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Warhammer 40,000
Into the Maelstrom
In the nightmare future of Warhammer 40,000, mankind teeters on the brink of extinction. Here are a dozen action stories from this dark and brooding universe.
Contents
"Salvation" by Jonathan Green
"Into the Maelstrom" by Chris Pramas
"Emperor's Grace" by Alex Hammond
"The Raven's Claw" by Jonathan Curran
"Children of the Emperor" by Barrington J. Bayley
"The Black Pearl" by Chris Pramas"
"Acceptable Losses" by Gav Thorpe
"Tenebrae" by Mark Brendan
"Ancient Lances" by Alex Hammond
"Hell in a Bottle" by Simon Jowett
"Unthinking Justice" by Andras Millward
"In the Belly of the Beast" by William King
Contents
"Salvation" by Jonathan Green
"Into the Maelstrom" by Chris Pramas
"Emperor's Grace" by Alex Hammond
"The Raven's Claw" by Jonathan Curran
"Children of the Emperor" by Barrington J. Bayley
"The Black Pearl" by Chris Pramas"
"Acceptable Losses" by Gav Thorpe
"Tenebrae" by Mark Brendan
"Ancient Lances" by Alex Hammond
"Hell in a Bottle" by Simon Jowett
"Unthinking Justice" by Andras Millward
"In the Belly of the Beast" by William King
282 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 1999
About the author
Marc Gascoigne
102 books61 followersPublisher, editor, designer – a lifetime in books. Previously publisher of Aconyte, Angry Robot, Black Library, and Solaris. Before that, responsible for a whole bookcase worth of books, both fiction and non-fiction, tie-ins and original works, as well as games design, journalism, computer game scripting, etc. Winner of both the World Fantasy Award and British Fantasy Award.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 27, 2025
I bought this anthology of stories set in the Warhammer 40,000 gaming universe around fifteen years ago but never got around to it until now. The 40K universe is a wild mix of military SF, dangerous aliens, bioweapons, psychic powers, and supernatural monsters. I’m glad that I finally read it as I enjoyed most of the stories. Looking forward to digging deeper.
Salvation by Johnathan Green (3.5/5)
An ultramarine who lost his memory helps out villagers after they are attacked. I enjoyed how the story felt a little like a western.
Into the Maelstrom by Chris Pramas (2.5/5)
Two space marines take on Huron Blackheart, leader of the Red Corsairs. Lots of action and betrayals but I never got into the characters.
Emperor’s Grace by Alex Hammond (4/4)
A Commissar and a group of Imperial Guardsmen are outnumbered on a jungle planet. The action scenes didn’t hold my interest at first but once the conflict between the Commissar and the leader of the Guardsmen got started I was all in.
The Raven’s Claw by Jonathan Curran (4/5)
A man with no memory finds himself part of a penal legion sent to a planet with a rebel governor. I liked how everything is revealed and comes together in the end.
Children of the Emperor by Barrington J. Bayley (5/5)
After an Imperial Guardsmen troopship is ambushed, a lone Guardsman finds himself on a planet with dangerous creatures. An old school space opera/adventure with interesting characters and a great balance of action and world building. While all the previous stories hinted at the world of Warhammer 40K, I felt like I learned more from this page turner of a story. Outstanding.
The Black Pearl by Chris Pramas (4/5)
An Interrogator-Chaplain leads space marines on a search for a relic that has been lost for ten thousand years. Good set up, action, and ending.
Acceptable Losses by Gav Thorpe (5/5)
After a flight commander takes charge of a motley crew of bomber pilots, they are sent on a dangerous mission. An excellent example of military SF with a great mix of characters, action, and conflict.
Tenebrae by Mark Brendan (2.5/5)
A governor, a former soldier, reflects on his life as his planet is invaded by agents of Chaos. As short as it was, it felt a little long.
Ancient Lances by Alex Hammond (5/5)
After fighting in one hundred battles for the Imperium, the leader of the Attilan Rough Riders returns to the desert tribe of his home planet to find that things have changed. Maybe it’s because I’ve been listening to the Genghis Khan episodes of the Hardcore History podcast, but I was fascinated by the Rough Riders, who are based on the Hun and Mongol hordes of Eurasia.
Hell in a Bottle by Simon Jowett (2.5/5)
The overseer of a virtual reality training facility begins to suspect there’s something wrong with the simulations. I could see where the story was going pretty much from the start.
Unthinking Justice by Andras Millard (4/5)
Space Marines sent to stop a rebellion find that things are not what they appear to be after they engage the rebels. A good mix of interesting characters, action, and mystery.
In the Belly of the Beast by William King (5/5)
A space marine chapter known as the Space Wolves are sent on a mission to investigate a mysterious object the size of a small asteroid. Trouble ensues. Excellent buildup of tension which then switches to all out action.
Salvation by Johnathan Green (3.5/5)
An ultramarine who lost his memory helps out villagers after they are attacked. I enjoyed how the story felt a little like a western.
Into the Maelstrom by Chris Pramas (2.5/5)
Two space marines take on Huron Blackheart, leader of the Red Corsairs. Lots of action and betrayals but I never got into the characters.
Emperor’s Grace by Alex Hammond (4/4)
A Commissar and a group of Imperial Guardsmen are outnumbered on a jungle planet. The action scenes didn’t hold my interest at first but once the conflict between the Commissar and the leader of the Guardsmen got started I was all in.
The Raven’s Claw by Jonathan Curran (4/5)
A man with no memory finds himself part of a penal legion sent to a planet with a rebel governor. I liked how everything is revealed and comes together in the end.
Children of the Emperor by Barrington J. Bayley (5/5)
After an Imperial Guardsmen troopship is ambushed, a lone Guardsman finds himself on a planet with dangerous creatures. An old school space opera/adventure with interesting characters and a great balance of action and world building. While all the previous stories hinted at the world of Warhammer 40K, I felt like I learned more from this page turner of a story. Outstanding.
The Black Pearl by Chris Pramas (4/5)
An Interrogator-Chaplain leads space marines on a search for a relic that has been lost for ten thousand years. Good set up, action, and ending.
Acceptable Losses by Gav Thorpe (5/5)
After a flight commander takes charge of a motley crew of bomber pilots, they are sent on a dangerous mission. An excellent example of military SF with a great mix of characters, action, and conflict.
Tenebrae by Mark Brendan (2.5/5)
A governor, a former soldier, reflects on his life as his planet is invaded by agents of Chaos. As short as it was, it felt a little long.
Ancient Lances by Alex Hammond (5/5)
After fighting in one hundred battles for the Imperium, the leader of the Attilan Rough Riders returns to the desert tribe of his home planet to find that things have changed. Maybe it’s because I’ve been listening to the Genghis Khan episodes of the Hardcore History podcast, but I was fascinated by the Rough Riders, who are based on the Hun and Mongol hordes of Eurasia.
Hell in a Bottle by Simon Jowett (2.5/5)
The overseer of a virtual reality training facility begins to suspect there’s something wrong with the simulations. I could see where the story was going pretty much from the start.
Unthinking Justice by Andras Millard (4/5)
Space Marines sent to stop a rebellion find that things are not what they appear to be after they engage the rebels. A good mix of interesting characters, action, and mystery.
In the Belly of the Beast by William King (5/5)
A space marine chapter known as the Space Wolves are sent on a mission to investigate a mysterious object the size of a small asteroid. Trouble ensues. Excellent buildup of tension which then switches to all out action.
August 1, 2026
3.5 stars
Those who know me know that I love Warhammer 40,000 with the deep, unexplainable affection you can only feel for something that isn’t very good, but manages to stroke your soul just right. Those who know me also know that I get a little bit obsessive about stuff I like in this way. So in service of this, I’ve been trying to read every single novel and short story anthology set in this universe that received a physical release, in release order (exceptions made for anthologies that don’t have any stories not available elsewhere). With the number that exist and my current rate of getting through them, I’ll probably resemble the God Emperor himself by the time I’m done, but hey, it’s good to have a project, right?
Anyway, Into the Maelstrom is the first proper short story anthology I’ve read during this attempt. There’s a dozen stories in there, so let’s just cover them quickly individually.
