to outcasts and desperadoes, and we get to see that played to the hilt here. Tom does it perfectly: we get to see both the detailed experiences of Brakus, while at the same time seeing just enough of theme to know EVERYONE he encounters has just as much of a wild backstory as he does while leaving them dark and mysterious.
The real standout to me was Maugra. I love dark eldar more than I can say, and she was easily my favorite character. There are a couple of, "damn, that is SO dark eldar" moments in the story that made me happy as a reader and jealous as an author. (Because why the hell didn't *I* think of that?!)
Probably the biggest strength overall is how much Tom does with the Blackstone Fortress as a setting. He really reminds us that there's a LOT more going on there then just a derelict space station. He gives us the tantalizing sensation that the Fortress itself is a character, and that it might have a larger role to play in the future...
I'd really love to see a Blackstone Fortress saga, where all the characters from the board game get their moment to shine and engage with their stories, but where we also get to see the Blackstone Fortress's story spun out, with more on its backstory and a gripping tale of its part to play in the modern setting. And I sincerely hope that if such a project happens, that Tom Parrott gets to be the one writing it.
Holy crap, this was a good read! I already had an inkling about the sorts of things that were going down, but Tom really brought the A-game!
If you're not familiar, Isha's Lament features a plague that hits Precipice (the shanty-town that serves as the pirate port for the Blackstone Fortress explorers). Veteran explorer Brakus Andradus has to team up with Maugra, a dark eldar gladiatrix, and the eldar Amallyn (of board game fame) to find a cure before everyone is wiped out.
The thing that jumps out quickly is how well Tom captures the idea that there are no heroes out on the rim. The Blackstone Fortress is home to outcasts and desperadoes, and we get to see that played to the hilt here. Tom does it perfectly: we get to see both the detailed experiences of Brakus, while at the same time seeing just enough of theme to know EVERYONE he encounters has just as much of a wild backstory as he does while leaving them dark and mysterious.
The real standout to me was Maugra. I love dark eldar more than I can say, and she was easily my favorite character. There are a couple of, "damn, that is SO dark eldar" moments in the story that made me happy as a reader and jealous as an author. (Because why the hell didn't *I* think of that?!)
Probably the biggest strength overall is how much Tom does with the Blackstone Fortress as a setting. He really reminds us that there's a LOT more going on there then just a derelict space station. He gives us the tantalizing sensation that the Fortress itself is a character, and that it might have a larger role to play in the future...
I'd really love to see a Blackstone Fortress saga, where all the characters from the board game get their moment to shine and engage with their stories, but where we also get to see the Blackstone Fortress's story spun out, with more on its backstory and a gripping tale of its part to play in the modern setting. And I sincerely hope that if such a project happens, that Tom Parrott gets to be the one writing it.
December 6, 2019
“The moment you decide you’re safe in the fortress is the moment you die.”
More than a year ago Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress dungeon-crawler was released, offering ample potential for the scores of new stories. Black Library’s novelisations of the game do much to enliven this recent branch of the wider 40K universe, and so for the fans of the titular subsetting it will be great fun to try and replay the events of Thomas Parrot’s latest novella as well. Isha’s Lament is a nicely wrought, engaging read that vividly showcases the unique atmosphere of the cryptic Blackstone Fortress – a veritable ‘Space Babel’, if you like – far away from xenophobic reach of the Imperium of Man.
Contrary to the harsh Imperial edicts, such a void fortress – dangerous, enigmatic, wayward and seemingly alive in more than one way – is a truly cosmopolitan place, attracting the daring and the desperate from each and every warring faction from around the galaxy. Most of them spend their time coming to blows with one another in the bid to reach the fort’s countless prizes, but many more have to act in concert to brave the blackstone depths and achieve their goals. Thus a Biel-Tan Craftworld ranger Amallyn Shadowguide has to swallow her pride and enlist the help of a former Imperial guardsman Brakus Andradus (who had lost his homeworld to an Exterminatus after a massive tyranid incursion), a wytch from the starkly differing branch of her ancient race, and a lone cyborg – always a welcome addition to a 40K story! At first, predictably, these adventurers don’t really seem to have any love lost between them; and yet the good old teamwork eventually gets them right where they need to be. Soon the human and the aliens earn mutual, if grudging, respect – and even find something in common besides their primary target. Expect also some nicely woven hints at the larger picture concerning their peoples’ current state of affairs…
Granted, the aeldari are not the viewpoint characters here (for which I’d initially hoped) – instead we see the events from the perspective of the human sniper-turned-deserter with a complex backstory – but still they play a decisive role in the narrative, as the two xenos are forced to find common tongue with Andradus on their expedition to an ancient, derelict ship. The vessel in question proudly (or not...) bears the name of Goddess Isha – better known as the spouse/captive/unwilling participator in the medical experiments of the Chaos Lord of Decay – and so instantly brings to mind certain correlations which actually prove right as the plot progresses – it even put me in mind of Steven King’s The Stand (albeit on a smaller scale of course).
Despite its comparative brevity, Isha’s Lament displays some of the myriad ways in which the mysterious Fortress plays games of its own with an explorer’s mind. Yet the heroes and their foes generally manage to remain themselves – a great example is a certain Astra Militarum commissar firmly holding sway over his charges even after their treachery against the Imperium. In all, it’s an entertaining sci-fi novella celebrating valour and comradeship in the face of unimaginable perils. In my humble opinion it would’ve been even better with a little more focus on the aeldari and their mythology… Still, its plot straightforward but lively, dialogues and fight scenes well rendered, the novella is deeply psychological and action-heavy in equal measure. Parrott’s flowing, energetic and thoughtful style and his impressive knowledge of the wider setting easily make him one of the best ‘new cohort’ authors contributing to the ever-expanding world of Warhammer.
More than a year ago Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress dungeon-crawler was released, offering ample potential for the scores of new stories. Black Library’s novelisations of the game do much to enliven this recent branch of the wider 40K universe, and so for the fans of the titular subsetting it will be great fun to try and replay the events of Thomas Parrot’s latest novella as well. Isha’s Lament is a nicely wrought, engaging read that vividly showcases the unique atmosphere of the cryptic Blackstone Fortress – a veritable ‘Space Babel’, if you like – far away from xenophobic reach of the Imperium of Man.
Contrary to the harsh Imperial edicts, such a void fortress – dangerous, enigmatic, wayward and seemingly alive in more than one way – is a truly cosmopolitan place, attracting the daring and the desperate from each and every warring faction from around the galaxy. Most of them spend their time coming to blows with one another in the bid to reach the fort’s countless prizes, but many more have to act in concert to brave the blackstone depths and achieve their goals. Thus a Biel-Tan Craftworld ranger Amallyn Shadowguide has to swallow her pride and enlist the help of a former Imperial guardsman Brakus Andradus (who had lost his homeworld to an Exterminatus after a massive tyranid incursion), a wytch from the starkly differing branch of her ancient race, and a lone cyborg – always a welcome addition to a 40K story! At first, predictably, these adventurers don’t really seem to have any love lost between them; and yet the good old teamwork eventually gets them right where they need to be. Soon the human and the aliens earn mutual, if grudging, respect – and even find something in common besides their primary target. Expect also some nicely woven hints at the larger picture concerning their peoples’ current state of affairs…
Granted, the aeldari are not the viewpoint characters here (for which I’d initially hoped) – instead we see the events from the perspective of the human sniper-turned-deserter with a complex backstory – but still they play a decisive role in the narrative, as the two xenos are forced to find common tongue with Andradus on their expedition to an ancient, derelict ship. The vessel in question proudly (or not...) bears the name of Goddess Isha – better known as the spouse/captive/unwilling participator in the medical experiments of the Chaos Lord of Decay – and so instantly brings to mind certain correlations which actually prove right as the plot progresses – it even put me in mind of Steven King’s The Stand (albeit on a smaller scale of course).
Despite its comparative brevity, Isha’s Lament displays some of the myriad ways in which the mysterious Fortress plays games of its own with an explorer’s mind. Yet the heroes and their foes generally manage to remain themselves – a great example is a certain Astra Militarum commissar firmly holding sway over his charges even after their treachery against the Imperium. In all, it’s an entertaining sci-fi novella celebrating valour and comradeship in the face of unimaginable perils. In my humble opinion it would’ve been even better with a little more focus on the aeldari and their mythology… Still, its plot straightforward but lively, dialogues and fight scenes well rendered, the novella is deeply psychological and action-heavy in equal measure. Parrott’s flowing, energetic and thoughtful style and his impressive knowledge of the wider setting easily make him one of the best ‘new cohort’ authors contributing to the ever-expanding world of Warhammer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2026
This is my first Black Library book and my first Warhammer novella. Well, I’m not entirely unfamiliar with the setting, but I’m no scholar either.
I think Isha’s Lament is quite good at what it sets out to do. There are a bunch of familiar tropes here, but they work, and the novella wastes no time getting the story going. For me, the final part is where it really shines, and I finished it wanting more of these characters and this place.
That said, not everything clicked for me. The novella tries, at times, to give new and unfamiliar readers some footing in the universe, explaining what is what, but other parts felt like they could have used a little more context. Even though the story is set around the Blackstone Fortress, I finished it without really understanding what the place actually was, how its structure works, where it is located, why there are so many people there, who controls it, how the enemies are also present inside it, and several other basic details.
I think one or two paragraphs here and there with some basic explanation would have worked wonders, without becoming monotonous for familiar fans or overzealous in its hand-holding for new readers. That material could even have replaced some of the main character’s flashbacks, which really did not work for me. I admit I’m biased here, because I am a certified flashback hater.
Nevertheless, this was an enjoyable read, and as a new reader it made me more interested in the setting. I recommend it if you are new to Black Library books like me, especially if you want a short, fast-paced entry point into Warhammer fiction.
Rating: 3.5/5
A fun and accessible Warhammer novella that left me interested in the universe, even if I wanted a bit more context along the way.
I think Isha’s Lament is quite good at what it sets out to do. There are a bunch of familiar tropes here, but they work, and the novella wastes no time getting the story going. For me, the final part is where it really shines, and I finished it wanting more of these characters and this place.
That said, not everything clicked for me. The novella tries, at times, to give new and unfamiliar readers some footing in the universe, explaining what is what, but other parts felt like they could have used a little more context. Even though the story is set around the Blackstone Fortress, I finished it without really understanding what the place actually was, how its structure works, where it is located, why there are so many people there, who controls it, how the enemies are also present inside it, and several other basic details.
I think one or two paragraphs here and there with some basic explanation would have worked wonders, without becoming monotonous for familiar fans or overzealous in its hand-holding for new readers. That material could even have replaced some of the main character’s flashbacks, which really did not work for me. I admit I’m biased here, because I am a certified flashback hater.
Nevertheless, this was an enjoyable read, and as a new reader it made me more interested in the setting. I recommend it if you are new to Black Library books like me, especially if you want a short, fast-paced entry point into Warhammer fiction.
Rating: 3.5/5
A fun and accessible Warhammer novella that left me interested in the universe, even if I wanted a bit more context along the way.
November 11, 2019
Brakus Andradus – once a soldier, now a hunter – is part of a group of explorers who find a ruined, dead ship within the Blackstone Fortress, and in doing so unwittingly trigger a calamity that endangers everyone on both the fortress and Precipice. Despite his failing health Brakus ventures back in search of a way to prevent disaster, accompanied by a motley group of uneasy companions, and in the darkness faces up to his fears.
It’s a tremendously entertaining adventure story full of excitement and action but also empathy and pathos, primarily (but not exclusively) with Brakus as he’s forced to process his past and his emotions in ways he hasn’t been able to before. It would make an excellent introduction to the setting, but also stands perfectly alongside Darius Hinks’ novel Blackstone Fortress to expand things out a little more – either way it’s an excellent novella, and well worth checking out for any 40k or Blackstone Fortress fan.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/11/...
It’s a tremendously entertaining adventure story full of excitement and action but also empathy and pathos, primarily (but not exclusively) with Brakus as he’s forced to process his past and his emotions in ways he hasn’t been able to before. It would make an excellent introduction to the setting, but also stands perfectly alongside Darius Hinks’ novel Blackstone Fortress to expand things out a little more – either way it’s an excellent novella, and well worth checking out for any 40k or Blackstone Fortress fan.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/11/...
December 3, 2019
It wasn't bad. I almost gave this 3 stars but figured that was a little harsh when there wasn't anything really wrong with this. It did feel like a book made with a game in mind and that is saying something when its part of universe that is a game. (that sounds confusing) I guess I am trying to say that this felt more like a Black Stone Fortress book then a Warhammer 40k, even though BSF takes place in the 40k world.
That's not a bad thing, its just an observation. So if if your into Black Stone Fortress or are interested to check it out this looks like a good spot for it.
That's not a bad thing, its just an observation. So if if your into Black Stone Fortress or are interested to check it out this looks like a good spot for it.
January 31, 2020
This novella runs with a classic dungeon crawl and actually succeeds in making said dungeon actually feel dangerous. The stakes are high and immediate. Likewise, the characters are both engaging and interesting. An adrenaline junkie that actually owns the fact that they are an adrenaline junkie makes for a refreshing protagonist.
April 12, 2021
First time reading any fiction involving the Blackstone Fortress. Enjoyable enough, but there wasn't really a whole lot of plot here (although it is a novella, so space is limited). Good enough to grab, not something I'll probably read again.
August 3, 2022
There is so much scope for great stories at Blackstone and this tale takes full advantage and gives the reader quite a variety of characters, the good the bad and the downright ugly! Highly enjoyable
July 30, 2022
Good starter for Blackstone Fortress
October 17, 2023
Quite boring.
October 17, 2023
My first venture into the Blackstone Fortress.
Interesting spin on the COVID pandemic. In Space.
Interesting spin on the COVID pandemic. In Space.
March 31, 2020
This is a short and light-hearted adventure story set on the fringes of Imperial space where a former imperial guard sniper faces the madness of the Blackstone Fortress head on. It's a nice upbeat 40k action adventure that reads like train and tempts me in finally starting Blackstone Fortress by Darius Hinks.
January 1, 2020
Isha's Lament follows the arrival of a disease on the Blackstone Fortress and it's impact on the denizens of Precipice. A fun little novella, which provides a little more background on one of the latest additions to a corner of the Imperium of Man - in the 41st Millenium.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews