The Successors: Warhammer 40,000

Warhammer 40,000

by Graham McNeill, Ben Counter (Contributor), Chris Forrester (Contributor)

* Duration: 10 hours and 42 minutes *

A Space Marine Anthology

The successor Chapters of the Space Marines number in the hundreds, founded to fight for the survival of the Imperium. Across 13 short stories by 10 different authors, discover the history, customs, and stories of 12 different successor Chapters, from famed warriors to unsung heroes.

Listen to it because

Discover successor Chapters new and old within this anthology of short stories by some of Black Library's premier authors.

Description

The Space Marine Legions of old are dead, torn asunder in the wake of the Horus Heresy. In their place have risen a thousand Chapters, each unique, each carrying the legacy of their founders across the countless battlefields of the Imperium.

The Flesh Tearers spill blood in a war of brutal attrition.

The Emperor's Spears keep a tireless watch where their brothers have fallen.

The Consecrators search the dark places for relics, artifacts of power from the noble past.

The Crimson Fists vow, with bloodied hands, to become Dorn's glorious vanguard once more.

These are the Imperium's bulwark against terror, the Emperor's Angels of Death. Forged from the genetic material of the demigod Primarchs, it is by the might of these Adeptus Astartes that the growing darkness of the galaxy is held at bay – for the Space Marines know no fear.

Contents:
✦
'Exorcists: The Empty Place'
by Graham McNeill
✦
'Soul Drinkers: The Phalangite Ascendancy'
by Ben Counter
✦
'Flesh Tearers: Disgraced'
by Chris Forrester
✦
'Emperor's Spears: The First Primaris'
by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
✦
C'archarodons: The Last Planet'
by Edoardo Albert
✦
'Mortifactors: Legacy of Posul'
by Chris Forrester
✦
'Wolfspear: The Wolves of Raukos'
by Guy Haley
✦
'Angels Penitent: The Sins of My Brothers'
by Peter Fehervari
✦
'Crimson Fists: Patience Kills'
by Gary Kloster
✦
'Black Dragons: Bless the Curse'
by Callum Davis
✦
'Consecrators: Living Relics'
by David Guymer
✦
'Iron Lords: Iron Watch'
by Callum Davis
✦
'Emperor's Spears: Son of the Storm World'
by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

©2022 Games Workshop Limited (P)2022 Games Workshop Limited

Genres: 40k, Science Fiction, Anthologies, Audiobook, Short Stories

11 pages, Audible Audio

First published February 26, 2022

About the author

Hailing from Scotland, Graham McNeill narrowly escaped a career in surveying to work for Games Workshop as a games designer. He has a strong following with his novels Nightbringer, Warriors of Ultramar, Dead Sky, Black Sun and Storm of Iron.

Reviews

[Michael Dodd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised to see so many stories included here about Chapters who are, if not as popular as the First Founding, still pretty darn popular, and who have featured in plenty of stories before. The quality and enjoyment of specific stories notwithstanding, it does feel like a little bit of a missed opportunity not to have dedicated the entire anthology to genuinely obscure (or at least lesser-known) Chapters.

That being said, let’s not judge this on what it isn’t (or what it could have been) but rather what it is…and what it is, in my opinion, is a bit of a mixed bag. There are some great stories in here, but there are also several that left me completely cold. I was also disappointed at the inclusion of a few by-the-numbers stories that featured plenty of fighting but very little actual insight into the Chapters they were depicting. There’s nothing wrong with being action-packed, as long as the action serves a purpose within the story, but there are too many stories here where the plot feels like it’s there just to facilitate the fighting, rather than the other way around. Some readers may enjoy these stories of course, but for me they let the anthology down.

There are some really interesting stories in here which do make it worth picking up, but as it stands I’d say this misses out on being an essential read by not quite knowing what it wants to be.

Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2022/03/...

[Rostislav Markelov · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a long time, many fans asked for more stories about less-known chapters of Adeptus Astartes and BL finally delivered.

Well, let’s see what it has in store for us.