“Salvation” (Jonathan Green) - A group of Space Marines from the Ultramarines chapter are dispatched to fight an alien Tyranid swarm on a low-technology world, leading one of them to see a new perspective. I liked the classic storytelling beats of this one, it made it feel comfortable and fun rather than cliche, but it certainly won’t blow your mind, either. 7/10
“Into the Maelstrom” (Chris Pramas) - Two Marines, one from the loyalist Astral Claws and the other a defector from the renegade Red Corsairs, undertake a dangerous mission to the Red Corsairs’ flagship to learn the target of their next attack. This was probably one of the better stories in the bunch, a bit light on character development, of course, it’s a short story, but a nice fun little bit of grimdark-in-space. 8/10
“Emperor’s Grace” (Alex Hammond) - A Commissar of the Imperial Guard and a member of the Catachan Jungle FIghters regiment he commands clash over various situations as they battle the alien Eldar across a jungle planet. This one really failed to grab me. The commissar is (intentionally) unlikable to the point that I was mostly annoyed every time he was on screen and the Catachan guy and the plot weren’t interesting enough to make up for it. 5/10
“The Raven’s Claw” (Jonathan Curran) - The personal telepath to an Imperial governor notices strange holes in his visions and a young man wakes up on his way to a battlefield with no memory of who he is or how he got there. This was another one of the better stories, the mystery intrigued me enough and while the climax was a bit flat, it wasn’t bad enough to make me feel like it wasn’t worth it. 8/10
“Children of the Emperor” (Barrington Bayley) - A guardsman crash-lands on a feral world and discovers strange mutants who nonetheless are loyal to the God Emperor. There were some interesting bones in this one and I liked the central conflict, but all the characters seemed far too knowledgeable about the broader aspects of the setting, to a distracting degree, and the plot relied far too much on fortuitous coincidences. 6/10
“The Black Pearl” (Chris Pramas) - A Marine of the Dark Angels discovers via interrogating one of the traitor Fallen that a priceless artifact of his chapter is located on an Eldar world. This one had a decent little character arc, but failed to grab me overall because I found the protagonist frustratingly dense. 7/10
“Acceptable Losses” (Gav Thorpe) - The new commander of an Imperial Navy bomber squad has to reckon with his men’s belief that their unit is unlucky and disliked by their commanders. I liked the base plot and character development of this one, but the ending didn’t come together super smoothly and Thorpe’s space combat scenes leave a lot to be desired. 7/10
“Tenaebrae” (Mark Brendan) - An Imperial governor watches his world invaded by Chaos and thinks back to how he got there. A great idea conceptually, but Brendan just didn’t do anything interesting with it and I was just kind of left wanting more. 6/10
“Ancient Lances” (Alex Hammond) - A member of the Atelian Rough Riders Guard regiment returns home before retirement, only to find that home is not what he remembered. This one was kind of similar to the Thorpe story, in that there was nothing wrong with it per se, but it didn’t really bring anything new to the table. 7/10
“Hell in a Bottle” (Simon Jowett) - In a distant space station, a failed Space Marine recruit tending an ancient training device finds an opportunity to redeem himself. I liked this one. Saw where it was going almost as soon as the premise was introduced, but it was well-written and had some great descriptions. 8/10
“Unthinking Justice” (Andras Millward) - Brother Levi of the Black Consuls Marine chapter helps an Inquisitor put down an insurrection and finds himself questioning the meaning of loyalty. I liked a lot of the themes and ideas this one brought up, but the execution was so forgettable that I briefly thought I hadn’t read it when I was double-checking the table of contents to write this review. 6/10
“In the Belly of the Beast” (William King) - A group of initiates of the Space Wolves Marine chapter explore a strange ship that seems to be made of living creatures and in the process, confront their own weaknesses. This was definitely the strongest story of the bunch, with good character development for the length and some solid descriptions. 9/10
The first thing that should be noted is that despite being listed as a general 40k collection, this is really a “Space Marines and Imperial Guard” collection. Chaos fans get the title story, I guess, but if you like xenos or any other part of the Imperium, your faction is limited to being background characters and enemies for the protagonists to slaughter. Although I suppose this isn’t inherently a flaw of the book (nor is it unusual for 40k novels), it is something to be aware of as I was hoping for a xenos story or two and was disappointed.
Speaking of xenos, while I fully admit that this is a personal issue and not, perhaps, something that will bother most fans, I was really not a fan of the way the stories that included them used the Eldar as a punching bag. They only appear in two, but both seem to delight in showing them being gruesomely murdered and tortured in a way that is not applied to human enemies or those of other species. While I could mostly ignore it to enjoy the stories as presented, it did grate in the back of my mind and made me have less fun with the book than I could.
Overall, though, this was decent but not memorable. I doubt any of these stories will stick with me, but for a low-stakes way to spend some time in the 40k universe for a few hours, I could certainly have done worse.
