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Warhammer Horror
The Reverie
A Warhammer Horror novel
Three travellers are drawn to the Reverie, the wound in the world of the Angels Resplendent. Knight, poet, scholar, each will face their shadows amidst a deeper darkness…
READ IT BECAUSE
Peter Fehervari's novels always have a rich vein of dark terror – now he's been unleashed in a Warhammer Horror novel that will take the sinister side of the 41st Millennium and turn it into nightmare fuel for you…
THE STORY
Exalting war and art in harmony, the warrior-artisans of the Angels Resplendent have forged a radiant haven amidst a blighted galaxy. But an ancient sin stains their honour – a wound in their world that will never heal. Ignorant souls would call it a forest, but those who watch over it know better.
Nothing natural grows in the Reverie’s snow-swept glades or wanders amongst the unnatural things that do, save for the intruders who trespass on its pain. Some seek revelation or redemption, others dream of winning a place amongst the Resplendent, but all come because they must.
Three travellers are drawn into the conspiracy that wards the wound – a knight haunted by his lost humanity, an aging poet who refuses to go gently into the night, and a scholar who yearns to redeem mankind. All must face their shadows in the Reverie, but only one shall gaze upon its heart, where a deeper darkness beats.
Three travellers are drawn to the Reverie, the wound in the world of the Angels Resplendent. Knight, poet, scholar, each will face their shadows amidst a deeper darkness…
READ IT BECAUSE
Peter Fehervari's novels always have a rich vein of dark terror – now he's been unleashed in a Warhammer Horror novel that will take the sinister side of the 41st Millennium and turn it into nightmare fuel for you…
THE STORY
Exalting war and art in harmony, the warrior-artisans of the Angels Resplendent have forged a radiant haven amidst a blighted galaxy. But an ancient sin stains their honour – a wound in their world that will never heal. Ignorant souls would call it a forest, but those who watch over it know better.
Nothing natural grows in the Reverie’s snow-swept glades or wanders amongst the unnatural things that do, save for the intruders who trespass on its pain. Some seek revelation or redemption, others dream of winning a place amongst the Resplendent, but all come because they must.
Three travellers are drawn into the conspiracy that wards the wound – a knight haunted by his lost humanity, an aging poet who refuses to go gently into the night, and a scholar who yearns to redeem mankind. All must face their shadows in the Reverie, but only one shall gaze upon its heart, where a deeper darkness beats.
349 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2020
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November 9, 2020
Reverie, the fourth novel by Peter Fehervari and the first one under Warhammer Horror brand.
As anyone familiar with his stories would tell you, the horror elements were always an inseparable part of Peter Fehervari’s writing, so it is where his unofficial Dark Coil series truly belong.
As for the book itself, I waited for it for more than a year and I should tell you it was very well worth the wait. The Reverie, that poisonous bewitching dream completely consumed me not unlike how it consumed so many inside the story itself. To be completely honest, reading for the majority of the night wasn’t the best idea, because for the rest of that night I had to dream about non-trees in winter and about me reading the book farther – a very strange experience. Yeah, the hold this story had on me was that strong. Last time something like this happened was when I read the first novel by Peter Fehervari, the Fire Caste.
However, to the book itself. First, I should commend the opening part of the book. It reads more like a true grim fairy tale about an orphan and a monster who hunts him, the stylization was excellent and I was surprised with how well it fit into wh40k. Not least because how the final twist was used to make a transition to the wh40k universe we are used to. And as always, this little prologue was really important later in the story – once again I admire how Fehervari utilizes structure elements of the narrative.
There are many interesting things in that book, especially for the readers who like me are already deep into the Coil, but this novel is first and foremost about Angels Resplendent and the secret beyond their unusual culture, the doctrine that seems too good to be true, too bright for the grim dark future. Fehervari promised us detailed lore about this unorthodox chapter and I can say with certainty he had delivered on his promise, well beyond my personal expectation. There is a lot of information about chapter traditions and beliefs, about how chapter was transformed from typical Blood Angels successors into extravagant Resplendent we knew, about divisions inside the chapter and many other things. And all these things are carefully framed into the story, into characters’ interaction and self-reflections – you will never get the feeling of reading an info-dump. Among all this, I will mention a couple of my favored findings. The first one is the battle cry that Resplendent used before Reformation – “we burn so others may live” – which catches the essence of space marine true purpose in my opinion (and as you can guess the fact that chapter left that aspect of their culture behind isn’t a good thing). The other one is the fact that chapter’s chaplains, The Black Elegy didn’t change much not only during the first Reformation but even when Resplendent became Penitent.
Speaking of which, it was the question Dark Coil fandom liked to speculate about: in which iteration the chapter was more corrupted, as Penitent or as Resplendent? The Penitent look like they surrender themselves to corruption of suspicious preacher, while Resplendent are seemingly benevolent, promising to bring a new Renaissance to the Imperium, but since Thirteen Psalm we know that something wasn’t right about them. My personal take on this was always along the lines “both are on the edge of damnation, both ready to fall, but from different sides”. And this book provides me with a lot of justification for that opinion. Anyhow, what would you expect from the chapter that was created during the Ninth Founding from the Ninth Legion on the ninth planet of poisoned star which nature is also nine? Change was always an inseparable part of their nature. And while you can argue that all Ruinous Powers run their claws into them, this particular story would tell us about horrors (or wonders?) of change. Fehervari spared none tools from his formidable arsenal to depict this aspect of chaos in all its twisted glory.
Another part of the story worth mentioning is of course, characters, but it is impossible to talk about them without spoilers. I just say that I find myself very fond of one specific side-character, the apothecary, one of the few relatively sane persons in the whole story. His perspective on the events was really close to my own. (Un)Fortunately, it probably means that I’m not crazy enough to accept all the wonders and freedom that chaos could give, like some other characters. But the whole cast was very enjoyable, especially the tech-marine and his very specialized worldview. And as always in Dark Coil, the chaos isn’t just external force that takes control over someone, it should grow from the soul of the person themselves – I truly appreciate that aspect of Fehervari’s writing. The characters provide us with a collection of various flaws for chaos to exploit, some more obvious than the other, but also the virtues and show us that there are ways to stand against such corruption. I also should mention one specific topic, which the novel explored. It is never in focus, always very subtle, always in the background, but it goes through the whole narrative: how dishonesty and lack of trust corrodes the relationship. Some nasty events were perfectly avoidable, if characters could trust and understand each other better. Sadly, even in utopian society of Resplendent it is not the case, they are somehow even more distant from each other than you would expect.
As for the horror, if Requiem Infernal was all about existential brand, this story is more about the body horror, which is understandable due to the aforementioned topic of change, but the existential horror isn’t going anywhere either and honestly I appreciated this aspect of the story more than the most bizarre transformations.
The language and narrative tools applied here are great as always and Fehervari was absolutely merciless with wordplay and thematic naming. I have already sent my condolences and wished good luck to the person who should be in charge of translating this novel into my native language; he has one hell of a challenge ahead of him.
As for Dark Coil as a whole Reverie ties a lot of loose ends together, couple of topics that were only for fans to speculate or create crazy theories about are explored and discussed by characters with higher understanding of what actually is going on, we got a lot of direct conformations, and of course new hints and new questions. Regardless, it is possible to start the Dark Coil from here, this novel relies on previous stories even less than Requiem Infernal and it is the earliest point in the timeline for now. The only drawback would be getting some answers before the questions.
All in all, this book was very enjoyable for me, much more straightforward that previous ones, but I don’t think that it is a bad thing. In my opinion the delicate balance was struck – the story became much more accessible without losing the original charm. And it still rewards attentive readers for their efforts.
I’m already looking forward to more stories by this (without a question) very talented author.
As anyone familiar with his stories would tell you, the horror elements were always an inseparable part of Peter Fehervari’s writing, so it is where his unofficial Dark Coil series truly belong.
As for the book itself, I waited for it for more than a year and I should tell you it was very well worth the wait. The Reverie, that poisonous bewitching dream completely consumed me not unlike how it consumed so many inside the story itself. To be completely honest, reading for the majority of the night wasn’t the best idea, because for the rest of that night I had to dream about non-trees in winter and about me reading the book farther – a very strange experience. Yeah, the hold this story had on me was that strong. Last time something like this happened was when I read the first novel by Peter Fehervari, the Fire Caste.
However, to the book itself. First, I should commend the opening part of the book. It reads more like a true grim fairy tale about an orphan and a monster who hunts him, the stylization was excellent and I was surprised with how well it fit into wh40k. Not least because how the final twist was used to make a transition to the wh40k universe we are used to. And as always, this little prologue was really important later in the story – once again I admire how Fehervari utilizes structure elements of the narrative.
There are many interesting things in that book, especially for the readers who like me are already deep into the Coil, but this novel is first and foremost about Angels Resplendent and the secret beyond their unusual culture, the doctrine that seems too good to be true, too bright for the grim dark future. Fehervari promised us detailed lore about this unorthodox chapter and I can say with certainty he had delivered on his promise, well beyond my personal expectation. There is a lot of information about chapter traditions and beliefs, about how chapter was transformed from typical Blood Angels successors into extravagant Resplendent we knew, about divisions inside the chapter and many other things. And all these things are carefully framed into the story, into characters’ interaction and self-reflections – you will never get the feeling of reading an info-dump. Among all this, I will mention a couple of my favored findings. The first one is the battle cry that Resplendent used before Reformation – “we burn so others may live” – which catches the essence of space marine true purpose in my opinion (and as you can guess the fact that chapter left that aspect of their culture behind isn’t a good thing). The other one is the fact that chapter’s chaplains, The Black Elegy didn’t change much not only during the first Reformation but even when Resplendent became Penitent.
Speaking of which, it was the question Dark Coil fandom liked to speculate about: in which iteration the chapter was more corrupted, as Penitent or as Resplendent? The Penitent look like they surrender themselves to corruption of suspicious preacher, while Resplendent are seemingly benevolent, promising to bring a new Renaissance to the Imperium, but since Thirteen Psalm we know that something wasn’t right about them. My personal take on this was always along the lines “both are on the edge of damnation, both ready to fall, but from different sides”. And this book provides me with a lot of justification for that opinion. Anyhow, what would you expect from the chapter that was created during the Ninth Founding from the Ninth Legion on the ninth planet of poisoned star which nature is also nine? Change was always an inseparable part of their nature. And while you can argue that all Ruinous Powers run their claws into them, this particular story would tell us about horrors (or wonders?) of change. Fehervari spared none tools from his formidable arsenal to depict this aspect of chaos in all its twisted glory.