Disclaimer: when rating these short stories, I am taking into consideration certain limitations of this writing form, so “5\5” mark wouldn’t mean the literature masterpiece, but a solid story that delivers on its premise, is entertaining to read and have some “extra” to look forward too.
Here we go.

Exorcists: The Empty Place by Graham McNeill – 5/5 really enjoyed this one. The structure of the story with the flashback superimposed over the “current” narration is a simple but effective tool of storytelling and used to a great effect here. Moreover, Exorcists are very interesting chapter on their own, so it was very satisfying to see speculations about them confirmed and explored. My favored revelation was that the Exorcists’ “method” of protection against possession only works because demons are… well, demons: petty, egoistical, utterly malicious creatures. Oh, the irony…

Soul Drinkers: The Phalangite Ascendancy by Ben Counter – 4/5, was surprisingly nice read. It would be probably more enjoyable for those who read “Traitor by Deed” but works as a standalone just fine. In essence it is a bolterporn, yes, with a bit of intrigue about Soul Drinkers’ past added, but a solid one. Plus, it provides a bit “extra” in a form of another look on the conflict “Imperium vs Freedom and Justise for the common people”.

Flesh Tearers: Disgraced by Chris Forrester – 3,5(?)/5, very mixed impression on this one. On one hand I really like when the conflict between Firstborn marines and Primaris is shown, on the other I am not a fan of how it was depicted here. I guess it comes down to your take on the point of the story. If the Primaris Tearers joined the protagonist in his suicidal final assault the outcome of the story would be different, but the Firstborm protagonist is just unsympathetic, embodying the worst stereotypes about Flesh Tearers. The scenes of Black Rage were also lacking in my opinion. But maybe I am biased here, this is the mark I am least sure about.

Emperor's Spears: The First Primaris and Son of the Storm World by Aaron Dembski-Bowden – these two would go without rating because it is basically extra scenes from Emperor Spear novel. It is not like they are bad, mind you, it is just there is not so much to rate…

Carcharodons: The Last Planet by Edoardo Albert – 2/5 well… When the Carcharodons’ novel by this author was utterly trashed by readers in my community I thought that maybe they were too harsh and tried to approached this without preconceptions. It didn’t help. Even the premise of the story is… let’s say questionable, but then I read up to the scene where bare-handed protagonist killed drukhari incubus with his own klaive and it was just painful to read. And not because of the blatant disrespect to the space dark elves, in a setting about “Space Marines and things they shoot at” such depiction is somewhat expected, but the way it was shown and written was just… bad. I mean “He turned the infinity arc into a Mobius loop, turning the klaive back upon its wielder” – really??? Ugh… So, BL, please, return Charcharadons to Macniven, we need to protect the rare species of space sharks from this.

Mortifactors: Legacy of Posul by Chris Forrester – 4/5, a solid bolterporn story, with a bit of bloody, gory flavor of Mortificators. The lesson of the events reminded me of my beloved Apothecary’s Honor by Simon Jowett with all this “don’t be a hero, think about your duty” and hollow victory in the end. Not a fan of Mortificators but really enjoyed this one. And bits of information about their culture were really nice.

Wolfspear: The Wolves of Raukos by Guy Haley – 5/5. I am not a fan of Space Wolfs either, quite the opposite in fact and probably die on the top of the hill pyramid with the Thousand Sons, but I had to admit that reading in Dark Imperium about Greyshield Primaris who wanted to drink with Space Wolfs on Fenris but was made into an officer for their successor chapter by cruel Guilliman instead was very fun. Here we have him meet this very Space Wolfs he wanted be among with all this awkwardness you could expect. It was hilarious. Especially when it turned out that the best way to reunite with your blood kin is to get drunk and then kick someone’s demonic ass together. Fenrisian diplomacy, yeah. And Raukos, the planet entrusted to Wolfspears by Guilliman is quite interesting place as well. Demonic invasion every night – where are Grey Knights when you need them?