Warnings: In addition to the typical Warhammer 40,000 graphic violence, light body horror, religious fanaticism, and xenophobia, there is one or two brief references to sexual assault and a few depictions of alcoholism. “Ancient Lances” features a planet that seems to be based on stereotypes both positive and negative of Mongol people, as well as depicting many of the negative effects of colonialism.
Those who know me know that I love Warhammer 40,000 with the deep, unexplainable affection you can only feel for something that isn’t very good, but manages to stroke your soul just right. Those who know me also know that I get a little bit obsessive about stuff I like in this way. So in service of this, I’ve been trying to read every single novel and short story anthology set in this universe that received a physical release, in release order (exceptions made for anthologies that don’t have any stories not available elsewhere). With the number that exist and my current rate of getting through them, I’ll probably resemble the God Emperor himself by the time I’m done, but hey, it’s good to have a project, right?
Anyway, Into the Maelstrom is the first proper short story anthology I’ve read during this attempt. There’s a dozen stories in there, so let’s just cover them quickly individually.
“Salvation” (Jonathan Green) - A group of Space Marines from the Ultramarines chapter are dispatched to fight an alien Tyranid swarm on a low-technology world, leading one of them to see a new perspective. I liked the classic storytelling beats of this one, it made it feel comfortable and fun rather than cliche, but it certainly won’t blow your mind, either. 7/10
“Into the Maelstrom” (Chris Pramas) - Two Marines, one from the loyalist Astral Claws and the other a defector from the renegade Red Corsairs, undertake a dangerous mission to the Red Corsairs’ flagship to learn the target of their next attack. This was probably one of the better stories in the bunch, a bit light on character development, of course, it’s a short story, but a nice fun little bit of grimdark-in-space. 8/10
“Emperor’s Grace” (Alex Hammond) - A Commissar of the Imperial Guard and a member of the Catachan Jungle FIghters regiment he commands clash over various situations as they battle the alien Eldar across a jungle planet. This one really failed to grab me. The commissar is (intentionally) unlikable to the point that I was mostly annoyed every time he was on screen and the Catachan guy and the plot weren’t interesting enough to make up for it. 5/10
“The Raven’s Claw” (Jonathan Curran) - The personal telepath to an Imperial governor notices strange holes in his visions and a young man wakes up on his way to a battlefield with no memory of who he is or how he got there. This was another one of the better stories, the mystery intrigued me enough and while the climax was a bit flat, it wasn’t bad enough to make me feel like it wasn’t worth it. 8/10
“Children of the Emperor” (Barrington Bayley) - A guardsman crash-lands on a feral world and discovers strange mutants who nonetheless are loyal to the God Emperor. There were some interesting bones in this one and I liked the central conflict, but all the characters seemed far too knowledgeable about the broader aspects of the setting, to a distracting degree, and the plot relied far too much on fortuitous coincidences. 6/10
“The Black Pearl” (Chris Pramas) - A Marine of the Dark Angels discovers via interrogating one of the traitor Fallen that a priceless artifact of his chapter is located on an Eldar world. This one had a decent little character arc, but failed to grab me overall because I found the protagonist frustratingly dense. 7/10
“Acceptable Losses” (Gav Thorpe) - The new commander of an Imperial Navy bomber squad has to reckon with his men’s belief that their unit is unlucky and disliked by their commanders. I liked the base plot and character development of this one, but the ending didn’t come together super smoothly and Thorpe’s space combat scenes leave a lot to be desired. 7/10
“Tenaebrae” (Mark Brendan) - An Imperial governor watches his world invaded by Chaos and thinks back to how he got there. A great idea conceptually, but Brendan just didn’t do anything interesting with it and I was just kind of left wanting more. 6/10
“Ancient Lances” (Alex Hammond) - A member of the Atelian Rough Riders Guard regiment returns home before retirement, only to find that home is not what he remembered. This one was kind of similar to the Thorpe story, in that there was nothing wrong with it per se, but it didn’t really bring anything new to the table. 7/10
“Hell in a Bottle” (Simon Jowett) - In a distant space station, a failed Space Marine recruit tending an ancient training device finds an opportunity to redeem himself. I liked this one. Saw where it was going almost as soon as the premise was introduced, but it was well-written and had some great descriptions. 8/10
“Unthinking Justice” (Andras Millward) - Brother Levi of the Black Consuls Marine chapter helps an Inquisitor put down an insurrection and finds himself questioning the meaning of loyalty. I liked a lot of the themes and ideas this one brought up, but the execution was so forgettable that I briefly thought I hadn’t read it when I was double-checking the table of contents to write this review. 6/10
“In the Belly of the Beast” (William King) - A group of initiates of the Space Wolves Marine chapter explore a strange ship that seems to be made of living creatures and in the process, confront their own weaknesses. This was definitely the strongest story of the bunch, with good character development for the length and some solid descriptions. 9/10
The first thing that should be noted is that despite being listed as a general 40k collection, this is really a “Space Marines and Imperial Guard” collection. Chaos fans get the title story, I guess, but if you like xenos or any other part of the Imperium, your faction is limited to being background characters and enemies for the protagonists to slaughter. Although I suppose this isn’t inherently a flaw of the book (nor is it unusual for 40k novels), it is something to be aware of as I was hoping for a xenos story or two and was disappointed.
