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Black Library Advent Calendar 2021
Eater of Dreams
A Knights-Errant Story
Former Chief Librarian of the Night Lords, Fel Zharost, has exiled himself to the warrens of old Albia. Yet Malcador the Sigillite, searching for recruits for his Knights-Errant, has taken an interest in Zharost, offering him the chance at redemption by confronting and wiping clean a sin from his past.
READ IT BECAUSE
These stories shed light on one of the most mysterious organiations in the history of the Imperium – the Knights-Errant.
Former Chief Librarian of the Night Lords, Fel Zharost, has exiled himself to the warrens of old Albia. Yet Malcador the Sigillite, searching for recruits for his Knights-Errant, has taken an interest in Zharost, offering him the chance at redemption by confronting and wiping clean a sin from his past.
READ IT BECAUSE
These stories shed light on one of the most mysterious organiations in the history of the Imperium – the Knights-Errant.
30 pages, ebook
First published December 6, 2021
About the author
Marc Collins
30 books76 followersMarc Collins is a speculative fiction writer from Glasgow, Scotland, covering diverse topics from Norse werewolves to the grim darkness of the far future. When not working in Pathology, he enjoys a dram and pondering our transhuman future, inspired by writers such as Iain M Banks.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 27, 2024
May 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order (https://www.heresyomnibus.com) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy series and extras - Now in Immaterium of everything outside the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project working on the Primarchs and other stories, beige the Siege of Terra.
Marc Collins genuinely gives the hope for the future of the Horus Heresy, which, after Cthonia's Reckoning and some of the eShorts published in the last coupe of years, I really needed.
Picking up the tantalising thread seven years after Child of Night by John French was published, Eater of Dreams, finally sees the former Chief Librarian of the Night Lords, Fel Zharost, take the Grey and become a Night Errant. Zharost and his cousin in dark pasts, former World Eater Captain, Macer Varren, head off on his first outing to confront and bury the past...
I absolutely loved this!
From the great prose, emotional weight, and resonance, through hitting the dramatic, mythological Horus Heresy tone, while still doing their own thing, to telling a genuinely gripping and entertaining tale, I had a wonderful time.
I'll be honest, beyond the off treat, which have been few and far between, this hoovering up the Heresy, ahead of the Siege of Terra, has been tough. There's just been so much that seemed to lack a level of quality of development, drafting, and editing that comes across in shallow plots, uninteresting and weightless conflicts, and cardboard characters. But then this comes along and stands up next Swallow and French's Errant Knights goodness!
Also, while not quite as much as this, I've thoroughly been enjoying Collins' Eidolon stories, and can't believe how invested in the continuing adventures of a character I didn't even love to hate, I just hated, I am, and how much I am warming to Collins' Slaaneshi vibes.
In recent fevejess I've talked a bunch about being all good with classic plots and tropes, as long as there's something else making the story worth reading, whether it be the quality of the prose, the depth of the characters and drama, or whatever. This story is, like, the Platonic Ideal of what I mean:
This is classic character confronting their dark past so they can move forward, complete with the apprentice/ master face off and the other character who has already confronted their past, but is still being a dick and projecting onto the protagonist until they prove themself.
The secret ingredient is actually doing it well and with great writing, characters with depth, and conflict that feels weighty and meaningful.
I do want to add just a little reality check here. I'm not saying this is one of the best Horus Heresy short stories I've ever read, but it is genuinely great, and I cannot tell you how much I want more adventures of the Errant Knights B Team. B Team is best team. Don't get me wrong, I love Garro, Rubio, and [Cerberus], but Zharost and Varren are just the best. The only thing that could improve this team would be getting a Loyalist Word Bearer like Narek in the mix.
More of this, please and thank you!
Through the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project and my own additions, I have currently read* all 54 Horus Heresy main series novels (+1 repeat), 25 novellas (+2 repeats), Cthonia's Reckoning, as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, all 17 Primarchs novels 1 Primarchs anthology, 3 Characters novels, and 177 short stories/ audio dramas across the Horus Heresy (inc. 11+ repeats). Plus, 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself.
I couldn't be more appreciative of the phenomenal work of the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project, which has made this ridiculous endeavour all the better and has inspired me to create and collate a collection of Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 documents and checklists (http://tiny.cc/im00yz). There are now too many items to list here, but there is a contents and explainer document here (http://tiny.cc/nj00yz).
*My tracking consistently proves shoddy, but I'm doing my best.
Marc Collins genuinely gives the hope for the future of the Horus Heresy, which, after Cthonia's Reckoning and some of the eShorts published in the last coupe of years, I really needed.
Picking up the tantalising thread seven years after Child of Night by John French was published, Eater of Dreams, finally sees the former Chief Librarian of the Night Lords, Fel Zharost, take the Grey and become a Night Errant. Zharost and his cousin in dark pasts, former World Eater Captain, Macer Varren, head off on his first outing to confront and bury the past...