Angels Penitent: The Sins of My Brothers by Peter Fehervari - ∞/5. Wow, just wow. For starters, this new piece of Dark Coil was the main reason I pre-ordered this anthology in the first place. I waited for this story for a long time and it was worth every minute. The revelation from here turned my understanding of the events with Penitent/Resplendent upside down and then made it spin for the hell of it – and I am supposed to be an expert on the Dark Coil and all. But it is not just this. The story deserves its own review and I probably do it later but… The irony was superb, all the lines – powerful and precise, lies and betrayals so utterly delicious…

“The story I have for you is not a good one. Not in any sense of that slippery word. It has no rising arc of drama or moral point to drive home, let alone a potent resolution to reward your attention. Such fine sagas belong to my Chapter’s past, along with the heroes they exalt. The chronicles of the Angels Resplendent are abundant with them”– the very first lines of the story, the very first lies narrator told us. Because as we find out the story actually did have all three: arc of drama, moral point and a very potent resolution. The ending was just so true. It is hard to describe. What’s even better, is how all these lies and many more that narrator confessed to during the story interact with his conviction to “remain true”. Reading this was a kaleidoscope of emotions from start to finish. Probably the best short story by Peter Fehervari.

The only drawback that I see is that to fully appreciate it you need to be up to speed with the Dark Coil. Or at the very least to read Reverie – it works as a standalone much worse than any other short story about Penitent.

Crimson Fists: Patience Kills by Gary Kloster – 5/5, was really impressed. While events of the story are very simple, I really like when the difference between Firstborn and Primaris Astartes is explored in such way. Majority of the stories are focused on how Primaris are superior in every aspect: stronger, faster, more durable. And when it is very much true, I prefer when the story shows that Firstborn that were out in the galaxy for centuries has an experience that couldn’t be just replaced with Cawl’s inventions. And it is exactly the case with the veterans of Rinn. Moreover, we also have a Primaris protagonist who respects this and is willing to learn. Very important point to make among the disaster of Primaris introduction into the setting.

Black Dragons: Bless the Curse by Callum Davis -4/5 I guess? It was nice to explore Black Dragons and they culture build around their genetic defect, the story also had a nice revelation about Primaris from this chapter’s geneseed, but the conflict of the story and protagonist moral dilemma could provide much much more, than the story ended up doing with it. Premise was heavily underutilized.

Consecrators: Living Relics by David Guymer – 4/5, may be only because I am not a fan of the Unforgiven, this time without “but”. The story itself is interesting though, has unusual antagonist and premise, the whole “human’s descendants surviving on the broken ship for millennia” thing was good, lore and cultural bits about the chapter were also nice.

Iron Lords: Iron Watch by Callum Davis 3/5, this is strange one. Remember how I brought up Apothecary’s Honor earlier? It is kinda the same, but the other way around and I didn’t like it. Probably I got this impression because I am not really invested into Iron Grip storyline about Iron Lords containing barghesi, but reading this story was boring. Probably because almost nothing about barghesi was revealed: what they look like, how they fight, are they even sentient? But no, it was just a repeat of the lines from the codex “very dangerous, killed many space marines, should not be allowed to be consumed by tyrranids” – through the whole story,

All in all, I really like this anthology, would be nice to have something like this about different successors chapters regularly.

[Chris Comerford · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with all short story anthologies, it's a mixed bag, and what makes it mixier is that, with the exception of the Angels Penitent, I know almost nothing about each of these Space Marine chapters. What I read here is my first taste of each. So as I read them, here are out-of-5 ratings for each tale of The Successors:

Exorcists: The Empty Place (Graham McNeill): 5/5
I'd never heard of the Exorcists, let alone knew about their wacky "possess-first, smite-later" ethos, but if you feel like you're missing the grimdark part of 40k these days, this little possession horror story delivers.

Soul Drinkers: The Phalangite Ascendancy (Ben Counter): 1/5
This was not only an uninteresting story, but it was horribly written. The ideas could have been salvaged if the prose wasn't so off-putting. I left with no sense of this story showing me what the Soul Drinkers are like as a chapter with their own identity, and felt it was a tortuous journey to get to the end. I came this close to DNF'ing the story and moving onto the next one.

Flesh Tearers: Disgraced (Chris Forrester): 2/5
Another story with off-putting prose and an underwhelming story, but at least the Flesh Tearers were more distinct than the Soul Drinkers. Having a full embrace of the psychosis-inducing Black Rage makes everyone a little snippy sometimes, right?

Emperor's Spears: The First Primaris (Aaron Dempski-Bowden): 3/5*
This one comes with a caveat: it was good and well-written, but it read very much like a scene that would've been tacked onto Spears of the Emperor, which I haven't read. It doesn't give a good impression of the Spears as their own chapter and doesn't feel like a short story itself (I believe it's been reprinted from White Dwarf?), but it's a nice little dialogue between a Primaris marine and his AdMech doctor that highlights Firstborn marines don't need shiny new Primaris upgrades to be worthy.

Carcharodons: The Last Planet (Edoardo Albert): 1/5
Apparently this is a prequel story to Albert's novel Silent Hunters, which has something of a reputation for being unkind to the shark-themed Space Marine chapter. As someone who hasn't read that, I can't say the ending of this story left me wanting more: the writing feels overwrought and the protagonist, a Caracharodon Chaplain, wasn't engaging as a lead.

Mortifactors: Legacy of Posul (Chris Forrester): 3.5/5
A solid little story about gruff, violent Mortifactors going up against gruff, violent World Eaters. The central conflict of saving either the future of the chapter or those of the chapter still alive was good, and it has a genuinely heartbreaking ending. The rage these Mortifactors feel might give the Flesh Tearers a run for their money.

Wolfspear: The Wolves of Raukos (Guy Haley): 5/5
Where the Sons of Fenris are rowdy, Viking-esque berserkers, the Sons of Raukos are more thoughtful and patient: attack dogs versus faithful guard dogs, but both embody a strong warrior spirit. Guy Haley delivers a fantastic intro to the Wolfspear chapter through the eyes of earnest lieutenant Bjarni, as he guides Space Wolf representatives through the life of his chapter to judge their worthiness as the progeny of Leman Russ. A great, tight little story, and a chapter I immediately want to know more about.

Angels Penitent: The Sins of My Brothers (Peter Fehervari): 5/5*
Another excellent story with a caveat: if you aren't already familiar with Peter Fehervari's excellent Dark Coil series of 40k books, you will likely be a bit lost. There's enough given here about the Angels, both Resplendent and Penitent, that you can glean a bit about who they are as two sides of one coin, but those who have read other Fehervari works will get a lot more out of this one. I give it full marks not just for this reason, but because it's nice to see something very different in 40k every now and then. Ambition is worth more than expectation sometimes.

Crimson Fists: Patience Kills (Gary Kloster): 2/5
A shallow, generic story of Space Marines killing Orks, with little to distinguish the Crimson Fists from their Imperial Fist and Black Templar brethren. There's a thread about the chapter's determination to stand to the last man, following a grievous defeat a century ago, but it never coheres or colours the chapter as anything other than another set of big bad Space Marines.

Black Dragons: Bless the Curse (Callum Davis): 4/5
By contrast to Patience Kills, this was an intriguing look at one of the "Cursed" founding chapters, the Black Dragons, and the admittance of their new Primaris brethren into the ranks of the faithful. I'd never heard of the Dragons before, nor known of their Wolverine-style bone mutations, and they are now a chapter I want to know more about. An intriguing hierarchy both in the chapter itself and the Astartes as a whole. What makes this story stand out more is that this and Iron Watch are Callum Davis' very first Black Library works - a fantastic debut effort!

Consecrators: Living Relics (David Guymer): 3/5
An interesting tale about bowerbird-esque Space Marines investigating a millennia-old ship for ancient loot, and finding more than they bargained for. It's a decent idea but the writing gets padded and unengaging by the middle, though the representation of the Consecrators makes them sound like an interesting successor to the Dark Angels.