Speaking of xenos, while I fully admit that this is a personal issue and not, perhaps, something that will bother most fans, I was really not a fan of the way the stories that included them used the Eldar as a punching bag. They only appear in two, but both seem to delight in showing them being gruesomely murdered and tortured in a way that is not applied to human enemies or those of other species. While I could mostly ignore it to enjoy the stories as presented, it did grate in the back of my mind and made me have less fun with the book than I could.
Overall, though, this was decent but not memorable. I doubt any of these stories will stick with me, but for a low-stakes way to spend some time in the 40k universe for a few hours, I could certainly have done worse.
Warnings: In addition to the typical Warhammer 40,000 graphic violence, light body horror, religious fanaticism, and xenophobia, there is one or two brief references to sexual assault and a few depictions of alcoholism. “Ancient Lances” features a planet that seems to be based on stereotypes both positive and negative of Mongol people, as well as depicting many of the negative effects of colonialism.
October 6, 2011
One of my limitations was not trying to read more science fiction. I always think it's complicated it. Apart from some warhammer 40k novels I've never dwelt much. This one was a challenge to me. I always thought that 40k literature was a bit different from the fantasy and some books that I try beggining I thought them complicated. Most of this writers are one timers in the universe and most of them didn't even get to right a full lenght novel.
Salvation - Jonathan Green (18 pages) In this story we follow the life of a Ultramarine that was left forgotten after a tyranid cleansing. The ultramarine have no memory whatsoever and it's taken by some villagers that think he is a star god. Meanwhile the village is attacked and the marine tries to help the villagers that took care of him. In the end he remembers what he is and what he must do but the enemy is too powerful even for a ancient space marine. In the end he dies fulfilling his vows to protect humanity. I really like these story. 8.5/10
Into the Maelstrom - Chris Pramas (14 pages) This tale gives the name of the anthology so I expected much.This tale we follow the lifes of a space marine of the Astral Claws (now turned renegade) as he tries to bring justice to his chapter. After allying with White Scars they plot to overthrone Huron Blackheart, the leader of the now named Red Corsairs aka Astral Claws and bring justice to the chapter. This tale is full of betrayals upon betrayals and things never work out as they hoped. The ending was pure mallevolance to the betrayer of the betrayer chapter. Excelent 8.5/10
Emperor's Grace - Alex Hammond (22 pages) This is the first story not featuring Space Marines. This tale we follow two imperial guard armies as they battle in different ways the Eldar. We get also into the head of a Commissar and the meaning of life. What are you able to do to survive. Would you turn evil or renegade to save yourself? Do you go against orders when they send you to your death? To die in glory or to "run" and fight another day? What is the correct answer? Very nice 8/10
The Raven's Claw - Jonathan Curran (20 pages) In this tale we follow a penal legion. This tale is quite good. A condemend human joins a penal legion but he's got no memory of his crime and why he is there. In the beginning other convicts try to help him out but as he remember who he was and what he must do things change... after all he is an Callidus Assassin and is bound to kill the one who gave that world to chaos. After the completion of the mission the reinforcements would arrive. It was excelent the dialogue and the reason of why he did what he did (even the memory loss). I really enjoyed this story. 7.5/10
Children of the Emperor - Barrington J Bayley (26 pages) This story was another stone on this jewel of a book. This tale is totally different from the others. As some space battle is brewing a trooper and a commissar fall to the planet in different escape pods. One is taken by a strange beings that venerate the emperor and the other is taken another village of the space beings that venerate the blood god. As they understand more the commissar have a exterminatus in mind and the trooper who fell into the "good" village doesn't want that to happened because he finds out that they are human but adapted to that High-Gravity world that want to travel to the stars and join the Star-Emperor but he knows that humanity will never accept them and will hunt them down as mutants. In the end as the commisar dies the trooper makes a difficult choice that could lead to his dead. He decides to use the commisar log to make his own request to the Imperium and forget this planet forever. 10/10
The Black Pearl - Chris Pramas (20 pages) This tale is about Dark Angels against Fallen Angels that they want to hunt them down to their last. It's their main shame. As the Dark Angels try to find a ancient relic they discover it in a maiden world of the eldar. As they fight the Eldar they are warned against that relic. Unfortunally the relic is not what it's suppossed to be. Instead of their primach swords it's the sword of the first heretic within Dark Angels Civil War. 7/10
Acceptable Losses - Gav Thorpe (34 pages) This tale was I think the premises for a Dan Abnett novel Double Eagle. If Double Eagle they fought on a planet this one was in space. This story was excelent. The bombers think they are just cannon fodder but in the end they realize the burden of command. It was an excelent story. tt reminds me of Aces High by Iron Maiden... Excelent. 8.5/10
Tenebrae - Mark Brendan (16 pages) What are thoughts of a governor as he loses his planet to chaos. What is in his mind. Does god forsaken him? Must he turns to Chaos since it seems it is stronger? This story is a psychological quest of the governor of a dying country. I must say I was please with this tale. Usually there is two ways to our problems. The right way or the wrong way. Sometimes we can choose a third choise. Give up. 8.5/10
Ancient Lances - Alex Hammond (22 pages) In this tale we follow the Sons of Attila or Atillan Rough Riders as they go on conquest for the Emperor. After one hundred battles Al'Kahan have two choices: either return home or be a governor on a conquered planet. As they are re-supplying horses in their home planet he return to his tribe to find it completed changed. From their he goes into revolt against the new lords. The ending was good and it gave me something to think. Sometimes " there is no place like home" doesn't work. And sometimes home can be real a alien place. Our costumes and traditions sometimes are alien to us. Good story. 8/10
Hell in a Bottle - Simon Jowett (20 pages) I couldn't underst this story. I really tried but it felt so alieneted to me. It was quite strange story. An not-space marine of the Iron Heart in a strange training planet with some odd "Mimesis" machine and a daemonic horde. Really strange and uncomprehensible. 4/10
Unthinking Justice - Andras Millward (22 pages) In this tale we follow the Black Consuls chapter as they help a world against a heretic rebellion. With the help of Inquisitor they batlle time and again against them. But it seems that not all things are what it seem. Their error is ammend in time and the world is saved. The Inquisitor on this tale as turn into Chaos. So what I learn from this? Well... two things. Things are not always what they seem. Never follow a blind man in a struggle. Inform yourself before choosing sides and most important of all.
In the belly of the Beast - William King (37 pages) The first story that william King made of Space Wolves then he went on writing four novels with them. Space Wolves and their motives and feelings. I really was into them. All of them William King is undoubtly one of the best writers in the game. 9/10
Salvation - Jonathan Green (18 pages) In this story we follow the life of a Ultramarine that was left forgotten after a tyranid cleansing. The ultramarine have no memory whatsoever and it's taken by some villagers that think he is a star god. Meanwhile the village is attacked and the marine tries to help the villagers that took care of him. In the end he remembers what he is and what he must do but the enemy is too powerful even for a ancient space marine. In the end he dies fulfilling his vows to protect humanity. I really like these story. 8.5/10
Into the Maelstrom - Chris Pramas (14 pages) This tale gives the name of the anthology so I expected much.This tale we follow the lifes of a space marine of the Astral Claws (now turned renegade) as he tries to bring justice to his chapter. After allying with White Scars they plot to overthrone Huron Blackheart, the leader of the now named Red Corsairs aka Astral Claws and bring justice to the chapter. This tale is full of betrayals upon betrayals and things never work out as they hoped. The ending was pure mallevolance to the betrayer of the betrayer chapter. Excelent 8.5/10
Emperor's Grace - Alex Hammond (22 pages) This is the first story not featuring Space Marines. This tale we follow two imperial guard armies as they battle in different ways the Eldar. We get also into the head of a Commissar and the meaning of life. What are you able to do to survive. Would you turn evil or renegade to save yourself? Do you go against orders when they send you to your death? To die in glory or to "run" and fight another day? What is the correct answer? Very nice 8/10
The Raven's Claw - Jonathan Curran (20 pages) In this tale we follow a penal legion. This tale is quite good. A condemend human joins a penal legion but he's got no memory of his crime and why he is there. In the beginning other convicts try to help him out but as he remember who he was and what he must do things change... after all he is an Callidus Assassin and is bound to kill the one who gave that world to chaos. After the completion of the mission the reinforcements would arrive. It was excelent the dialogue and the reason of why he did what he did (even the memory loss). I really enjoyed this story. 7.5/10
Children of the Emperor - Barrington J Bayley (26 pages) This story was another stone on this jewel of a book. This tale is totally different from the others. As some space battle is brewing a trooper and a commissar fall to the planet in different escape pods. One is taken by a strange beings that venerate the emperor and the other is taken another village of the space beings that venerate the blood god. As they understand more the commissar have a exterminatus in mind and the trooper who fell into the "good" village doesn't want that to happened because he finds out that they are human but adapted to that High-Gravity world that want to travel to the stars and join the Star-Emperor but he knows that humanity will never accept them and will hunt them down as mutants. In the end as the commisar dies the trooper makes a difficult choice that could lead to his dead. He decides to use the commisar log to make his own request to the Imperium and forget this planet forever. 10/10
The Black Pearl - Chris Pramas (20 pages) This tale is about Dark Angels against Fallen Angels that they want to hunt them down to their last. It's their main shame. As the Dark Angels try to find a ancient relic they discover it in a maiden world of the eldar. As they fight the Eldar they are warned against that relic. Unfortunally the relic is not what it's suppossed to be. Instead of their primach swords it's the sword of the first heretic within Dark Angels Civil War. 7/10
Acceptable Losses - Gav Thorpe (34 pages) This tale was I think the premises for a Dan Abnett novel Double Eagle. If Double Eagle they fought on a planet this one was in space. This story was excelent. The bombers think they are just cannon fodder but in the end they realize the burden of command. It was an excelent story. tt reminds me of Aces High by Iron Maiden... Excelent. 8.5/10
Tenebrae - Mark Brendan (16 pages) What are thoughts of a governor as he loses his planet to chaos. What is in his mind. Does god forsaken him? Must he turns to Chaos since it seems it is stronger? This story is a psychological quest of the governor of a dying country. I must say I was please with this tale. Usually there is two ways to our problems. The right way or the wrong way. Sometimes we can choose a third choise. Give up. 8.5/10
Ancient Lances - Alex Hammond (22 pages) In this tale we follow the Sons of Attila or Atillan Rough Riders as they go on conquest for the Emperor. After one hundred battles Al'Kahan have two choices: either return home or be a governor on a conquered planet. As they are re-supplying horses in their home planet he return to his tribe to find it completed changed. From their he goes into revolt against the new lords. The ending was good and it gave me something to think. Sometimes " there is no place like home" doesn't work. And sometimes home can be real a alien place. Our costumes and traditions sometimes are alien to us. Good story. 8/10
Hell in a Bottle - Simon Jowett (20 pages) I couldn't underst this story. I really tried but it felt so alieneted to me. It was quite strange story. An not-space marine of the Iron Heart in a strange training planet with some odd "Mimesis" machine and a daemonic horde. Really strange and uncomprehensible. 4/10
Unthinking Justice - Andras Millward (22 pages) In this tale we follow the Black Consuls chapter as they help a world against a heretic rebellion. With the help of Inquisitor they batlle time and again against them. But it seems that not all things are what it seem. Their error is ammend in time and the world is saved. The Inquisitor on this tale as turn into Chaos. So what I learn from this? Well... two things. Things are not always what they seem. Never follow a blind man in a struggle. Inform yourself before choosing sides and most important of all.
In the belly of the Beast - William King (37 pages) The first story that william King made of Space Wolves then he went on writing four novels with them. Space Wolves and their motives and feelings. I really was into them. All of them William King is undoubtly one of the best writers in the game. 9/10
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2016
This is a compilation of short stories in the dark future of Warhammer 40K, when the human empire has reached its peak and are challenged on all sides by relentless enemies. As with all 40K fiction, these stories are full of brutal carnage and non-stop action in a universe without limits. Follow federation soldiers, space marines, inquisitors, aribites, naval officers and all other manner of emperial servants on quests to fight evil and sustain the empire.