I absolutely loved this!
From the great prose, emotional weight, and resonance, through hitting the dramatic, mythological Horus Heresy tone, while still doing their own thing, to telling a genuinely gripping and entertaining tale, I had a wonderful time.
I'll be honest, beyond the off treat, which have been few and far between, this hoovering up the Heresy, ahead of the Siege of Terra, has been tough. There's just been so much that seemed to lack a level of quality of development, drafting, and editing that comes across in shallow plots, uninteresting and weightless conflicts, and cardboard characters. But then this comes along and stands up next Swallow and French's Errant Knights goodness!
Also, while not quite as much as this, I've thoroughly been enjoying Collins' Eidolon stories, and can't believe how invested in the continuing adventures of a character I didn't even love to hate, I just hated, I am, and how much I am warming to Collins' Slaaneshi vibes.
In recent fevejess I've talked a bunch about being all good with classic plots and tropes, as long as there's something else making the story worth reading, whether it be the quality of the prose, the depth of the characters and drama, or whatever. This story is, like, the Platonic Ideal of what I mean:
This is classic character confronting their dark past so they can move forward, complete with the apprentice/ master face off and the other character who has already confronted their past, but is still being a dick and projecting onto the protagonist until they prove themself.
The secret ingredient is actually doing it well and with great writing, characters with depth, and conflict that feels weighty and meaningful.
I do want to add just a little reality check here. I'm not saying this is one of the best Horus Heresy short stories I've ever read, but it is genuinely great, and I cannot tell you how much I want more adventures of the Errant Knights B Team. B Team is best team. Don't get me wrong, I love Garro, Rubio, and [Cerberus], but Zharost and Varren are just the best. The only thing that could improve this team would be getting a Loyalist Word Bearer like Narek in the mix.
More of this, please and thank you!
Through the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project and my own additions, I have currently read* all 54 Horus Heresy main series novels (+1 repeat), 25 novellas (+2 repeats), Cthonia's Reckoning, as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, all 17 Primarchs novels 1 Primarchs anthology, 3 Characters novels, and 177 short stories/ audio dramas across the Horus Heresy (inc. 11+ repeats). Plus, 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself.
I couldn't be more appreciative of the phenomenal work of the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project, which has made this ridiculous endeavour all the better and has inspired me to create and collate a collection of Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 documents and checklists (http://tiny.cc/im00yz). There are now too many items to list here, but there is a contents and explainer document here (http://tiny.cc/nj00yz).
*My tracking consistently proves shoddy, but I'm doing my best.
January 26, 2024
How do they keep making Night Lords so interesting? They're one of the most boring chapters in the game but they keep making absolutely killer stories about them in the fiction.
December 11, 2021
Errant Night Lord!
It's good to read tale in which the eighth legion are not torturing and wantonly murdering every thing,I could read full novel featuring this character, really enjoyed it
It's good to read tale in which the eighth legion are not torturing and wantonly murdering every thing,I could read full novel featuring this character, really enjoyed it
January 8, 2022
An enjoyable story that shows the promise of going back in the Heresy and filling in gaps. As well as, the promise of a new author who has real talent. Looking forward to reading his Warhammer Crime stories and hopefully further Heresy.
March 30, 2022
One last hurrah for Macer Varren, his death in The Buried Dagger still leaving me shaking my head in disbelief.
A neat short, giving a bit more depth to one of Malcadors' Knights Errant whom we'd only met once before in John Frenchs' Child of Night.
A neat short, giving a bit more depth to one of Malcadors' Knights Errant whom we'd only met once before in John Frenchs' Child of Night.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2026
Pretty solid, but nothing incredible.
September 9, 2025
‘There were monsters in the darkness and so we required monsters of our own – not merely knights and lords, but beasts in the shape of men.’ – Malcador the Sigillite
A direct follow-up to the short story “Child of Night” which connects to the Knight Errant plotline running through the Heresy.
Fel Zharost, vagabond son of the Night Haunter had been exiled from his Legion and had hidden away in the slums of Terra only to be found by one of Malcador’s grey-armoured Knights. The Sigillite offers Zharost a way to face his past so that he may finally turn to the future.
Fun action and the connection between Zharost and the stories antagonist added some fun drama.
A direct follow-up to the short story “Child of Night” which connects to the Knight Errant plotline running through the Heresy.
Fel Zharost, vagabond son of the Night Haunter had been exiled from his Legion and had hidden away in the slums of Terra only to be found by one of Malcador’s grey-armoured Knights. The Sigillite offers Zharost a way to face his past so that he may finally turn to the future.
Fun action and the connection between Zharost and the stories antagonist added some fun drama.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews