A Horus Heresy short-story by Rich McCormick
Visage was released in 2023 but re-released in the free ‘Black Library Celebration 2025’ anthology available in English, German & French either from a local Warhammer store or free from Black Library with most purchases.
This coincides with World Book Day (6th March), as as avid readers ourselves we will be marking this occasion by reviewing all 4 stories in the anthology – and encouraging reading of course!
From the book:
Following the Battle of Signus Prime, the indignation shown by Erebu, Dark Apostle of the Word Bearers, is met with brutal retribution from Warmaster Horus. After having his tattooed visage flayed from his skull, Erebus seeks the power of the the avatars of Chaos to restore his faith in the Dark Gods.
If you like your Grim Dark fiction to be very Dark and exceedingly Grim then this is one is definitely for you. Having someone flay the skin from your skull would kill most mortals, but Space Marines are made of stern stuff, and Erebus even more so.
Rich McCormick does well to show the insidious power and questions of the Dark Gods, as well as Erebus’ communications and discussions with them and – ultimately – where Erebus feels he fits within the Heresy of Horus.
However this is a strange story to chose for the first in this anthology (and indeed inclusion in it at all). World Book Day tends to be aimed at younger listeners and whilst this anthology isn’t directly related to that, it is released along the same time. To be fair to the chaps at the Warhammer store where I picked mine up he did say I probably shouldn’t be reading it to my daughter (2) who was with me at the time… so points there; but overall a strange inclusion in a taster set that parents may be picking up for their kids to see what the setting is about.
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— Declan & Eeyore
