Warriors and Warlords

Warhammer 40,000

by Chris Wraight

A Warhammer 40,000 anthology

Many are the noble warriors of the 41st Millennium, and many more still are the vile warlords – daemonic, alien and treacherous – who stand against them. In this action-packed anthology, you will find tales of battle to defend the Imperium, and to destroy it.

READ IT BECAUSE

Explore the grim darkness of the far future in a dozen tales that will take you across sun-baked deserts and into daemon-haunted cities with some of the many heroes and villains of Warhammer 40,000.

DESCRIPTION

Humanity stands in a galaxy of war unending, locked in a struggle for its very survival. Divided by the Great Rift, the Imperium is beset on all fronts by its ancient foes. The daemon, the xenos, and the heretic. In such a place, the heroes of war are forged. From the beleaguered foot soldiers of the Astra Militarum and the flying aces of the Imperial Navy, to secretive Inquisitors and heroic Adeptus Astartes, the warriors of the Imperium fight amidst the guttering light of civilisation while chaotic warlords seek to snuff it out. With the galaxy at stake, who will be left standing triumphant in the ashes?

CONTENTS

Unification by Chris Wraight
Lightning Run by Peter McLean
Light of a Crystal Sun by Josh Reynolds
Exodus by Steve Lyons
A Company of Shadows by Rachel Harrison
Blood and Bone by Robbie MacNiven
The Battle of Blackthunder Mesa by Phil Kelly
By Your Command by Gav Thorpe
Sand Lords by Peter McLean
The Twisted Runes by Matt Smith
Savage by Guy Haley
The Death of Uriel Ventris by Graham McNeill

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Anthologies

306 pages, Hardcover

First published April 11, 2020

About the author

Chris Wraight is a British author of fantasy and science fiction.

His first novel was published in 2008; since then, he has published books set in the Warhammer Fantasy and Stargate:Atlantis universes, and has upcoming titles in the Warhammer 40K setting.

He is based in the south-west of England.

Reviews

[Christian]

This was a very satisfying collection of action packed stories across the breadth of the Imperium. The short stories collections are recently very consistently good unlike the earlier Black Library short story collections I read years ago. The last story, especially, sees the return of an old favorite character I hope to read more from in the future.

[Ellen Schoener]

This has some really good stories in there.
I had expected a light read and bolter porn...
but I am pleasantly surprised to get some real gems, with clever plots, interesting characters and exciting action.

[Bradley]

My rating is based on an average of all the short stories included. I enjoyed the inclusion of varying races, the diverse points of view, and a mix of newer stuff. All in all it’s good, military sci-fi in W40k fashion. My go to fix.

What new for me:
• Primaris marines
• Prognosticators/ Silver Skulls
• New colloquialisms “for the love of the Emperor of Terra and the sainted nine primarchs"
• Rubicon

Below are each of the novellas, linked to their individual page if found on Goodreads, where I left their respective review.

Unification by Chris Wraight

Lightning Run by Peter McLean

Light of a Crystal Sun by Josh Reynolds

Exodus by Steve Lyons

A Company of Shadows by Rachel Harrison

Blood and Bone by Robbie MacNiven

The Battle of Blackthunder Mesa by Phil Kelly

By Your Command by Gav Thorpe

Sand Lords by Peter McLean

The Twisted Runes by Matt Smith

Savage by Guy Haley

The Death of Uriel Ventris by Graham McNeill

Unification (1) and Sand Lords (2) came out the best in my eyes. It's always nice to fill in the sci-fi void of my soul with W40k goodness. Next up - The Infinite and the Divine . And I am quite excited for a taste of the only group which I have owned a codex for :D

[NeuroDicey HomeschoolLife]

Nice collection of short stories intended to get you reading full series. It worked for me with Severena Raine and I devoured all her books afterward. There's traitor Astartes, commissars, orks, imperial guard, and everything inbetween. "Savage" was particularly interesting as it's the only 40k story I've ever read that has absolutely no battle of any kind. The final short story is a nice bit of fan service (not *that* kind of fan service) for readers who are aware of the modern lore about space marines, but anyone new to the series will probably be baffled by the story, especially the final line.

[Josh]

The stories here have interesting premises, but I frustrated by the execution. Too often, the motif was expressed wonderfully through implication only to be undercut by direct statement. A little more trust in the reader would elevate these stories from mediocre to compelling.

Savage is a good story. Guy Haley made it fun and uncomfortable all at once.

[Lenny]

Unification by Chris Wraight 4/5

Lightning Run by Peter McLean 4/5

Light of a Crystal Sun by Josh Reynolds 4/5

Exodus by Steve Lyons 5/5

A Company of Shadows by Rachel Harrison 3/5

Blood and Bone by Robbie MacNiven 4/5

The Battle of Blackthunder Mesa by Phil Kelly 2/5

By Your Command by Gav Thorpe 4/5

Sand Lords by Peter McLean 4/5

The Twisted Runes by Matt Smith 4/5

Savage by Guy Haley 3/5

The Death of Uriel Ventris by Graham McNeill 3/5