Iron Lords: Iron Watch (Callum Davis): 2.5/5
Unfortunately, Davis's story of an Iron Lords ship under siege by Tyranids is a misfire compared to his earlier story about the Black Dragons. The Lords aren't defined well as a chapter, though there's a little about them getting rid of biological xenos trophies to prevent the 'nids getting their claws on them that could've been interesting if the idea was expanded a bit. The central conflict between the ship's master and its apothecary is also handled weirdly. Some decent descriptions of Marine-vs-Tyranid battles, but otherwise it's fairly generic stuff.

Emperor's Spears: Son of the Storm World (Aaron Dempski-Bowden): 2.5/5*
Same caveat as ADB's other story in this anthology: less a short story and more a short scene between a slave and a grim-toothed Astartes watching one of his brothers die on instant replay. It's well-written but doesn't quite have the same hit as The First Primaris. Clearly I should get around to reading Spears of the Emperor next.

[Henrik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather bland and boring to be honest. There are far better warhammer collections and stories out there

[Vidar Pedersen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Har lenge hatt lyst å lese fra detta universet. Veit ikje ka æ forventa, men det e mainly korte historia om overpowered human beings som drep store monster, med masse blod og gore. Blir veldig repetetivt og forutsigbart.

[Jack Neighbour · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great stories in here. Started slowly with the exorcists and the angels penitent but thoroughly enjoyed some of the later stories especially the consecrators and iron lords.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The aftermath of the Horus Heresy brought many changes to the Imperium of Man, though one of the most significant of these was the breaking of the Loyalist Legions of Space Marines into thousand-man Chapters. One would continue the name and traditions of the original Legion while the others would take on new colors and create their own rituals and culture. The Successors is an anthology that explores the stories of the second group of Chapters.

The Empty Place by Graham McNeill
Chapter: Exorcists (Imperial Fists successor)

Follows an Exorcist that's been captured by Chaos cultists, but not all is as it seems. Switches from the POV of the Exorcist and a daemon. Shows the uniqueness of the Chapter. Both a good introduction to the Chapter and the anthology.

The Phalangite Ascendancy by Ben Counter
Chapter: Soul Drinkers (Imperial Fists successors, on paper)

Set after the novella Traitor by Deed, it follows Cyvon as he is separated from his brothers while going after the leaders of the rebellion that has taken hold of Theophanos Minoris. Glad to see Cyvon's story continue and the ending left me wanting more, but also worried about the possibility that Cyvon may be headed down the same path as the original Soul Drinkers. Doesn't really focus on the Chapter as a whole and its uniqueness. However, unlike the other Chapters showcased in the anthology, Counter's story is the one that follows a Chapter revived by the introduction of the Primaris Marines. And as the ending shows, they are a revived Chapter who's histories has been purged by the Inquisition (due to the events of the author's first series of Soul Drinkers stories). They really don't know what their Chapter culture and rituals should be.

Disgraced by Chris Forrester
Chapter: Flesh Tearers (Blood Angel successor)

This is one of my least liked stories of the anthology, if not the most disliked. A mixed-unit of Firstborn and Primaris fight against Genestealers as the differences between the two types of Flesh Tearers create discord. Action heavy. Okay job on showing the differences between the Firstborn and the Primaris, but I feel the Flesh Tearer short story that was published in White Dwarf a few years ago did a better job. I did, however, loved how the narrative showed the main character slipping into the Black Rage. There were many times I didn't realize the Black Rage was taking hold until a word would tip me off. If you want stories that really showcase the Chapter's uniqueness, however, I would suggest Andy Smillie's Flesh Tearer stories, or Guy Haley's The Devastation of Baal.

The First Primaris by Aaron Demski-Bowden
Chapter: Emperor's Spears (Ultramarines successor)

Originally released as part of the limited edition of Spear of the Emperor novel, The First Primaris follows Anuradha as she goes under a medical check-up for her biotic eye, the conversation between patient and doctor eventually changing into a discussion on whether Serivahn, an Emperor's Spear who was disfigured by the augmentation process of becoming a Space Marine and the Chapter's first Primaris, can be healed in the same process that helped Anuradha's master. This is a story that you need to have read the Spear of the Emperor first to get the full impact of, as it follows up threads from the novel.

The Last Planet by Edoardo Albert
Chapter: Carcharodons Astra/Space Sharks (progenitor unknown*)

The Last Planet is a prequel to Albert's novel Silent Hunter. It shows how Manu was disgraced and how the relic he is hunting for in the novel was taken. It was an okay read. It was nice seeing a Rogue Trader antagonist and you can pick up some tidbits about the Chapter, though I would suggest Robbie MacNiven's Carcharodons stories for a more fuller look at the Chapter.

Legacy of Posul by Chris Forrester
Chapter: Mortifactors (Ultramarines successor)

Legacy of Posul was originally published in White Dwarf some months ago, and it was as enjoyable now as it was then. It follows a group of Mortifactors whose ship has been separated from the Chapter by the opening of the Great Rift and are now boarded by Chaos Space Marines of the World Eaters Legion. An Apothecary must make a decision: safeguard the physical future of the Chapter or its culture? The number of stories that focus on the Mortifactors can be counted on one hand. Only the audio drama Taker of Heads outdoes Legacy of Posul in showcasing the Chapter's uniqueness. It is a story of action and character. I absolutely love the relationship between the Apothecary main character and a Scout that is part of his group. I was torn by how that relationship lands at the end of short.

The Wolves of Raukos by Guy Haley
Chapter: Wolfspear (Space Wolves successor)

Founded to guard the Pit of Raukos, a warp rift that is located in the same solar system as 108/Beta-Kalapus-9.2, the Wolfspears are visited by representatives of their parent Chapter, to teach these young wolves the way of their elders. Continuing the story of a character introduced in the author's Dark Imperium trilogy, it showcases both the Wolfspears and the Space Wolves. Reading of said trilogy is not required.

The Sins of My Brothers by Peter Fehervari
Chapter: Angels Penitent (Blood Angels successor)

This was the story I was most looking forward to. I am a big fan of Fehervari's Dark Coil stories, the Angels Penitent in particular. It follows an Angel Penitent the story dubs "the betrayer" as he ruminates on how the Angels Resplendent morphed into the Angels Penitent due to his guiding hand. This is a story that delves into the Chapter. It is also a story that connects a lot of the dots for the Dark Coil and I would suggest saving it for after reading the other Angels Resplendent/Angels Penitent stories. Good for fans of Fehervari, but may provide both too much information and not enough information for a newcomer.

Patience Kills by Gary Kloster
Chapter: Crimson Fists (Imperial Fists successor)

The Crimson Fists have suffered ever since their homeworld of Rynn's World was invaded by the Orks. Reinforced by the newly introduced Primaris Marines, they set out to purge Ork remnants from their world. I loved the interplay between the new Primaris and their Firstborn brothers as the prior find it difficult to connect with their older brothers, not having the experience or connections of having their homeworld under siege by the Orks and losing their fortress-monastery. Newbie-friendly.

Bless the Curse by Callum Davis
Chapter: Black Dragons (progenitor unknown*)

Like Patience Kills, it follows the Primaris Marines being inducted into their new Chapter. However, the Black Dragons have never been liked by the wider Imperium, due to the mutations of their gene-seed that allows bone spurs to grow from their bodies, and thus, the lead Primaris has been gifted a mission by the Inquisition: report any heretical activity from the Black Dragons. Unlike Patience Kills, Bless the Curse shows a less warm welcoming of the Primaris into their Chapter, giving an outsider's view of the Chapter as the main character tries to edge his way in and his doubts about the Black Dragons grow. One of my more enjoyable reads of the anthology.

Living Relics by David Guymer
Chapter: Consecrators (Dark Angels successor)

With a ship from the Dark Angels' past resurfaced, the Corsecrators have been sent to reclaim any relics that may reside within. However, a menace from their parent Chapter's past also haunts the ship's corridors. While there is a Primaris mixed in with the Firstborns, it doesn't play a huge role compared to Patience Kills or Bless the Curse. I did, however, loved a line asking who was a relic: the Chapter, or the Primaris. I also loved the choice of antagonist for the story, plucked from the annals of the Great Crusade.

Iron Watch by Callum Davis
Chapter: Iron Lords (Iron Hands successor)

Long has the Iron Lords guarded the wider Imperium against the Xenos threats that inhabit the Grendl Stars. After a recent mission to capture a Xenos specimen alive for the Inquisition, the Iron Lords' ship is stranded due to the Great Rift. Even worse, a Tyranid scout ship has discovered them and has set its jaws on consuming the Xenos specimen to add its genetic material to the greater Hive Fleet. This was another story that ranked low in my reading. Very actiony and what little information can be gleaned about the Chapter is nothing to write home about.

Son of the Storm World by Aaron Demski-Bowden
Chapter: Emperor's Spears

The second Emperor's Spears story included in the anthology, Son of the Storm World was originally released in a 2019 issue of White Dwarf. Set during the latter half of Spear of the Emperor, Anuradha is reviewing data captured by her servo-skulls during a previous engagement. An antagonistic Emperor's Spear notices that the data had recorded the death of a Battle-Brother and demands to see it. Like The First Primaris, Son of the Storm World is best read after reading Spear of the Emperor. However, I would say that SotSW has a little bit more lore on the Spears than its sister short, though The First Primaris is the better written and more rewarding of the two.

The anthology overall:

Overall, I enjoyed the anthology. The stories I was looking forward to hit the spot while I also discovered some surprising gems. I also loved that each story is prefaced by a page with a paragraph describing the Chapter and that the first page of each story is headed by an illustration of the Chapter's symbol. My biggest critique of the anthology, however, would have to do with some of the Chapters chosen and the missing representation of successors from certain First Founding Legions. Chapters like the Crimson Fists and the Flesh Tearers have had many stories told of them before and can possibly match their parent Legion in knowledge and esteem to the wider fan base. It would have been nice to have their spots taken by lesser-known Chapters. Also, out of the Chapters presented, three are Imperial Fists successors, two are Blood Angels successors, two are Ultramarines successors, one is of Space Wolves, one is of the Dark Angels, and one is of the Iron Hands lineage. The Raven Guard*, Salamanders*, and the White Scars get no successor representation. I do hope there is a chance a second anthology can be produced in the future, and I hope it fixes these issues.

*The Carcharodons are suspected to be of Raven Guard gene-seed, but this is unconfirmed. The Black Dragons have also been suspected of being a Salamanders successor and were apparently confirmed by Warhammer Community back in November when an article about dragons in both Warhammer 40k and Fantasy/Age of Sigmar flat out said they were Salamanders. One: I only recently learned about this article, and two: I say apparently because the Warhammer Community articles sometimes have gotten information wrong, even though it is an official Games Workshop website. It's possible this was an error that wasn't caught and hasn't been corrected. Until other sources or direct communication from Games Workshop back this article up, I'll leave the Black Dragons as unknown for the time being, even if I agree with it.

[RatGrrrl]

DNF & Refund

I only made it through two stories before I couldn't go on with this anymore. I actually got in the queue for Audible customer service because it came up as ineligible for return.

For context, Warhammer has been an autistic special interest of mine and I am currently in a ridiculous hyperfixation with it; already on Flight of the Eisenstein in a 'this is the one baybee' run at actually completing the Horus Heresy, reading or re-reading all the, art, background, and comic books I can get my hands on, and signed up for Warhammer+ and been blown away by Hammer and Bolter and Pariah Nexus, and have just stated Angels of Death, which looks sick. I love this stuff!

The two stories I read were by two of the best Black Library authors that I greatly respect (actually, with McNeill I feel more comfortable saying that I respect the quality of a lot of his writing more than him. If he addressed and worked on getting rid of the misogyny and gross bioessentialism in his writing, then I would respect him) and they were completely hollow. I don't blame the authors, so much as feel like obligatory contract or commission work rather than anything they actually want to be doing or cared about.

The entry on Audible omits the name of first novel, instead having name of the second story twice in the information and it is misspelled on its audio track. The Phalangite Ascendancy spelled Fallongite. Just minor things, but it speak to the care and effort involved in this anthology.