Another part of the story worth mentioning is of course, characters, but it is impossible to talk about them without spoilers. I just say that I find myself very fond of one specific side-character, the apothecary, one of the few relatively sane persons in the whole story. His perspective on the events was really close to my own. (Un)Fortunately, it probably means that I’m not crazy enough to accept all the wonders and freedom that chaos could give, like some other characters. But the whole cast was very enjoyable, especially the tech-marine and his very specialized worldview. And as always in Dark Coil, the chaos isn’t just external force that takes control over someone, it should grow from the soul of the person themselves – I truly appreciate that aspect of Fehervari’s writing. The characters provide us with a collection of various flaws for chaos to exploit, some more obvious than the other, but also the virtues and show us that there are ways to stand against such corruption. I also should mention one specific topic, which the novel explored. It is never in focus, always very subtle, always in the background, but it goes through the whole narrative: how dishonesty and lack of trust corrodes the relationship. Some nasty events were perfectly avoidable, if characters could trust and understand each other better. Sadly, even in utopian society of Resplendent it is not the case, they are somehow even more distant from each other than you would expect.
As for the horror, if Requiem Infernal was all about existential brand, this story is more about the body horror, which is understandable due to the aforementioned topic of change, but the existential horror isn’t going anywhere either and honestly I appreciated this aspect of the story more than the most bizarre transformations.
The language and narrative tools applied here are great as always and Fehervari was absolutely merciless with wordplay and thematic naming. I have already sent my condolences and wished good luck to the person who should be in charge of translating this novel into my native language; he has one hell of a challenge ahead of him.
As for Dark Coil as a whole Reverie ties a lot of loose ends together, couple of topics that were only for fans to speculate or create crazy theories about are explored and discussed by characters with higher understanding of what actually is going on, we got a lot of direct conformations, and of course new hints and new questions. Regardless, it is possible to start the Dark Coil from here, this novel relies on previous stories even less than Requiem Infernal and it is the earliest point in the timeline for now. The only drawback would be getting some answers before the questions.
All in all, this book was very enjoyable for me, much more straightforward that previous ones, but I don’t think that it is a bad thing. In my opinion the delicate balance was struck – the story became much more accessible without losing the original charm. And it still rewards attentive readers for their efforts.
I’m already looking forward to more stories by this (without a question) very talented author.
November 16, 2020
"In music composition, a movement is a musical piece that can be performed on its own but is part of a larger composition. Movements can follow their own form, key, and mood, and often contain a complete resolution or ending. Complete musical works contain several movements, with three or four movements being the most common number of movements in a classical piece. Typically, each movement has its own name. Sometimes, the movement's name is indicated by the tempo of the movement, but other times, composers will give each movement a unique name that speaks to the larger story of the entire work." - Brandy Kraemer
+++ BEGIN RECORDING +++
Bear with me. This will be a long one.
To understand a journey, one needs a sense for the traveller. I am Tim van Lipzig, male, nearly thirty standard years old. I have been reading Warhammer 40.000 fiction for nearly 15 years now. The first time I came into contact with the writing of Peter Fehervari was when I finally followed the whispers of a certain, hidden gem and took a look at Fire Caste in May 2017. It was a revelation. Fehervari's approach to 40k felt like something new, like an evolvement of the familiar pattern in an unfamiliar, invigorating shape. Something dark and subtle, something that felt often more *true* to the source material than anything that came before. Now, after three novels, one novella and ten short-stories, Halloween 2020 sees Fehervari return with his long-awaited fourth novel of what is known among fans as "the Dark Coil"-mythos: The Reverie.
I adhere to the adage that a work of art should be judged according to it's aspirations, therefore I shall look at what The Reverie is trying to do and comment on how I felt that it achieved it's goals: collapsed into it's most basic tenets, The Reverie is a Horror novel about the Space Marine chapter of the Angels Resplendent, that's also part of the larger Coil-mythos. To judge it's merit, I'll look at these three aspects seperately.
* * *
Fehervari has already shown that he fits very comfortably to the Warhammer Horror label with his excellent short-story Nightbleed, released only a few days before The Reverie, (not that his precedent work wouldn't have felt right at home there), but this is his first novel released under the new, explicitly Horror-themed imprint. So, to ask it in the most frank way: Can Fehervari do Horror-horror? Is this scary? My dear reader, it most certainly is.
I think it's no exaggeration to say that Fehervari excels at all the various forms of horror, be it crafting outright horrifying sequences of mayhem and madness, creating an atmosphere with a creeping sense of wrongness and dread or exploring the terror of persons faced with ugly truths about either themselves or the bedrock of their existence. It's all expertly tuned and carefully woven together, never staying too long with one "mode of horror" that it could start to wear off. The sequences with the cursed village Vindarnas are amongst the most intense reading I've had all year.
The cover of the book, while beautifully crafted, is a bit of false advertisment in that regard; to me, it promises a more...explicit kind of horror than what is present in most of the book. When I think of The Reverie, I think not of darkness and viscera, but of something bright and beautiful that's only unsettling once you stare at it for too long...or make the mistake of considering it's full implications.
* * *
This is also an in-depth exploration of a new Space Marine chapter that up until now we only knew through allusions and through the lens of their dark mirror, the future Angels Penitent: the warrior-artists of the Angels Resplendent.
Similar to the ADBs Spears of the Emperor, the Angels Resplendent and the Angels Penitent were basically just a colour scheme in some Codex before their respective author tackled them (there were actually two different colour schemes for the Resplendent, a fact that Fehervari weaves smartly into their lore). Fehervari came up with the idea of combining the two separate Chapters into two versions of a single entity at different points in time, Resplendent and Penitent separated by a violent ideological schism (see the short-story "The Crown of Thorns").
While the Penitent have already been explored in prior stories, The Reverie gives Fehervari the opportunity to really take a deep-dive into their Resplendent predecessors and create a rich tapestry of their character, ideology, organization, history and lore. On paper, the Resplendent may seem like a mix of familiar elements from the Blood Angels and the Emperor's Children, but Fehervari manages to make them feel unalike any Space Marine chapter we've seen before, a truly unique blend of Space Marine lore with the spirit of the Renaissance.
The Painted World of Malpertuis (mostly seen through the Resplendent's chapter fortress/art gallery Kanvolis) continues the Coil's tradition of memorable and narratively rich planets and acts almost as a physical representation of the Resplendent's psychological landscape. We learn nearly as much, if not more, about the Resplendent by observing Kanvolis than we do by listening to dialogue or actions of the characters. A shining jewel of a city, a monument to wonder and the sublime, yet infested by bright shadows and an almost imperceptible sense that, to paraphrase a character from the book, the canvas on which it is painted might be rotten.
* * *
Prompted by The Reverie's use of musical terminology for its structural units (e.g. "movements" instead of "acts"), I included the quote at the beginning because it's such a perfect metaphor for how the Coil stories work as a whole. A series of pieces with different moods, tempos and melodies that yet reveal a greater whole when set next to each other, changing the individual pieces depending on what is played before or segued into. Indeed, 'music' is all over The Reverie and one of its central metaphors (one more thing to look out for on future re-(t)reads of the Coil is whether this musical motif has been there all along). Even on a meta-level, The Reverie feels like a composition that intentionally riffs, echoes, repeats and twists familiar beats of former Coil-stories, like an experienced musician that is conscious of their ouevre while recording their new album. The name of the most prominent Resplendent' company of the novel, 'Rhapsody Eternal', strikes the core of the story here, because the unending, discordand music at the heart of the universe is something that arguably ties the story even more together than the titular valley.
* * *
One final note. To quote one of my favorite characters from the book: "I must speak honestly here, or else this record serves no purpose". At first, i was not sure how I felt about the ending. It wasn't that I didn't like it, in fact I loved a lot about it, but I guess that I had expected to feel as exhilarated as I did after finishing Requiem Infernal, and...didn't. The ending is more low-key, kept open at some points where I expected it to give closure, conclusive at other points where I felt that I wanted more mystery to remain.
After giving it time to sink in and re-reading certain parts of it, I think of The Reverie now like this: taking it all together, it feels like a dream - like a collective, fleeting nightmare, a long, dark night of the soul that the characters experience together. There's a crescendo to the nightmare, akin to that moment when the lurking horror finally shows his face, the moment when you wake up screaming, drenched in sweat. The nightmare is over. The sun begins to rise. The darkness is slowly being dispelled. Some dreamers have been swallowed by the dream. But for those waking up from the dream to greet a new day, the experience has been even more harrowing, forever bearing the question: Did I really wake up...?
* * *
I realize I have to reach the end of my rambling, for else I fear I shall fray and unravel for good. If you've listened to my words for this long, I've already had more than my fair share of your attention. The Reverie is another fascinating addition to Peter Fehervari's mythos of the Coil, a captivatingly written (I'd be remiss not to mention, again, how utterly beautiful the shapes are into which Fehervari crafts the English language) dream-scape that's, to quote a friend of mine, more about the journey than the destination. I'm sure I'll revisit it at some point on another travel through the Coil, with a new ear for it's melody. I'm looking forward to it.
+++ END RECORDING +++
Addendum: For anyone seeking guidance among or easier access into the perhaps daunting number of stories of "The Dark Coil", the book blog Track Of Words has an extensive article titled "A Traveller's Guide to the Dark Coil", including an overview over factions and places as well as a recommended reading order and links to various interviews with the author.
+++ BEGIN RECORDING +++
Bear with me. This will be a long one.
To understand a journey, one needs a sense for the traveller. I am Tim van Lipzig, male, nearly thirty standard years old. I have been reading Warhammer 40.000 fiction for nearly 15 years now. The first time I came into contact with the writing of Peter Fehervari was when I finally followed the whispers of a certain, hidden gem and took a look at Fire Caste in May 2017. It was a revelation. Fehervari's approach to 40k felt like something new, like an evolvement of the familiar pattern in an unfamiliar, invigorating shape. Something dark and subtle, something that felt often more *true* to the source material than anything that came before. Now, after three novels, one novella and ten short-stories, Halloween 2020 sees Fehervari return with his long-awaited fourth novel of what is known among fans as "the Dark Coil"-mythos: The Reverie.
I adhere to the adage that a work of art should be judged according to it's aspirations, therefore I shall look at what The Reverie is trying to do and comment on how I felt that it achieved it's goals: collapsed into it's most basic tenets, The Reverie is a Horror novel about the Space Marine chapter of the Angels Resplendent, that's also part of the larger Coil-mythos. To judge it's merit, I'll look at these three aspects seperately.