These stories offer a great glimpse into the universe of Warhammer and would be a great place for someone to start reading WH40K literature.
These stories offer a great glimpse into the universe of Warhammer and would be a great place for someone to start reading WH40K literature.
May 15, 2017
A very strong early anthology from the pages of now-defunct Games Workshop short fiction magazine "Inferno". Amidst the stories are one which includes an encounter between the nominally xenophobic and hateful standard Imperial human and a good-hearted mutant strain of humanity, which struck me a strong link between more standard sci-fi and the darker techno-barbarism of 40k. On a personal level, this anthology also includes a story focusing on the Attilan Rough Riders (there is still space for horse cavalry in the planet-destroying universe of 40k!) which encouraged my love for this anachronistic silliness and effected my entire approach to the game over the following decades.
June 4, 2020
fun read for fans of Warhammer 40K. This was released in 2000, before 40K novels became very popular. These early short stories are my favorites. They don't always stick to fan favorites like more recent epic based novels. The authors sometimes over describe places and characters, but they are trying to set up your first impression of the 40K universe. P.S. don't tell the Holy Inquisition, but one the stories here (later declared non-canon) gives a clue about the identity of the two lost primarchs.
February 1, 2024
Něco jako 3–3.5
Musela jsem sáhnout hluboce mezi své dva neurony a za křivolakým překladem si domýšlet originál – přece jen z těch pár zdolaných 40káčkových knížek a hodin u her a lore videí už mám místní technikálie mírně nasoslé. Pak se tahle sbírka i dala ještě o něco líp skousnout. Některé povídky tak měly skvělou atmošku, ale horší zpracování, jiné povídky měly hrozné zpracování a žádnou atmošku. Prostě takový obvyklý pelmel násilností, nechutností a šílené hrdinskosti, zakončený naprosto topovými medailonky autorů.
Tak jako tak mi ale na mysl přichází ještě jeden poznatek – myslím, že teď potřebuju ještě víc warhammeru ve svém životě.
Musela jsem sáhnout hluboce mezi své dva neurony a za křivolakým překladem si domýšlet originál – přece jen z těch pár zdolaných 40káčkových knížek a hodin u her a lore videí už mám místní technikálie mírně nasoslé. Pak se tahle sbírka i dala ještě o něco líp skousnout. Některé povídky tak měly skvělou atmošku, ale horší zpracování, jiné povídky měly hrozné zpracování a žádnou atmošku. Prostě takový obvyklý pelmel násilností, nechutností a šílené hrdinskosti, zakončený naprosto topovými medailonky autorů.
Tak jako tak mi ale na mysl přichází ještě jeden poznatek – myslím, že teď potřebuju ještě víc warhammeru ve svém životě.
August 18, 2023
3,50 seems fair
January 25, 2008
This is a collection of twelve stories set in the Warhammer 40k universe:
Ultramarines vs. Tyranids
a White Scar and an Astral Claw try to take down Huron Blackheart
Catachans vs. Eldar
Callidus assassin
Aurelian IXth
Dark Angels search for the Lion Sword
Imperial Navy vs. Ork Space Hulk
Imperial Governor vs. Chaos
Atillan Lancers
Kargon, Daemon Lord of Chaos
Black Consuls vs. Chaos (this is yet another story where an inquisitor is the villain, this time a follower of Tzeentch)
Space Wolves vs. Tyranids
An uneven mix, but some very good stories.
Ultramarines vs. Tyranids
a White Scar and an Astral Claw try to take down Huron Blackheart
Catachans vs. Eldar
Callidus assassin
Aurelian IXth
Dark Angels search for the Lion Sword
Imperial Navy vs. Ork Space Hulk
Imperial Governor vs. Chaos
Atillan Lancers
Kargon, Daemon Lord of Chaos
Black Consuls vs. Chaos (this is yet another story where an inquisitor is the villain, this time a follower of Tzeentch)
Space Wolves vs. Tyranids
An uneven mix, but some very good stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 28, 2009Warhammer 40K
September 21, 2017
A short but good book.
February 14, 2022
An odd collection of 2nd ed and early 3rd ed stories from Inferno! magazine. Was okay. An interesting look at history of 40k fiction.
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