The anthology also contains a ridiculous amount of Imperial Fists successors compared to any other Legion/ First Founding Chapter, and the Soul Drinkers have to whole Omnibussies and more (admittedly, before the etch-a-sketch expunging and Prmaris re-Forging), while the Flesh Tearers, as much as I love them, have a whole collection of audio dramas on Audible, which makes them an odd choice for an anthology seemingly created in response for our requests to see more and different Successor Chapter stories.

Maybe there are some good stories in here and your mileage may certainly vary, but I feel like I'm in a place where it's relatively easy for Warhammer to please me, but I was left feeling like the Red Angel doing duet kareoke with the Butcher's Nails.

[Sebastiaan Vanbesien · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had some potential for good stories, it’s written by some of the finest veteran 40K writers and most of the stories have very interesting premises. But, the stories feel to short, to narrow. It would’ve been great with a few more pages on each story to help flesh out the characters/world/chapter. This book had the potential to help people fall in love with new and exciting space marine chapters, instead it teases you with a vaguely promising premise but not enough to hook you in and that’s best case scenario. Worst case, the short just throws a lot of names and/or (military) titels at you and some hasty action scenes filled with chainssword-porn. Despite it’s shortcomings it passed the time and was entertaining enough to keep reading.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - The Last Planet by Edoardo Albert
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - The Sins of My Brothers by Peter Fehervari

⭐⭐⭐⭐ - The Wolves of Raukos by Guy Haley
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - The Empty Place by Graham McNeill
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - The Phalangite Ascendancy by Ben Counter
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Patience Kills by Gary Kloster
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Living Relics by David Guymer
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Legacy of Posul by Chris Forrester
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Disgraced by Chris Forrester
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Bless the Curse by Callum Davis
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Son of the Storm World by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

⭐⭐⭐ - The First Primaris by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
⭐⭐⭐ - Iron Watch by Callum Davis

[Paul Sparks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think I have read an anthology that I can honestly say I enjoyed every story and this is book is no different, surprisingly I really enjoyed a story I set out to dislike! Be open to the stories, the authors did not set out to annoy you! I listened on Audible and would like to say that the narration certainly lifted some stories so maybe try that if your unsure

[Tomas Gronich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Successors is a (fairly) new collection of short stories from the WH40k universe centered on successor chapters. Different authors, most of them actually well known in the Black Library.

Not bad. Some stories are better, some are worse. Some are the usual over-the-top grimdark level of WH40k and a bit too edgy for my taste (like the Grey Knights one), but overall it was a good read.

[Luke Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up to get some inspiration ahead of the next Open Submissions by Black Library... Some of the short stories in this anthology were easier to read than others, but overall, an entertaining showcase of some of the lesser known Adeptus Astartes Chapters and good to delve into some new 40K set fiction after a long absence from reading such on my part...

[David Smeresky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was great overall but unlike a lot of anthologies I have liked in the past I didn’t feel like the order of the stories were well planned and some of the stories were weak. My favorites were “The Last Planet”, “The wolves of Raukos”, and “Bless the curse”. Overall a good book for those interested in space marine lore of some of the less discussed chapters.

[Mikael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its an anthology and as such some of the stories are good and some of them are bad. Most of them are too short. some of the chapters i was hoping to hear from had bad stories but some of the ones i had no interest in ended up being way more interesting than i expected so it all evens out.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an uneven collection of stories, some better than others, and it passed the time and educated me about the Primaris and their sometimes strained relationship with Firstborn. The standout story for me was Fehervari’s short story.

[Jakub Sládek · Rating 3 out of 5]

5* for Angels Penitent: The Sins of My Brothers by Peter Fehervari

[Jo Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few stand-out stories from ADB and Fehervari can't save such a dull collection. Writing short stories is an art and few authors in this collection have mastered it.

[Shane Vaughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book, almost all stories excellent

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was one of the Marines named Vonnegut?
Did I hear that right?

[Matthew Duka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alot of the books are hit or miss but it's worth looking through for any chapters you like.