* * *
Fehervari has already shown that he fits very comfortably to the Warhammer Horror label with his excellent short-story Nightbleed, released only a few days before The Reverie, (not that his precedent work wouldn't have felt right at home there), but this is his first novel released under the new, explicitly Horror-themed imprint. So, to ask it in the most frank way: Can Fehervari do Horror-horror? Is this scary? My dear reader, it most certainly is.
I think it's no exaggeration to say that Fehervari excels at all the various forms of horror, be it crafting outright horrifying sequences of mayhem and madness, creating an atmosphere with a creeping sense of wrongness and dread or exploring the terror of persons faced with ugly truths about either themselves or the bedrock of their existence. It's all expertly tuned and carefully woven together, never staying too long with one "mode of horror" that it could start to wear off. The sequences with the cursed village Vindarnas are amongst the most intense reading I've had all year.
The cover of the book, while beautifully crafted, is a bit of false advertisment in that regard; to me, it promises a more...explicit kind of horror than what is present in most of the book. When I think of The Reverie, I think not of darkness and viscera, but of something bright and beautiful that's only unsettling once you stare at it for too long...or make the mistake of considering it's full implications.
* * *
This is also an in-depth exploration of a new Space Marine chapter that up until now we only knew through allusions and through the lens of their dark mirror, the future Angels Penitent: the warrior-artists of the Angels Resplendent.
Similar to the ADBs Spears of the Emperor, the Angels Resplendent and the Angels Penitent were basically just a colour scheme in some Codex before their respective author tackled them (there were actually two different colour schemes for the Resplendent, a fact that Fehervari weaves smartly into their lore). Fehervari came up with the idea of combining the two separate Chapters into two versions of a single entity at different points in time, Resplendent and Penitent separated by a violent ideological schism (see the short-story "The Crown of Thorns").
While the Penitent have already been explored in prior stories, The Reverie gives Fehervari the opportunity to really take a deep-dive into their Resplendent predecessors and create a rich tapestry of their character, ideology, organization, history and lore. On paper, the Resplendent may seem like a mix of familiar elements from the Blood Angels and the Emperor's Children, but Fehervari manages to make them feel unalike any Space Marine chapter we've seen before, a truly unique blend of Space Marine lore with the spirit of the Renaissance.
The Painted World of Malpertuis (mostly seen through the Resplendent's chapter fortress/art gallery Kanvolis) continues the Coil's tradition of memorable and narratively rich planets and acts almost as a physical representation of the Resplendent's psychological landscape. We learn nearly as much, if not more, about the Resplendent by observing Kanvolis than we do by listening to dialogue or actions of the characters. A shining jewel of a city, a monument to wonder and the sublime, yet infested by bright shadows and an almost imperceptible sense that, to paraphrase a character from the book, the canvas on which it is painted might be rotten.
* * *
Prompted by The Reverie's use of musical terminology for its structural units (e.g. "movements" instead of "acts"), I included the quote at the beginning because it's such a perfect metaphor for how the Coil stories work as a whole. A series of pieces with different moods, tempos and melodies that yet reveal a greater whole when set next to each other, changing the individual pieces depending on what is played before or segued into. Indeed, 'music' is all over The Reverie and one of its central metaphors (one more thing to look out for on future re-(t)reads of the Coil is whether this musical motif has been there all along). Even on a meta-level, The Reverie feels like a composition that intentionally riffs, echoes, repeats and twists familiar beats of former Coil-stories, like an experienced musician that is conscious of their ouevre while recording their new album. The name of the most prominent Resplendent' company of the novel, 'Rhapsody Eternal', strikes the core of the story here, because the unending, discordand music at the heart of the universe is something that arguably ties the story even more together than the titular valley.
* * *
One final note. To quote one of my favorite characters from the book: "I must speak honestly here, or else this record serves no purpose". At first, i was not sure how I felt about the ending. It wasn't that I didn't like it, in fact I loved a lot about it, but I guess that I had expected to feel as exhilarated as I did after finishing Requiem Infernal, and...didn't. The ending is more low-key, kept open at some points where I expected it to give closure, conclusive at other points where I felt that I wanted more mystery to remain.
After giving it time to sink in and re-reading certain parts of it, I think of The Reverie now like this: taking it all together, it feels like a dream - like a collective, fleeting nightmare, a long, dark night of the soul that the characters experience together. There's a crescendo to the nightmare, akin to that moment when the lurking horror finally shows his face, the moment when you wake up screaming, drenched in sweat. The nightmare is over. The sun begins to rise. The darkness is slowly being dispelled. Some dreamers have been swallowed by the dream. But for those waking up from the dream to greet a new day, the experience has been even more harrowing, forever bearing the question: Did I really wake up...?
* * *
I realize I have to reach the end of my rambling, for else I fear I shall fray and unravel for good. If you've listened to my words for this long, I've already had more than my fair share of your attention. The Reverie is another fascinating addition to Peter Fehervari's mythos of the Coil, a captivatingly written (I'd be remiss not to mention, again, how utterly beautiful the shapes are into which Fehervari crafts the English language) dream-scape that's, to quote a friend of mine, more about the journey than the destination. I'm sure I'll revisit it at some point on another travel through the Coil, with a new ear for it's melody. I'm looking forward to it.
+++ END RECORDING +++
Addendum: For anyone seeking guidance among or easier access into the perhaps daunting number of stories of "The Dark Coil", the book blog Track Of Words has an extensive article titled "A Traveller's Guide to the Dark Coil", including an overview over factions and places as well as a recommended reading order and links to various interviews with the author.
February 6, 2022
I know that Peter Fehervari is supremely well-regarded amongst a certain group of Black Library fans. You could call him the thinking man's Dan Abnett. I've read a couple of his short stories (Greater Evil and Crown of Thorns), so I know that Peter has game, but this is actually the first novel-length of his that I've read.
And boy was I not disappointed.
Peter's ability to world build is, frankly, awe-inspiring. The Angels Resplendent are an incredible creation. I feel I know them better than I do any of the Chapters I have written myself. The same goes for the world of Malpertuis and the titular Reverie, which brings me to the way Peter portrays Chaos as a Lovecraftian force that is inherently corrupting and from which nothing, and no one, is safe.
I spent a *long* time reading this. It probably took me about 5 times as long to finish as it would another Black Library offering of similar length. I can can see what that might put some people off, but page-turnability shouldn't be seen as the only mark of a book's quality. This is a real ale, rather than a supermarket lager, and best enjoyed in small sips.
If you want a deep, *deep* dive into the insane horror of the 41st Millennium and an exploration of a unique Space Marine Chapter, then this book, and anything by Peter Fehervari, is absolutely for you
And boy was I not disappointed.
Peter's ability to world build is, frankly, awe-inspiring. The Angels Resplendent are an incredible creation. I feel I know them better than I do any of the Chapters I have written myself. The same goes for the world of Malpertuis and the titular Reverie, which brings me to the way Peter portrays Chaos as a Lovecraftian force that is inherently corrupting and from which nothing, and no one, is safe.
I spent a *long* time reading this. It probably took me about 5 times as long to finish as it would another Black Library offering of similar length. I can can see what that might put some people off, but page-turnability shouldn't be seen as the only mark of a book's quality. This is a real ale, rather than a supermarket lager, and best enjoyed in small sips.
If you want a deep, *deep* dive into the insane horror of the 41st Millennium and an exploration of a unique Space Marine Chapter, then this book, and anything by Peter Fehervari, is absolutely for you
December 19, 2020
One of the better Warhammer novels I have read. This was a mature, intricately structured and plotted amazefest. It's really pretty remarkable how all these different authors writing all these different Black Library novels continue to keep things fresh and seemingly new while also retaining that Warhammer feel. And the imaginations on some of 'em. I'm totally loving the things they come up with and the overall ability to describe them and make them clear in my head. This is the first anything I have read by Peter Fehervari and he keeps the tradition going with The Reverie.
The Reverie has many different things going for it besides being just straight up fun and entertaining. The characters are interesting and detailed and while it seems like there are a hundred different story lines floating around and there's a time travel/warp travel component going on underneath to complicate things, it all comes together in a satisfying and exciting way. This is one of the releases under Warhammer Horror and yes there is that but since it is a Warhammer novel you also get science fiction, fantasy, drama, thrills, chills, and the kitchen sink.
I love these novels, each one, for their own originality and entertainment value, but also with each one the universe gets a little more fleshed out and defined, it's really nothing short of staggering in its complexity.
I want to thank Black Library, Netgalley, and Peter Fehervari for the copy to review but that in no way impacted my opinion or review.
The Reverie has many different things going for it besides being just straight up fun and entertaining. The characters are interesting and detailed and while it seems like there are a hundred different story lines floating around and there's a time travel/warp travel component going on underneath to complicate things, it all comes together in a satisfying and exciting way. This is one of the releases under Warhammer Horror and yes there is that but since it is a Warhammer novel you also get science fiction, fantasy, drama, thrills, chills, and the kitchen sink.
I love these novels, each one, for their own originality and entertainment value, but also with each one the universe gets a little more fleshed out and defined, it's really nothing short of staggering in its complexity.
I want to thank Black Library, Netgalley, and Peter Fehervari for the copy to review but that in no way impacted my opinion or review.
July 21, 2021
The Reverie pushed my boundaries as a reader and reviewer and for that, I am so thankful to the author. This book was an intricately woven tale of suspense that left me empty yet fulfilled.
To say The Reverie is shrouded in mystery is an understatement as we focus on the Angels Resplendent who are A chapter of Space Marines that experience no fear. There is a general sense of unease from the get-go that is only enhanced with every page. In its barest form, The Reverie is each character's attempt at finding themselves or dying in the process and I enjoyed being a voyeur into their journies.
This novel is fraught with secrets waiting to be uncovered and I admire the writing style of Peter whose skill can force even the timidest of readers (like myself) to embrace the darkness.
While there are nuances of classic horror, the introduction of time travel gave a different if interesting perspective on the overall story. My one qualm with this book is that I wished for more action.
To say The Reverie is shrouded in mystery is an understatement as we focus on the Angels Resplendent who are A chapter of Space Marines that experience no fear. There is a general sense of unease from the get-go that is only enhanced with every page. In its barest form, The Reverie is each character's attempt at finding themselves or dying in the process and I enjoyed being a voyeur into their journies.
This novel is fraught with secrets waiting to be uncovered and I admire the writing style of Peter whose skill can force even the timidest of readers (like myself) to embrace the darkness.
While there are nuances of classic horror, the introduction of time travel gave a different if interesting perspective on the overall story. My one qualm with this book is that I wished for more action.
December 19, 2020
Three travellers make their way to shining Malpertuis, homeworld of the glorious Angels Resplendent, in search of answers, inspiration, judgement or clarity. Amongst the tiered galleries of the capital, Kanvolis, they begin to understand the truth of the world – that behind the veneer of enlightenment and artistic sophistication, an insidious darkness lurks within Malpertuis and the Chapter of Space Marines who call it home. Each of the three has a part to play as the boundaries between past, present and future blur and a shadow leaks from a wound at the heart of the world.
Fehevari’s writing has always been horror-inflected at the very least, but The Reverie takes full advantage of the freedoms provided by the Warhammer Horror range to dig deep into everything that makes his style so compelling. It’s a character-driven tale full of typically vivid imagery and a creeping sense of dread and discomfort, where nothing is quite what it seems, where obsessions come to the fore and where ideas and intent are more important than strength or pretty words. Read it carefully, read it twice, read it as a wonderful, unconventional story in its own right and as a springboard to explore more of the Dark Coil or – if you’re already an experienced Coil Traveller – to revisit earlier stories in a new light.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2020/12/...
Fehevari’s writing has always been horror-inflected at the very least, but The Reverie takes full advantage of the freedoms provided by the Warhammer Horror range to dig deep into everything that makes his style so compelling. It’s a character-driven tale full of typically vivid imagery and a creeping sense of dread and discomfort, where nothing is quite what it seems, where obsessions come to the fore and where ideas and intent are more important than strength or pretty words. Read it carefully, read it twice, read it as a wonderful, unconventional story in its own right and as a springboard to explore more of the Dark Coil or – if you’re already an experienced Coil Traveller – to revisit earlier stories in a new light.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2020/12/...
December 14, 2020
Low on combat, high on creeping dread and disturbing set-pieces. Cerebral, dreamlike and often sublimely written. Perhaps a more linear narrative (ergo accessible) than some of the other novels by this author but that would belie the deeper mysteries hidden within its pages... Marketed under BL's Horror label - it certainly fits the remit with its fair share of scary stuff and grotesquerie, however if BL had a "philosophy" label then this would be its flagship novel as it's replete with introspection and reflection that never veers to pretension. One can only imagine what the author could do outside of the constraints of the 40K universe. One can but hope...
November 12, 2020
Excellent story with some cool twists. In comparison to some other of Fehervari's works this seems a bit more "tight" of a story. Which is not to say its better or worse of a story for that reason. Just an observation. You could pick this book up with out knowing of the 40k setting or any other of books by this author and you would not be at any disadvantage. But knowing the Warhammer setting and/or the Dark Coil setting (which is this authors connective tissue between stories) only enhances the story.
This was an enthralling story That I can't recommend enough.
This was an enthralling story That I can't recommend enough.
May 10, 2024
I would like to preface this review with a few disclaimers.
Firstly, I am a longtime warhammer fan with the forces of chaos being my favourite aspect of the setting, so this may have coloured my opinion slightly.
Secondly, I have not read much of the Dark Coil. The collection I have comes with a suggested reading order that I am following. This book is merely part 2 of what is clearly a sprawling odyssey filled with mystery and questions that may never be answered, so if you are in a similar position you will come away with more questions than answers and that feels perfect for this kind of story.
Onto the review, such as it is.
This might be my favourite warhammer book. I could not put it down. I am usually a slow reader as I typically only read while commuting or for an hour or so before bed. I neglected my other hobbies and interests (and maybe a meal or two) as I was too absorbed in this tale.
For someone who enjoys warhammer fiction there is a variety available under Black Library despite the image that warhammer books are purely "bolter porn" (the nickname given to the book equivalent of a cheap thrills action movie), and if that is what you like then be aware that this is not that. I remember watching a video interview with Peter where he states his editor was confused by the idea of a warhammer book where the first shot isn't fired until the halfway point. That should give you an idea of the pace of the book.
For someone who wanted a slow burn mystery though, the book is paced brilliantly. It is not without action, but the action always feels significant. I can't say tense, as one sequence is space marines clubbing some underhive workers to death so there was very little danger to the marines themselves, but the sequence was significant. It had meaning. For that particular character, it finally clued them into how off the rails their order might really be as these workers existed purely to maintain a decorative water wheel to feed their vanity.
The Angels Resplendent are the space marine chapter at the focus of this book, and they are certainly worth diving into. For those with knowledge of the setting the wider imperium would probably already consider them lost and heretical. There would be some truth to that accusation. But their fall from grace into this decadent state was born from their desire to be better, to be more than what they were created for, "to rise on burning wings" as they're so fond of saying.
It is here that Peter truly excels in his understanding of the insidious nature of chaos. Most 40k stories will portray chaos as cartoonishly evil moustache twirling villains who leave many to wonder how they even attract followers. Not so with the Reverie. A pov character doesn't fall to chaos because they're twisted and evil. They do so because they feel they have been discarded, that they're now lost and destined to wallow in self-pity and irrelevance. Or a member of the aforementioned underhive workers, who fell because he didn't think they were being treated well being forced to maintain this vanity project for the Angels.
It is the subtle, insidious nature of Peter's portrayal of chaos that is so fascinating to me as it is how chaos should be for most of the deities that make up that umbrella. Unfortunately this kind of corruption doesn't lend itself to the kind of fiction BL produces en masse, which is why Peter Fehervari is such an important voice in the setting, and why this book is so important. It shows us what can be. It shows us that we can rise on burning wings. And unlike the Angels Resplendent, that doesn't have to be a bad thing.
I know Peter occasionally reads these reviews, so if by chance I am one of the lucky ones, thank you. You have ensnared me in the Coil and I don't know if I can find my way out. Or if I will even want. The music is captivating here.
Firstly, I am a longtime warhammer fan with the forces of chaos being my favourite aspect of the setting, so this may have coloured my opinion slightly.
Secondly, I have not read much of the Dark Coil. The collection I have comes with a suggested reading order that I am following. This book is merely part 2 of what is clearly a sprawling odyssey filled with mystery and questions that may never be answered, so if you are in a similar position you will come away with more questions than answers and that feels perfect for this kind of story.
Onto the review, such as it is.
This might be my favourite warhammer book. I could not put it down. I am usually a slow reader as I typically only read while commuting or for an hour or so before bed. I neglected my other hobbies and interests (and maybe a meal or two) as I was too absorbed in this tale.
For someone who enjoys warhammer fiction there is a variety available under Black Library despite the image that warhammer books are purely "bolter porn" (the nickname given to the book equivalent of a cheap thrills action movie), and if that is what you like then be aware that this is not that. I remember watching a video interview with Peter where he states his editor was confused by the idea of a warhammer book where the first shot isn't fired until the halfway point. That should give you an idea of the pace of the book.
For someone who wanted a slow burn mystery though, the book is paced brilliantly. It is not without action, but the action always feels significant. I can't say tense, as one sequence is space marines clubbing some underhive workers to death so there was very little danger to the marines themselves, but the sequence was significant. It had meaning. For that particular character, it finally clued them into how off the rails their order might really be as these workers existed purely to maintain a decorative water wheel to feed their vanity.
The Angels Resplendent are the space marine chapter at the focus of this book, and they are certainly worth diving into. For those with knowledge of the setting the wider imperium would probably already consider them lost and heretical. There would be some truth to that accusation. But their fall from grace into this decadent state was born from their desire to be better, to be more than what they were created for, "to rise on burning wings" as they're so fond of saying.
It is here that Peter truly excels in his understanding of the insidious nature of chaos. Most 40k stories will portray chaos as cartoonishly evil moustache twirling villains who leave many to wonder how they even attract followers. Not so with the Reverie. A pov character doesn't fall to chaos because they're twisted and evil. They do so because they feel they have been discarded, that they're now lost and destined to wallow in self-pity and irrelevance. Or a member of the aforementioned underhive workers, who fell because he didn't think they were being treated well being forced to maintain this vanity project for the Angels.
It is the subtle, insidious nature of Peter's portrayal of chaos that is so fascinating to me as it is how chaos should be for most of the deities that make up that umbrella. Unfortunately this kind of corruption doesn't lend itself to the kind of fiction BL produces en masse, which is why Peter Fehervari is such an important voice in the setting, and why this book is so important. It shows us what can be. It shows us that we can rise on burning wings. And unlike the Angels Resplendent, that doesn't have to be a bad thing.
I know Peter occasionally reads these reviews, so if by chance I am one of the lucky ones, thank you. You have ensnared me in the Coil and I don't know if I can find my way out. Or if I will even want. The music is captivating here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2020
This is my first review so apologies if it’s a bit rambling
Horror within the Warhammer 40k universe is always interesting. The setting seems ripe for horror, Eldritch beings haunting the dark space between the stars, cruelty having become intertwined with humanity, and monstrous beings beyond imagination poisoning the universe and its inhabitants. Yet for all the innate horror of the 40k setting we rarely see entire books dedicated to horror. Especially when it comes to Space Marines, beings who know no fear. And yet Fehervari once again has managed to weave a compelling story around the marines of the Angels Resplendent which evokes the gothic chill of Bram Stoker and the alien terror of HP Lovecraft.
The book itself is about the Angels Resplendent. A chapter of Space Marines who seem to be some of the most noble and bright characters within the 40k Universe. Yet the chapter has paid a high price for their purity and the horrible truths at the heart of their world will bring a reckoning upon them.
The book is weird. It is extremely different from almost every other 40k book I’ve read and that is on purpose. We follow a group of people, some humans and some Space Marines, as they arrive at the world of Malpertuis, home to the Angels Resplendent. From the start there is something very wrong and the characters slowly unravel this mystery. This is where the horror comes from, the reader slowly pieces together why everything is so different and weird while things only become worse for the protagonists. This tension is like knowing a monster is waiting to scare you in the basement but when you finally confront the monster you learn that the basement itself is alive and hungry. Fehervari is able to bring the dread of night to a world of light and beauty, the horror doesn’t clash against the nobility of the Angels Resplendent but instead the two are intertwined.
