Severed

Black Library Novella Series 2 #4

by Nate Crowley

A Necrons novella

A rebellion deep in the Ghoul Stars spells danger for Nemesor Zahndrekh and his tireless bodyguard, Vargard Obyron. With uneasy allies beside them and the ghosts of the past at their heels, the ancient necrons must unravel a mystery that could spell their doom.

READ IT BECAUSE

Get an insight into the personalities of some key necron characters, and see what (un)life is like for the ancient warriors, reawakened in a galaxy that is no longer theirs.

THE STORY

Few amongst the hierarchies of the Nemesors are as lauded for their military strategy as Zahndrekh. A near peerless tactician, his battlefield acumen has won countless wars for the Necrons of the Sautekh Dynasty. His dauntless shadow is the Vargard Obyron, both tireless protector and eternal companion to the Nemesor.

But when the ghosts of Zahndrekh’s muddled past return to haunt him and he and Obyron are sent to quell a rebellion in the Ghoul Stars, their bond and Zahndrekh’s already fragile sanity is put to the test. Given this mission by the mighty Stormlord himself, Phaeron of the Sautekh, Zhandrekh and Obyron have little choice but to ally with an old acquaintance, a fellow Nemesor called Setekh. Their forces combined, they head for Doahht, a world which harbours both horror and hope in equal measure. What lurks in the darkness beneath the earth of Doahht and what purpose does Setekh have above his ostensible service to the Sautekh Dynasty?

Written by Nate Crowley

Genres: 40k, Science Fiction, Fiction, Novella, Horror, War

107 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 9, 2019

About the author

Nate Crowley is an author, interactive fiction consultant, video games journalist, and public speaker.

Reviews

[Phloop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't stop thinking about this novella.

It's a Warhammer 40000 book, which I've read plenty of. But this one doesn't focus on the Imperium of Man at all, rather our favorite tin-can, undead, roughly ancient Egyptian themed robots. The Necrons have always been a little... meh when it comes to fluff. Sure, most of them have no personality, the bosses all just want conquest and it's all very boring.

Except in the hands of Nate Crowley.

The blurb does a good enough job of giving you the run-down of the "what you're going to read", but I'm here to insist on the "why you should" instead.

I cried. I cried because the robot zombie made me sad. I cried because I actually cared about what was happening. I cried because it felt... real.

This is a short read, I wouldn't recommend it as a first Warhammer 40k book, but if you have even the slightest idea what the Necrons are about, please give this one a shot.

[Danie Ware · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manages to make unfeeling metal skeletons... poetic. Beautifully done!

[Edoardo Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth in Black Library's novella series and my favourite thus far, in particular for its gonzo take on the Necrons. Who would have thought you could successfully transplant Jeeves and Wooster onto a bunch of sentient robots? But with his class clash twosome of aristocratic but barking mad Zahndrekh and devoted but doubting servant Obyron, Nate Crowley does exactly that - well, insofar as is possible in a galaxy of constant warfare and thoroughly unpleasant monsters. And as is the way with the best comedy, the end becomes surprisingly moving. Highly recommended for the quality of the writing, conception and characters, and a thoroughly individual take on the 40k universe.

[Kris M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ngl Necron stories have the highest quality of writing in the whole 40k canon these actually make 40k less silly by being silly and heartbreaking and constantly offering room for interesting explorations of the mind-body-problem trough… petty robot feuds.

Also Zahndrekh and Obyron are now probably my favourite Warhammer characters period.
I didn’t expect to find such a profound and bittersweet story about love in a Warhammer novella i’m still computing.

[grosbeak]

Love a sad 60,000,000-year-old genocidal ancient Egyptian robot-zombie who talks like an elderly British colonel! Warhammer 40k is such a stupid universe, and yet so fun…

[Paulo "paper books only" · Rating 4 out of 5]

A interesting novela regarding Necrons internal affair. This story only has three characters. Nemesor Zahndrekh and Vargard Obyron (interesting both have miniatures you can buy in GW shop).

As I said it was interesting because it was told in Necron point of view and we learn more on how they see other races and themselves. As being alien species they felt alien with different interests and morals.

We also learn more about the dinasties system and how it function and why Necrons sometimes fight other necrons.

A bit of political drama and what does it mean to be a necrontyr.

It's a bit sad story to be honest with the feeling they don't identify themselves machines (hating machines - like the Cult Mechanicus) and explaining how they see life.

Overall a sad story of one the mightiest race. Advisable.

[R R Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Really enjoyable read and a great look at a people who are often referred to as soulless machines. The

My only complaint, if have liked much more.

[Rakib Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Necrons are undead metallic skeletal warriors who had always seemed like a faction that was added just to make the plight of the humans that much more dire. Who would have thought getting into the mind of one of these invincible machines can be so fun? But, the author, Nate Crowley, brilliantly depicts their end of the bargain in the 40k setting, providing an experience that I wasn’t expecting at all.

This story is narrated by the infamous Vargard Obyron, who with his Nemesor Zahndrekh and some questionable allies goes to the Ghoul Stars to stop a rebellion, but the mission is far from routine as we slowly learn the truth behind their enemies. The truth finally seems to unhinge Zanhndrekh from his already fragile sanity, and Obyron, like always, may be the only one who can save him.

To be honest, I was already quite interested in learning a bit more about the Necrons, specially their backstory and what is going on inside their metal skulls actually. And ‘Nate Crowley’ really did hit the sweet spot with this one, he detailed the story skillfully from Obyron’s viewpoint, making readers feel sad for these mechanical warriors and their anguish for their lack of the pleasures of the flesh (in all senses). The bits about the memory attrition and the overall realization of the futility of their actions was depicted brilliantly.

Among the characters, all three main characters were detailed skillfully and thoughtfully. Setekh might be a bad guy, but one does feel for his motivations and manipulative finesse. Obyron may be the most humane machine out there, I mean he clearly shows much more emotion than some Space Marines I read about before. And, Zahndrekh is just a gem of a character, he steals every scene he is in with his dialogue and leave readers wondering who is the truly mad one in this tale.

Despite the overall feeling of sadness prevailing to the story, the obvious dark humor at play was another enjoyable bit. Zahndrekh really shines with his elaborate parties after victories and his style of speech, deliberately trying to act clueless despite his brilliant martial mind.

One slight problem that I had with this novella is with the depiction of the action sequences, I get that the author tried aiming at the fact that, the fighting and battles and wars are everyday mundane things for Obyron, I still would have liked at least a bit more visceral and finely detailed action at times so to speak.

But, at the end of the day, I would really love to read more about these two characters and their exploits. The story of the Necrons and their fascinating past really needs more love from the Black Library authors, if you ask me.

Rating – 9 out of 10.

Find other reviews and stuff for 'Black Library' fiction on my blog - https://theoctedpath.wordpress.com/

[Alex Sarll]

Nate Crowley has form writing about the unwitting undead and baroque technology, so it makes perfect sense for him to take on not just the Necrons (what if ancient Egypt but robots?), but Nemesor Zahndrekh - the mad old bastard who doesn't realise he's now a robotic skeleton, and only survives the plotting of his furious subordinates through the machinations of his wily batman Vargard Obyron. The result is something like a collaboration between Clark Ashton Smith and PG Wodehouse, but with an undertone of class consciousness unlike either. After all, part of the horror of the Necrons is that they weren't all encoded at the same level of fidelity – so while lords keep all their faculties forever (subject to the risk of engrammatic decay and associated foibles, as witness mad Zahndrekh), the lower orders retain only faint, flickering echoes of their former personalities – which, after all, were hardly needed in rank and file soldiers. So Obyron is fighting alongside warriors he knew in life, remembering who they were, unsure whether they're even in there to remember him. I'm not sure if it's deliberate that this came out on the weekend of Remembrance Sunday, but the way the Nemesors chortle over their old school rivalries, while squandering the not-quite-lives of their inferiors, is all the more resonant for it. And then on his latest conquest, Zahndrekh has an ill-timed moment of clarity, and the long-suffering* Obyron has to take the reins without ever quite letting on that he's doing so, and who knew a killer robot dating back to around the extinction of the dinosaurs could be such a relatable protagonist? Alas, with the double-act dynamic on hold, the story spends too much of its middle section grinding through battle scenes which are perfectly serviceable, but don't really play to Crowley's strengths in the same way. Still, I suppose that's always going to be a risk when working in a universe spun off from a wargame, and it doesn't take long before we're back into the top-notch undead robot buddy comedy.

*Very much literally on the 'long', given he's had to put up with 60 million years of this, albeit much of it asleep. Whether he can be said to suffer in any meaningful sense...well, that's one of the questions at which Crowley is prodding here.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been on of the best stories I have readd in a while. This just confirms that Necrons are my favorite faction in all of Warhammer. The story follows Zahndrekh and Obyron as they are sent to a crwonworld controlled by it spirt. During this Zahndrekh is faced with the grim truth of what they are, however, he remains within his self-made delusion. Obyron shuts down the world before the two leave for a feast.

The story of the crwonworld is not really so interesting, but the story between Zahndrekh and Obyron is amazing and the best bit of the novella. Despite being master and servant they feel like old friends who have known each other for centuries. It is really touching along with Zahndrekh odd behavior. Obyron actions towards the book is really touching. To defend Zahndrekh and defeat Setekh, Obyron sacrifices a bunch of his old memories of him and Zahndrekh. He does this both out of love and the knowledge that Zahndrekh tells him the old stories, they will be fresh. A really sad moment and so is the period in the novella when Zahndrekh is having a mental breakdown, questioning who he is and what is real. Obyron considers killing Zahndrekh, but in the end he does not, he trusts Zahndrekh completely.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dies war mein erstes Treffen mit den Necrons als Hauptfiguren. Deshalb musste ich mich in deren Welt erst einmal zurecht finden. Es ist auf jeden Fall von Vorteil, wenn man sich bereits ein wenig mit ihnen beschäftigt hat, bevor man sich ans Lesen macht.

Sobald ich jedoch in der Welt angekommen war, war ich völlig fasziniert von Obyron, Zanndrekh und Setekh. Welch eine Dreiecksbeziehung! Twilight ist nichts dagegen! Crowley hält die Kampfszenen angenehm kurz, dafür sind diese aber intensiv dargestellt. Aber auch Humor blitzt an einigen Stellen durch (vor allem, wenn es um menschliche Wesen geht).

Somit ein Buch, das mich in eine neue Warhammer-Welt eingeführt hat, wenn auch mit Schwierigkeiten. Dies wurde aber durch die Charaktere wieder gut gemacht, die zwar nicht mit Sympathiepunkten aufwarten, aber eben genau dadurch umso realistischer wirken.

Nate Crowley ist ein Warhammer-Autor von dem ich also gerne noch mehr lesen möchte.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

And the mystery continues!

Necrons are quite a tricky thing to tackle aren't they? Too robotic and they are just carbon copies of the Terminator, too busy with the past and they are just Tomb Kings IN SPAAAACE. The Nemesor (I won't spell his name) is quite a quirky fellow! A stark contrast to his Varguard and quite different from most races in the galaxy. His last little speech is a delightful twist that nakes of wonder if he actually knows, or if he's playing Obryon like a toy. And just like in The Terminator 2, we see a machine learning the value of loyalty and love, so maybe Humans can too!

[Declan Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Necrons star in this addition to the Black Library Novella Series (2). Being both the protagonist and the villain, this allows the author to concentrate on their history; and glimpse their future...

... and boy, have things changed since the Necrons were first introduced to the 41st Millenium - I didn't really recognise them. This is not the fault of the author, but a problem of keeping track of the story of so many alien races - especially when you don't collect the army or play Warhammer 40k. So, one for those with a Necron army, or who fight them regularly.

Well written, no doubt, but the Necrons will make it difficult for a casual reader to pick this one up.

[JP Romero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this. It is definitely a niche book as it's a Warhammer 40k book and some of the words used will need to be maybe googled. I am more or less new to the lore, and I had to first google what a "nemesor" is.

But if you look past this, this story is really emotional and interesting at its core. It could be re-written as a story of the feudal ages, where a loyal knight commands the forces of his lord, who is the target of others trying to usurp his power.

The story took me for a ride, and reading Obyron's difficulties down in the battlefield, I was siding with Setekh. But I cheered for Zahndrekh when he reappeared. I especially liked the end.

[Jab · Rating 4 out of 5]

relato corto, me ha gustado bastante

Nos presentan a dos personajes principales mas su antagonista

Los primeros son:
Zahndrekh un genio necron de la estrategia militar
Vargard Obyron su fiel guardaespaldas

El antagonista ni puta idea, lo escuche no se escribirlo

Tendran que enfrentar a un mundo necron caido en la completa locura de destruir a cualquier cosa que entre en su alcance planetario, con lo cual realizaran alianza para enfrentarse a los necrones corrompidos, aqui he descubierto como se odian los lideres, como pueden consumir recuerdos hasta llegar al olvido total para mejorar sus rendimientos (hacen overclocking brutal)

[Alesha Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another of the Novella series that I read just because it was in the novella line up.
It was not really catching my interest at first and I was thinking that it wasn't poorly written, just maybe its cause Nercrons aren't my thing.
By the end of course I was wrapped up in the story and found many entertaining and even touching parts. No spoilers, a certain character named Zahndrekh is a damn treasure!
I hope this is one of those stories in the novella series that gets another book or maybe a whole book.

[K.J. Shadmand · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deep future tale about sentient robots that resemble philosophical terminators with varying degrees of cognitive decline? What’s not to like?! Combine this premise with tight, vivid and at times humourous prose, add in an alien tomb world, sepulchral spaceships, pitched battles, deep space travel and a backstory of immortal machines that were once flesh and blood beings, and you have a cracking Black Library novella. Zandrekh, Obyron and Setekh will linger in my memory for a long while, until the inevitable erosive forces of time steal them away...Thank-you Nate Crowley!

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting short story about upper caste Necron relationships, politics, memory and a little epic action. Obryn and Zandrekh are oddly amusing despite being perpetrators of galaxy wide genocide. They come across as stereotypical British colonizers and this, actually, adds to the horror of their condition that they try to negotiate with. I definitely want to read more fiction about Necrons from their point of view rather than just as a force of nature.

[Ben Hornstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming and beautiful…maybe Necrons have souls after all.

I’m a die-hard Necrons fan. I love anything that has to do with them, so naturally I’d have bought this book.

And what a read it was.

Vargard Obyron made me think this was a book about a human faction, not Necrons. He and Zahndrekh are two of the best Necron characters in all of the literature, save for Trollzyn the Infinite and Orikan the Diviner.

[Michael Dodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a rare Warhammer 40,000 story that’s told from a necron viewpoint, however this achieves the unexpected – adding a fascinating sense of character, pathos and even soul to the supposedly soulless necrontyr. Vargard Obyron has fought beside Nemesor Zahndrekh for millennia, applying his loyalty and skill at arms in concert with Zahndrekh’s unrivalled strategic insight despite his lord’s idiosyncratic, troubled world view. Tasked with a mysterious mission to the Ghoul Stars alongside an old and dubious ally, they find themselves confronted by a darkness that profoundly challenges the bond between them, and Zahndrekh’s already tattered sanity.

It’s really not your usual 40k story, even the action feeling different from the necron point of view with a unique approach to combat and all manner of exotic abilities, tools and weaponry being deployed. There’s a pleasing mystery to the plot (not so much whether Setekh is a bad ‘un but what he’s after), which is rooted in a very relatable question at the core of Crowley’s depiction of the necrons, all balanced against a compelling character study and exploration of what it is to be necrontyr. All told, Crowley succeeds in making the necrons sympathetic and incredibly human, while telling a story which captures the essence of 40k even while being fresh, unexpected, darkly funny and powerfully sad.

Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/11/...

[Levyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well. I can't say much, other than that I very much enjoyed this little read. Surprisingly philosophical, somewhat sad, quite witty. I feel that the core theme of "what is it that makes you you" was handled very interestingly, considering it is told through the POV of a Necron. Definitely give it a read!

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

We get so little xenos perspectives in the black library catalogue that this was a welcome change of pace. Yet it is also a shame that we have to be happy with this. A full length book was more then possible with this stuff and I do hope that we will get a full length Necron book at some point.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect combination of quick action, interesting dialogue and quirky comedy

Interesting look at the dynamic duo and their interactions which each other. This novella makes them two of the most interesting characters in Warhammer 40k

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Been a long time since I've read about the Necrons, but having them with personalities is proving to be quite interesting, and as my first fiction dealing with their POV, I find myself wishing to read more along these lines. A very enjoyable little book!

[Arran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Necrons at their finest

A great novel featuring the eternal pair characters. There's a shortage of good hecron stories but this is a hundred times better than the interminable space marine books normally presented.

Definitely worth a read

[jzthompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tale about caring for a loved one with dementia trojan horsed in via a story about immortal metal skeletons - some sweet moments, but same problem with the twice dead king by the same author, felt like it just needed a bit more oomph to really connect with me.

[Jaimie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Either 4.5 or 5 I can't make up my mind at this moment.
I love when the old men are gay. ♥️
But seriously, I have the simplest grasp of the canon of the necrons, and yet I thought that this was very well written.
Also that fucking ending I will never recover what the fuck.

[Tobias Asplund · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly sad book.

[Lachlan Nowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the take on Necrons, getting to see the world of warhammer from their point of view was pretty entertaining.

[Jordan Lloyd-Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid little story that really bring the Necrons to life as well as two of the most interesting characters in the setting.