In the timeline of the Dark Coil this book serves as the beginning, explaining why the worlds of the Dark Coil are seemingly cursed and finally letting us see the Angels Resplendent before they became the Angels Penitent. The world building is fantastic and the chapter is interesting and lives up to the hype in my opinion. You can also see many little secrets and fun Easter eggs to Fehervari’s other works and his inspirations. The book definitely gets better with a reread as you can notice all the tiny extra details.
Fehervari also has a way with words. You are able to be consumed by his imagery and his embellishments never feel unnecessary or fancy for the sake of being fancy. Since the book wants you to pay attention to the world it crafts it’s a blessing that the author has made the world so vibrant and enthralling to read about.
On a personal note I’d love to learn what the color schemes of all the Rhapsodies (the name for a company within the Angels Resplendent are). While some are described Fehervari tends to leave just enough vague to pique my curiosity.
Horror within the Warhammer 40k universe is always interesting. The setting seems ripe for horror, Eldritch beings haunting the dark space between the stars, cruelty having become intertwined with humanity, and monstrous beings beyond imagination poisoning the universe and its inhabitants. Yet for all the innate horror of the 40k setting we rarely see entire books dedicated to horror. Especially when it comes to Space Marines, beings who know no fear. And yet Fehervari once again has managed to weave a compelling story around the marines of the Angels Resplendent which evokes the gothic chill of Bram Stoker and the alien terror of HP Lovecraft.
The book itself is about the Angels Resplendent. A chapter of Space Marines who seem to be some of the most noble and bright characters within the 40k Universe. Yet the chapter has paid a high price for their purity and the horrible truths at the heart of their world will bring a reckoning upon them.
The book is weird. It is extremely different from almost every other 40k book I’ve read and that is on purpose. We follow a group of people, some humans and some Space Marines, as they arrive at the world of Malpertuis, home to the Angels Resplendent. From the start there is something very wrong and the characters slowly unravel this mystery. This is where the horror comes from, the reader slowly pieces together why everything is so different and weird while things only become worse for the protagonists. This tension is like knowing a monster is waiting to scare you in the basement but when you finally confront the monster you learn that the basement itself is alive and hungry. Fehervari is able to bring the dread of night to a world of light and beauty, the horror doesn’t clash against the nobility of the Angels Resplendent but instead the two are intertwined.
In the timeline of the Dark Coil this book serves as the beginning, explaining why the worlds of the Dark Coil are seemingly cursed and finally letting us see the Angels Resplendent before they became the Angels Penitent. The world building is fantastic and the chapter is interesting and lives up to the hype in my opinion. You can also see many little secrets and fun Easter eggs to Fehervari’s other works and his inspirations. The book definitely gets better with a reread as you can notice all the tiny extra details.
Fehervari also has a way with words. You are able to be consumed by his imagery and his embellishments never feel unnecessary or fancy for the sake of being fancy. Since the book wants you to pay attention to the world it crafts it’s a blessing that the author has made the world so vibrant and enthralling to read about.
On a personal note I’d love to learn what the color schemes of all the Rhapsodies (the name for a company within the Angels Resplendent are). While some are described Fehervari tends to leave just enough vague to pique my curiosity.
November 28, 2020
One of the best Warhammer novels I have read, and I have been reading them for ten years.
This is what Warhammer should be. It is creepy and suspensful until the end and has just enough action to keep us on our toes.
The Reverie is a place where one finds their true self (or dies). Finding their true self is the goal of each pov character, whether they know it or not.
They are all interesting and diverse.You never know what will happen to a main character and you flip through the pages hoping to find out where their path leads them.
The story is inspired by one of my favorite Lovecraft stories: The Music of Erich Zann. This is the first time I've read a book where music is the main antagonist, and I have to say it is terrifying.
The Angels Resplendant are a great chapter. I have always wondered what it would be like to have space marines living normal lives and this is as close to it as I have seen since the Horus Heresy novels.
Angels Resplendant are artists and explorers, discovering knowledge, beauty and talent across the galaxy.
However, without honest war for defence of humanity and sacrifice that Blood Angels show, they have become more like the Emperor's Children than their gene father. They are in the eyes of mortals more like the Lovecrafts Outer Gods, immortal and uncaring, than like adeptus astartes. It is very suiting for the atmosphere of the book and adds a bit more understanding for the position of their mortal servants.
Their mythology is so interesting and mysterious, while most questions about their past remain unanswered.
I hope we will see these characters and the chapter explored more in future Peter Fehervary's novels. I can hardly wait
This is what Warhammer should be. It is creepy and suspensful until the end and has just enough action to keep us on our toes.
The Reverie is a place where one finds their true self (or dies). Finding their true self is the goal of each pov character, whether they know it or not.
They are all interesting and diverse.You never know what will happen to a main character and you flip through the pages hoping to find out where their path leads them.
The story is inspired by one of my favorite Lovecraft stories: The Music of Erich Zann. This is the first time I've read a book where music is the main antagonist, and I have to say it is terrifying.
The Angels Resplendant are a great chapter. I have always wondered what it would be like to have space marines living normal lives and this is as close to it as I have seen since the Horus Heresy novels.
Angels Resplendant are artists and explorers, discovering knowledge, beauty and talent across the galaxy.
However, without honest war for defence of humanity and sacrifice that Blood Angels show, they have become more like the Emperor's Children than their gene father. They are in the eyes of mortals more like the Lovecrafts Outer Gods, immortal and uncaring, than like adeptus astartes. It is very suiting for the atmosphere of the book and adds a bit more understanding for the position of their mortal servants.
Their mythology is so interesting and mysterious, while most questions about their past remain unanswered.
I hope we will see these characters and the chapter explored more in future Peter Fehervary's novels. I can hardly wait
April 18, 2021
The Reverie is the second novel by Peter Fehervari I’ve read and one of the more popular Warhammer Horror releases since its inception – and it certainly lives up to hype! Having recently read, and absolutely loved, Requiem Infernal, I've noticed that a pervasive sense of eeriness and general creepiness is a key feature of Fehevari’s writing. So, if that stuff is your cup of tea, then I reckon this book will be for you!
This all contributes to a strong sense of atmosphere being the standout features of this book for me. Something is very wrong on this planet and Fehervari’s writing captures this wonderfully throughout, creating a bewitching and sinister environment for our characters. Even the most seemingly innocuous occurrences here feel like they’re filled with a hidden sense of menace that haunts the story you from the beginning. For our characters, this translates to a general sense of unease throughout, though they’re never able to quite put their finger on what is wrong until it is too late.
For me, the beginning of this novel is an example where Fehervari does atmosphere at its best. The prologue is like some form of dark and twisted version of a Brother’s Grimm fairy-tale about an orphan boy and a monster, and it was just brilliant. I was hooked into the story straight away, and impressed with how the 40k and futuristic elements slipped into the story alongside this.
After the prologue, we begin to meet our central characters. Each has a strong and unique voice and outlook on the world that gives us a variety of perspectives on the darkness that sits at the core of their world. I enjoyed each of the characters here and I can’t pick an absolute favourite, with the competition being particularly fierce between would be between the sanity and methodical thinking of the Apothecary Borges; the jaded views of the artist Marisol, and the hopeful ambitions of Tarsem. However, with the last of those characters, is where my only real complaint about this novel sits. We spend a fair chunk of time with Tarsem in the first third or so of the book, but it feels like his story line drops to the very back of the queue after this – and I wanted more Tarsem! I feel like he was the first character we got to build a connection with, and then he was whisked away!
Through this plethora of characters, we meet and see the Space Marines of the Angels Resplendent from a variety of perspectives. The world-building and way the more insidious practices of Chaos are intertwined here is superb. This is a Chapter of Space Marines have been thoroughly corrupted – but they don’t know it yet. Having rejected some of the more totalitarian and oppressive practices of the Imperium, they should be a beacon of hope for humanity in this dark future, but the daemons and dark gods that are very real in Warhammer have found a way to turn even these champions of a brighter for the future of humanity against them.
Overall, this is a fantastic story that draws you in with its atmospheric writing, complex characters and interweaving plot lines. Plus, if you have read any of his other Dark Coil works, then you will enjoy picking out the little Easter Eggs and references littered throughout the book. I for one will be eagerly keeping my eyes peeled when I pick up more of his work in future!
This all contributes to a strong sense of atmosphere being the standout features of this book for me. Something is very wrong on this planet and Fehervari’s writing captures this wonderfully throughout, creating a bewitching and sinister environment for our characters. Even the most seemingly innocuous occurrences here feel like they’re filled with a hidden sense of menace that haunts the story you from the beginning. For our characters, this translates to a general sense of unease throughout, though they’re never able to quite put their finger on what is wrong until it is too late.
For me, the beginning of this novel is an example where Fehervari does atmosphere at its best. The prologue is like some form of dark and twisted version of a Brother’s Grimm fairy-tale about an orphan boy and a monster, and it was just brilliant. I was hooked into the story straight away, and impressed with how the 40k and futuristic elements slipped into the story alongside this.
After the prologue, we begin to meet our central characters. Each has a strong and unique voice and outlook on the world that gives us a variety of perspectives on the darkness that sits at the core of their world. I enjoyed each of the characters here and I can’t pick an absolute favourite, with the competition being particularly fierce between would be between the sanity and methodical thinking of the Apothecary Borges; the jaded views of the artist Marisol, and the hopeful ambitions of Tarsem. However, with the last of those characters, is where my only real complaint about this novel sits. We spend a fair chunk of time with Tarsem in the first third or so of the book, but it feels like his story line drops to the very back of the queue after this – and I wanted more Tarsem! I feel like he was the first character we got to build a connection with, and then he was whisked away!
Through this plethora of characters, we meet and see the Space Marines of the Angels Resplendent from a variety of perspectives. The world-building and way the more insidious practices of Chaos are intertwined here is superb. This is a Chapter of Space Marines have been thoroughly corrupted – but they don’t know it yet. Having rejected some of the more totalitarian and oppressive practices of the Imperium, they should be a beacon of hope for humanity in this dark future, but the daemons and dark gods that are very real in Warhammer have found a way to turn even these champions of a brighter for the future of humanity against them.
Overall, this is a fantastic story that draws you in with its atmospheric writing, complex characters and interweaving plot lines. Plus, if you have read any of his other Dark Coil works, then you will enjoy picking out the little Easter Eggs and references littered throughout the book. I for one will be eagerly keeping my eyes peeled when I pick up more of his work in future!
May 23, 2021
***3/4: The Reverie: wound in a world that was born of idealism yet festered into corruption, spinning the connective tissues of Chaos through time and space: it is a pathway from which The Dark Coil unfurls.
As usual, Peter Fehervari delivers a 40K novel like no other, more akin to the florid, febrile pulp writings of William Hope Hodgson & Clark Ashton Smith. I need to be in a certain mindset to read him but when it clicks, I can look past certain “writerly” tics and just immerse myself in the mystery & atmosphere of his creations. The Dark Coil cycle has brought me many imaginative pleasures and The Reverie is a look behind the curtain of certain inter-locking questions.
While The Reverie is set early in The Dark Coil timeline, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as an entry point into the cycle, especially for those needing to adjust from more typical 40K fiction. This novel is baroque and rococo, leaning heavily on existential horror with little direct action. It is a very good book but the pleasures of it are best experienced after some previous immersion into Fehervari’s style.
I’m looking forward to what comes next, though with a hint of caution that as this cycle has progressed (in terms of recent publication, not chronology), it has started to tip into a formula that could use some freshening up. An increasing style creep of deliberate overwriting occasionally took me out of the story, certain points in which the pace could have been pushed and the extraneous literary devices briefly curtailed. Contrast of this sort was more apparent previously and I would welcome its return. As well, the need to seed Dark Coil motifs used to be subtler and more assured than it is here. That said, and overall, The Reverie is still very strong and Peter Fehervari is one of Black Library’s most unique and appealing authors.
As usual, Peter Fehervari delivers a 40K novel like no other, more akin to the florid, febrile pulp writings of William Hope Hodgson & Clark Ashton Smith. I need to be in a certain mindset to read him but when it clicks, I can look past certain “writerly” tics and just immerse myself in the mystery & atmosphere of his creations. The Dark Coil cycle has brought me many imaginative pleasures and The Reverie is a look behind the curtain of certain inter-locking questions.
While The Reverie is set early in The Dark Coil timeline, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as an entry point into the cycle, especially for those needing to adjust from more typical 40K fiction. This novel is baroque and rococo, leaning heavily on existential horror with little direct action. It is a very good book but the pleasures of it are best experienced after some previous immersion into Fehervari’s style.
I’m looking forward to what comes next, though with a hint of caution that as this cycle has progressed (in terms of recent publication, not chronology), it has started to tip into a formula that could use some freshening up. An increasing style creep of deliberate overwriting occasionally took me out of the story, certain points in which the pace could have been pushed and the extraneous literary devices briefly curtailed. Contrast of this sort was more apparent previously and I would welcome its return. As well, the need to seed Dark Coil motifs used to be subtler and more assured than it is here. That said, and overall, The Reverie is still very strong and Peter Fehervari is one of Black Library’s most unique and appealing authors.
May 10, 2021
A very different type of Warhammer 40,000 novel. It is a part of the Warhammer horror series and though there are many elements of horror, it actually spellbound me with intriguing characters and mind bending dimensional shifts.
If you're expecting a lot of combat scene description, look elsewhere. The author spends most of the novel delving into the motivations of several characters and their intertwining paths. Internal conflict is a lot more interesting than how many bolter rounds are fired.
The novel feels episodic in nature and I don't get a sense that there would be a single protagonist to follow up on in future novels, but even if true I still appreciate how well conceived the story was crafted.
If you're expecting a lot of combat scene description, look elsewhere. The author spends most of the novel delving into the motivations of several characters and their intertwining paths. Internal conflict is a lot more interesting than how many bolter rounds are fired.
The novel feels episodic in nature and I don't get a sense that there would be a single protagonist to follow up on in future novels, but even if true I still appreciate how well conceived the story was crafted.
March 13, 2021
Just like all of his work, this novel is full of secrets and mysteries waiting to be uncovered. Peter Fehervari is an incredibly skilled author whose work draws the reader in and traps them in a realm of shadows and discomfort.
The book creates an atmosphere of discomfort and uncertainty, yet it is difficult to put down. The characters all feel real and well lived, like we are just getting a glimpse into their lives.
Even if you know nothing about the warhammer universe, this novel offers a compelling narrative full of uncertainty and mystery.
The book creates an atmosphere of discomfort and uncertainty, yet it is difficult to put down. The characters all feel real and well lived, like we are just getting a glimpse into their lives.
Even if you know nothing about the warhammer universe, this novel offers a compelling narrative full of uncertainty and mystery.
December 6, 2022
“The only way out is forward”. I think this quote accurately depicts the theme of the novel because throughout the novel we see the three travelers going on a journey to Malpertuis. They come across many obstacles but they have to find a way through them to get to their destination. Along the way they learn about themselves through these challenges and I think this is a great theme that is constantly shown throughout.
First I like the plot in this novel. It’s unique in its own way. It’s hard to explain why I enjoyed the plot to much without giving a plot summary or giving spoilers, but I the way the each event impacted a character and had an affect on a character in some way. Additionally I liked how the author suggested clues to foreshadow later events. Some clues were more noticeable than others but I still really enjoyed it. Some of the clues were more subtle and I had to go back and read some parts of the book to confirm it was a clue. However I did not like how in earlier in the book was confusing. I’m not familiar with this type of horror genre or the author so I did not know what to expect. So naturally I was a little confused but I eventually got it and it was easier to understand. This was mostly the terminology. For example the author does not use the amount of imagery that I prefer. I enjoy how authors such as Stephen King and how they use descriptive words to paint a picture. Personally I thought the imagery was a little too bland and not there as much as I would have liked, but that is just my opinion. An example in the novel would be “A stocky man stood in the doorway” for me that is repeated constantly and I would just like to see a bit more. Although I do like the horror elements that are used throughout the novel. When I was reading I got this eerie and dark feeling which is a very good sign in a horror novel. An example would be when this “daemon” was hunting Satori.
Overall I think it is a good read. It’s not my type of novel but I still enjoyed reading it. It is a great story of adventure and the horror elements implemented throughout are amazing.
First I like the plot in this novel. It’s unique in its own way. It’s hard to explain why I enjoyed the plot to much without giving a plot summary or giving spoilers, but I the way the each event impacted a character and had an affect on a character in some way. Additionally I liked how the author suggested clues to foreshadow later events. Some clues were more noticeable than others but I still really enjoyed it. Some of the clues were more subtle and I had to go back and read some parts of the book to confirm it was a clue. However I did not like how in earlier in the book was confusing. I’m not familiar with this type of horror genre or the author so I did not know what to expect. So naturally I was a little confused but I eventually got it and it was easier to understand. This was mostly the terminology. For example the author does not use the amount of imagery that I prefer. I enjoy how authors such as Stephen King and how they use descriptive words to paint a picture. Personally I thought the imagery was a little too bland and not there as much as I would have liked, but that is just my opinion. An example in the novel would be “A stocky man stood in the doorway” for me that is repeated constantly and I would just like to see a bit more. Although I do like the horror elements that are used throughout the novel. When I was reading I got this eerie and dark feeling which is a very good sign in a horror novel. An example would be when this “daemon” was hunting Satori.
Overall I think it is a good read. It’s not my type of novel but I still enjoyed reading it. It is a great story of adventure and the horror elements implemented throughout are amazing.
April 1, 2021
After having already read Requiem Infernal i was expecting another great story and got exactly that. You shouldn't rush this one since it has a heavy focus on the psychological effects and corruption that the warp brings along, and the Astartes chapter itself is quite philosophical. However, it isn't tiring at all which is truly difficult to accomplish as an author for this kind of genre. Unlike many other publishings, Fehervari uses none of the snore inducing tropes that plague most horror movies or books and i enjoyed every single page.
January 19, 2021
Awesome story
New space Marine chapter very interesting!
Must read this author, going to check out his other books thanks kindle love
New space Marine chapter very interesting!
Must read this author, going to check out his other books thanks kindle love
November 10, 2021
Well it's the time of the year ain't it? Horror time, was a good book? Yes but was it scary, unsettling and disturbing? Hmm yes.... My hesitancy stems from the personal experience of what I find scary and although I found some aspects of the story unsettling, others did not do it for me. This leaves me in a somewhat ambivalent state, with a reading experience that wasn't unpleasant, but did not quite deliver either.
The reverie deals with several characters connected to the space marine chapter of the angels resplendent, a chapter that is not the most known of space marine brotherhoods and whose backstory, limited as it was, might throw of some readers. The official lore says that the angels were warrior artists who valued beauty and creativity as a way to cure the most violent and psychotic tendencies particularly strong among the sons of Sanguinius. This worked fine until a strange martyr came to them and convinced them to become zealots of faith, purging their art and their librarium guiding figures and embracing fanaticism.
As far as I can deduct from the story and the timeline this and the aforementioned lore provides, the reverie takes place much earlier in the angels story. Here only a rough 600 years since their turn towards art and creativity has taken place so millennia before their new reformation to religious fanaticism. This surprised me as I assumed the horror was to be the turn to fanaticism, destroying spiritual freedom and the embrace of chains of dogmatism. In stead the reverie almost shows a justification for the latter turn to faith, the rejecting of artistic passion and points at a fatal duplicity on the librarium's most senior members that almost led their chapter to damnation.
Thankfully, the reverie shies away from the coockiecutter demonic chaotic evil that are the four gods of chaos, in fact chaos is hardly mentioned at all in the whole book, what takes it's place is the reverie. The reverie refers to a location, a place for testing of the spiritual strength and destiny that reminded me of the dark side cave in the empire strikes back. Yoda reluctantly guides Luke to the cave where he would face himself and a future that stems from himself. As in star wars there is a foreboding to it that belies the seemingly innocent and peaceful nature of the location, it is less that it seems yet more then it is supposed to be. Like with Yoda the role of the guiding psychic sage of a bygone age is marked by riddles, mysteries and secrets that in the reverie come earily close to be a source of damnation rather then guidance.
Concerning the characters, I liked most of them but the main space marine protagonist, Varzival did not came across as that interesting or engaging while the character Marisol was far more interesting as was Apothecary Borges whose outlook I easily identified with. The characters Satori and Tarsem, I wasn't that huge a fan off, but I was happy that their stories did somewhat pay off in the end. As much a character in this story are the art, poetry and lyrical musings and to be honest, I never was the best person to appreciate poetry or moved by dark proze but for those that are, the reverie offers plenty.
In conclusion, I can recommend the book on its own and those that have a particular affiliation for horror stemming from more spiritual and poetic sources will find something that might get them in the right mood. For me that wasn't quite the case but that has more to do with my personal outlook on life which i found most prevalent in apothecary Borges, I really have a thing for apothecary space marines it seems....
The reverie deals with several characters connected to the space marine chapter of the angels resplendent, a chapter that is not the most known of space marine brotherhoods and whose backstory, limited as it was, might throw of some readers. The official lore says that the angels were warrior artists who valued beauty and creativity as a way to cure the most violent and psychotic tendencies particularly strong among the sons of Sanguinius. This worked fine until a strange martyr came to them and convinced them to become zealots of faith, purging their art and their librarium guiding figures and embracing fanaticism.
As far as I can deduct from the story and the timeline this and the aforementioned lore provides, the reverie takes place much earlier in the angels story. Here only a rough 600 years since their turn towards art and creativity has taken place so millennia before their new reformation to religious fanaticism. This surprised me as I assumed the horror was to be the turn to fanaticism, destroying spiritual freedom and the embrace of chains of dogmatism. In stead the reverie almost shows a justification for the latter turn to faith, the rejecting of artistic passion and points at a fatal duplicity on the librarium's most senior members that almost led their chapter to damnation.
Thankfully, the reverie shies away from the coockiecutter demonic chaotic evil that are the four gods of chaos, in fact chaos is hardly mentioned at all in the whole book, what takes it's place is the reverie. The reverie refers to a location, a place for testing of the spiritual strength and destiny that reminded me of the dark side cave in the empire strikes back. Yoda reluctantly guides Luke to the cave where he would face himself and a future that stems from himself. As in star wars there is a foreboding to it that belies the seemingly innocent and peaceful nature of the location, it is less that it seems yet more then it is supposed to be. Like with Yoda the role of the guiding psychic sage of a bygone age is marked by riddles, mysteries and secrets that in the reverie come earily close to be a source of damnation rather then guidance.
Concerning the characters, I liked most of them but the main space marine protagonist, Varzival did not came across as that interesting or engaging while the character Marisol was far more interesting as was Apothecary Borges whose outlook I easily identified with. The characters Satori and Tarsem, I wasn't that huge a fan off, but I was happy that their stories did somewhat pay off in the end. As much a character in this story are the art, poetry and lyrical musings and to be honest, I never was the best person to appreciate poetry or moved by dark proze but for those that are, the reverie offers plenty.
In conclusion, I can recommend the book on its own and those that have a particular affiliation for horror stemming from more spiritual and poetic sources will find something that might get them in the right mood. For me that wasn't quite the case but that has more to do with my personal outlook on life which i found most prevalent in apothecary Borges, I really have a thing for apothecary space marines it seems....
January 31, 2021
I like that this book exists, but I just found it hard to get into. I appreciate its entirely subjective this review and would encourage others to try it. It just wasn't for me.
February 26, 2022
My first novel-length experience with the Dark Coil will not be my last.
The Reverie is so stonking good as both a 40k book and just a horror sci-fi book, period. On an affective level, it's the first 40k I've read that prompted real, visceral revulsion in my gut as I read about the floating corpse/body lawn mower thing pursuing Borges, or Marisol leading that foppish dandy poet into a Chaos ritual, or just anything to do with Zann's apotheosis.
The Lovecraft-esque story is gripping, it hints and gestures but never points: answers are there but few, characters are deep and introspective but never expository, and I never felt the book was holding my hand, but nor did I feel completely adrift. It was a pleasant-yet-unnerving somnambulist drift, where I was ok not knowing everything.
The tragic, poisonous elitism of the Resplendent makes them one of the most compelling chapters I've ever read about, because their folly isn't as simple as just being susceptible to the influence of Chaos. They are so high on the sense of their own artistry that they're decadent, complacent, indulgent and frustrating: seemingly "tortured" artists with power armour and big guns (or, as someone on Reddit aptly put it, seven-foot-tall genetically engineered super soldier Theater Kids). The Reverie didn't turn them crazy, but it certainly helped the crazy underneath it all to come out.
And to top it all off, this is only the beginning for me. I've read a couple of the short stories, but this was my first full exploration of the Dark Coil. I'm looking forward to keeping reading in the order Fehervari recommends, so Requiem Infernal is next (I already know I'll have to reread Reverie at some point because I'm sure there are easter eggs I'll get after reading everything). Fehervari's made something really special here, and I'm keen to see more of it.
The Reverie is so stonking good as both a 40k book and just a horror sci-fi book, period. On an affective level, it's the first 40k I've read that prompted real, visceral revulsion in my gut as I read about the floating corpse/body lawn mower thing pursuing Borges, or Marisol leading that foppish dandy poet into a Chaos ritual, or just anything to do with Zann's apotheosis.
The Lovecraft-esque story is gripping, it hints and gestures but never points: answers are there but few, characters are deep and introspective but never expository, and I never felt the book was holding my hand, but nor did I feel completely adrift. It was a pleasant-yet-unnerving somnambulist drift, where I was ok not knowing everything.
The tragic, poisonous elitism of the Resplendent makes them one of the most compelling chapters I've ever read about, because their folly isn't as simple as just being susceptible to the influence of Chaos. They are so high on the sense of their own artistry that they're decadent, complacent, indulgent and frustrating: seemingly "tortured" artists with power armour and big guns (or, as someone on Reddit aptly put it, seven-foot-tall genetically engineered super soldier Theater Kids). The Reverie didn't turn them crazy, but it certainly helped the crazy underneath it all to come out.
And to top it all off, this is only the beginning for me. I've read a couple of the short stories, but this was my first full exploration of the Dark Coil. I'm looking forward to keeping reading in the order Fehervari recommends, so Requiem Infernal is next (I already know I'll have to reread Reverie at some point because I'm sure there are easter eggs I'll get after reading everything). Fehervari's made something really special here, and I'm keen to see more of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2024
Having read "as within, so without" going back to the angels resplendent was a really odd feeling at first. But now? Seeing how logical the road to the angels pentitent is, it's outstanding and terrifying. A fantastic self contained horror story but knowing just how much this ripples out, and knowing how one event leads to so much of the dark coil spreading is amazing if an insanely plotted route. Fehervari is maybe a top 3 black library author at worst, and here he shines.
January 8, 2021
One of the better Warhammer books I have read. It was incredibly well written and the storyline was intricately woven together. The first few pages of the book instantly had me interested. The characters were interesting as well.
January 19, 2025
By the Emperor, Please I need more of this.
I need more of this Chapter.
I need more of their homeworld.
I need more of this author!
An amazing story that explores the "culture" of the Angels Resplendent, a Blood Angel successor Chapter and with that it really pushes the boundaries of what Astartes could be/should not be.
I truly loved every minute of this book, there was no point that had me bored or struggling to finish a page. Not only is the writing a pleasure to read and experience, the characters are all fleshed out and truly feel "human".
I can recommend this to anyone who first of all loves the Blood Angels for their more artistical side, and I would also recommend this to anyone who would like something fresh and new.
Yet I must "warn" you, me personally would not truly categorize this book as Horror! Thriller, yes! Abstractly horrific, yes! Scary, absolutely! BUT not Horror.
But be assured that this is truly a wonderful read!
I need more of this Chapter.
I need more of their homeworld.
I need more of this author!
An amazing story that explores the "culture" of the Angels Resplendent, a Blood Angel successor Chapter and with that it really pushes the boundaries of what Astartes could be/should not be.
I truly loved every minute of this book, there was no point that had me bored or struggling to finish a page. Not only is the writing a pleasure to read and experience, the characters are all fleshed out and truly feel "human".
I can recommend this to anyone who first of all loves the Blood Angels for their more artistical side, and I would also recommend this to anyone who would like something fresh and new.
Yet I must "warn" you, me personally would not truly categorize this book as Horror! Thriller, yes! Abstractly horrific, yes! Scary, absolutely! BUT not Horror.
But be assured that this is truly a wonderful read!
March 13, 2021
What lies behind the veneer of enlightenment and artistic sophistication of Malpertuis? Three travellers make their way to the homeworld of the Angels Resplendent, all with their own motives and desirers. But no matter what one's intentions are all get tangled up in the Darkness that Coils around these seemingly enlightened sons of Sanguinius.
I love the horror style of this novel. It's unsettling, dark and knows how to create an atmosphere of hopelessness amid splendour. Not all horror is explicit, some is more subtle and multilayered. And Peter Fehervari is the best you'll find in this regard.
I love the horror style of this novel. It's unsettling, dark and knows how to create an atmosphere of hopelessness amid splendour. Not all horror is explicit, some is more subtle and multilayered. And Peter Fehervari is the best you'll find in this regard.
December 3, 2022
3.5. Really enjoyed the first 90% of the book but it ended very abruptly without any real conclusion or absolution for the main characters. The BBEG yeets themselves off a platform and disappears, with the protagonist saying 'there is no point in chasing them'?! Very odd ending and a shame as I was really engaged with the tale.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2023
WH books are carried by characters, plot or world. This book fails on all accounts.
February 16, 2025
The prose is enjoyable but it's too slow going for me. I also don't like stories that change perspectives each chapter (hard to maintain interest when the story resets)
July 27, 2021
I recieved an A.R.C from NetGalley, the fact that it was free did not influence my views on this novel in anyway.
The Reverie was a bit of a confusing read for me. So confusing that I had the audio book version read to me twice after the first read through. While it was confusing it does not mean it was a bad book. This was my first foray into Fehervari (cool surnume!) territory. It was also my first time reading about the Knights Resplendid, warriors that are as passionate about fighting as they are about painting pictures or writing poetry was quite a fresh idea that I have not seen done in other WH novels before. The opening of the book also started with a little exerpt from Allan Edgar Poe's The Raven which already intrigued me from the beginning through to the end. While I have no inside detail into where this battle company hail from, certain titbits were dropped here and there. They are a essentially from diluted stock of Sanguinius, Primarch of the Blood Angels. I also have not really read a lot about that Legion either (seriously, how long have I been reading WH???), so some of the references were lost on me from time to time. The main foe they were up against were also hinted at, but I at least knew who they were and what Chaos god was going to feature, although a lot less pustules and decay was evident than normal, which was weird as this was a WH Horror novel...
I told Jenn in an e-mail not so long ago that the start and middle part of this novel gave me a feel of the game Dark Souls which I picked up for the first time during first Lockdown last year. If it was not for the fact that that game also deals in a very mild way with distorted time and the gothic setting The Reverie was trying (and succeeding) to portray, this novel was going to score very low in my books. I am not saying one should go out and buy Dark Souls before picking up this book as you really need to be a sucker for punishment to get to the end of that game (first playthrough only took me 125 hours....). I am just saying it helped me understand and not try to overcomplicate the story for myself. I also told her that I dont really see how this was different to any normal 40K novel as the Horror part was not all that scary to me. That and that this book had essentially 9 boss battles taking place throughout the novel. Having read a few in the WH Horror section by now I can honestly say that this was not as pant wetting scary as some of the others that mainly dealt with normal people having to face of with supernatural elements that they did not understand. I am also not trying to throw this book under the bus for not being scary, it had horror elements to it that were great, but again, the people facing it were bred for battle...
It has only come to my attention that Peter wrote this as part of his own personal series called the Dark Coil and while he has said that nearly all books can be read as stand alone novels, they all tie into one another in some way. This being my first entry into the Coil was an interesting and quite enjoyable read. I have stated that I had to listen to this audio book twice to get what it was about, but it never felt like a chore. All characters were well formed and had interesting back grounds, some were purposely written in some way that had to leave you guessing. One of my favorite aspects of this novel was the portrayal of a Mechanicum Adept. I know that not many people resonate too well with that part of the Space Marines, I am luckily not many people. This book did a great job of cluing me up on other aspects of all things 40K as well as making me wonder and ask even more questions (like how am I so clueless after so many years of reading WH???).
I started this review of with not knowing what to say as I am still churning the outcome of the novel over, even after a week of finishing it, but I am happy with how it has come about. If you want to try out this novel, which is different on so many ways to other 40K novels, I would say give it a try. It does not require you to know a lot about the Heresy or other things WH related, it reveals enough as the story goes along. Peter did a great job and he has a way with words that has made me exited for trying out more books by him. I actually have another novel that is said to be read after this one on my long list of NetGalley reviews that have been bumped up to higher priority thanks to this novel. The Reverie got a 4 out of 5 from me on GR. While it was confusing I enjoyed it enough to give it another go right after I finished it to fill in the blanks I drew during the first read through. I'll probably come back to this again some time when I have read more of Peter's work. I also want to extend a warm Thank You to NetGalley and Black Library for making it possible for me to read novels like these and make an informed decision about if I would buy this book in physical form some day. On that regard it is a very definite yes.
The Reverie was a bit of a confusing read for me. So confusing that I had the audio book version read to me twice after the first read through. While it was confusing it does not mean it was a bad book. This was my first foray into Fehervari (cool surnume!) territory. It was also my first time reading about the Knights Resplendid, warriors that are as passionate about fighting as they are about painting pictures or writing poetry was quite a fresh idea that I have not seen done in other WH novels before. The opening of the book also started with a little exerpt from Allan Edgar Poe's The Raven which already intrigued me from the beginning through to the end. While I have no inside detail into where this battle company hail from, certain titbits were dropped here and there. They are a essentially from diluted stock of Sanguinius, Primarch of the Blood Angels. I also have not really read a lot about that Legion either (seriously, how long have I been reading WH???), so some of the references were lost on me from time to time. The main foe they were up against were also hinted at, but I at least knew who they were and what Chaos god was going to feature, although a lot less pustules and decay was evident than normal, which was weird as this was a WH Horror novel...
I told Jenn in an e-mail not so long ago that the start and middle part of this novel gave me a feel of the game Dark Souls which I picked up for the first time during first Lockdown last year. If it was not for the fact that that game also deals in a very mild way with distorted time and the gothic setting The Reverie was trying (and succeeding) to portray, this novel was going to score very low in my books. I am not saying one should go out and buy Dark Souls before picking up this book as you really need to be a sucker for punishment to get to the end of that game (first playthrough only took me 125 hours....). I am just saying it helped me understand and not try to overcomplicate the story for myself. I also told her that I dont really see how this was different to any normal 40K novel as the Horror part was not all that scary to me. That and that this book had essentially 9 boss battles taking place throughout the novel. Having read a few in the WH Horror section by now I can honestly say that this was not as pant wetting scary as some of the others that mainly dealt with normal people having to face of with supernatural elements that they did not understand. I am also not trying to throw this book under the bus for not being scary, it had horror elements to it that were great, but again, the people facing it were bred for battle...
It has only come to my attention that Peter wrote this as part of his own personal series called the Dark Coil and while he has said that nearly all books can be read as stand alone novels, they all tie into one another in some way. This being my first entry into the Coil was an interesting and quite enjoyable read. I have stated that I had to listen to this audio book twice to get what it was about, but it never felt like a chore. All characters were well formed and had interesting back grounds, some were purposely written in some way that had to leave you guessing. One of my favorite aspects of this novel was the portrayal of a Mechanicum Adept. I know that not many people resonate too well with that part of the Space Marines, I am luckily not many people. This book did a great job of cluing me up on other aspects of all things 40K as well as making me wonder and ask even more questions (like how am I so clueless after so many years of reading WH???).
I started this review of with not knowing what to say as I am still churning the outcome of the novel over, even after a week of finishing it, but I am happy with how it has come about. If you want to try out this novel, which is different on so many ways to other 40K novels, I would say give it a try. It does not require you to know a lot about the Heresy or other things WH related, it reveals enough as the story goes along. Peter did a great job and he has a way with words that has made me exited for trying out more books by him. I actually have another novel that is said to be read after this one on my long list of NetGalley reviews that have been bumped up to higher priority thanks to this novel. The Reverie got a 4 out of 5 from me on GR. While it was confusing I enjoyed it enough to give it another go right after I finished it to fill in the blanks I drew during the first read through. I'll probably come back to this again some time when I have read more of Peter's work. I also want to extend a warm Thank You to NetGalley and Black Library for making it possible for me to read novels like these and make an informed decision about if I would buy this book in physical form some day. On that regard it is a very definite yes.
January 23, 2022
I've had this book shelved for over a year. Usually that's because I struggle with the work or my interest wanes. That was not the case with The Reverie. I read this book like it was an opiate and I needed a fix. I was so impressed with Requiem Infernal that I wanted to dive into another skein of storytelling by Mr. Fehervari. He reminds me of King or Poe, in that the eerie and the strange is given voice, made into something beautiful and devastating all at once. Characters are flawed, but it is the flaws that make us greater than we once were.
When I finished the book, I wanted to hop on here and tell everyone how much I loved it and that you should read it too. But I look at my concise review for Requiem Infernal and I feel like I almost did the author a disservice. Such a thoughtful work deserves a more thorough review. I feel the same way about this book. So I gave it more time, read it again, and listened to it on audible. I think I can do it more justice now.
The plot is intricate, tightly woven and terrifying. An evil heart beating in the middle of a dark forest, a dead town housing an ancient sin. The space marines have a habit of forcing their recruits to endure all manner of obscure hardships, but this one is precarious to the point I would doubt the intentions of the First Magister when he decided it was an ideal testing ground. Some of the recruits get lost for decades in the forest, emerging changed beyond all recognition and with little memory of what happened within.
Such a trial has its consequences. The Angels Resplendent pride themselves in their artistic nature and their passions in an attempt to deny the madness inherent in their blood. But despite all this aesthetic beauty, the foundation is flawed. I do not recall which character remarks on this but they agree the canvas upon which they were painted was flawed, rotten. So the works themselves are abominations.
The city is another strong metaphor for this idea. While it is at first beautiful beyond comparison, the closer you get to the minute detail, the more of the decay is evident. From certain parts of the city falling into disrepair to strange cults taking root in the very domain of the space marines themselves. And also, the waterwheel, with its grim demands of human labor in a world that had no need for its employ. Countless people forced to work grueling hours for the sake of aesthetic.
This flawed setting is where we find the knight, the scholar and the poet as they search for the secrets of the Reverie and its corrupt heart. The scholar fights against the lure of knowledge, the knight bears the weight of his betrayal, and the poet struggles against the call of the void. They have ample opportunity to rise or fall within themselves and within the grand scheme of the game. There are other characters too, some that may be more powerful or more important to the greater lore, but it is these three the story centers on. Their triumphs are inspiring, their failures devastating, and their fall eternal.
I was a big fan of the Apothecary, Borges. He was practical, a man of concrete concepts in a den of dreamers. His skepticism served him well and his sober mind was an anchor in a tale of fever and delirium.
There are moments of metaphysical horror. These were my favorite, but I also enjoyed the interplay of the characters and the mystery of the Reverie. I highly recommend this book.
When I finished the book, I wanted to hop on here and tell everyone how much I loved it and that you should read it too. But I look at my concise review for Requiem Infernal and I feel like I almost did the author a disservice. Such a thoughtful work deserves a more thorough review. I feel the same way about this book. So I gave it more time, read it again, and listened to it on audible. I think I can do it more justice now.
The plot is intricate, tightly woven and terrifying. An evil heart beating in the middle of a dark forest, a dead town housing an ancient sin. The space marines have a habit of forcing their recruits to endure all manner of obscure hardships, but this one is precarious to the point I would doubt the intentions of the First Magister when he decided it was an ideal testing ground. Some of the recruits get lost for decades in the forest, emerging changed beyond all recognition and with little memory of what happened within.
Such a trial has its consequences. The Angels Resplendent pride themselves in their artistic nature and their passions in an attempt to deny the madness inherent in their blood. But despite all this aesthetic beauty, the foundation is flawed. I do not recall which character remarks on this but they agree the canvas upon which they were painted was flawed, rotten. So the works themselves are abominations.
The city is another strong metaphor for this idea. While it is at first beautiful beyond comparison, the closer you get to the minute detail, the more of the decay is evident. From certain parts of the city falling into disrepair to strange cults taking root in the very domain of the space marines themselves. And also, the waterwheel, with its grim demands of human labor in a world that had no need for its employ. Countless people forced to work grueling hours for the sake of aesthetic.
This flawed setting is where we find the knight, the scholar and the poet as they search for the secrets of the Reverie and its corrupt heart. The scholar fights against the lure of knowledge, the knight bears the weight of his betrayal, and the poet struggles against the call of the void. They have ample opportunity to rise or fall within themselves and within the grand scheme of the game. There are other characters too, some that may be more powerful or more important to the greater lore, but it is these three the story centers on. Their triumphs are inspiring, their failures devastating, and their fall eternal.
I was a big fan of the Apothecary, Borges. He was practical, a man of concrete concepts in a den of dreamers. His skepticism served him well and his sober mind was an anchor in a tale of fever and delirium.
There are moments of metaphysical horror. These were my favorite, but I also enjoyed the interplay of the characters and the mystery of the Reverie. I highly recommend this book.
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