Category Archives: Black Library

Black Library, Book Reviews, Declan Waters, Games Workshop

Book Review – Fury of Magnus

August 2, 2022 Declan and Eeyore Leave a comment

A Novella for The Siege of Terra by Graham McNeill

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With The Siege of Terra in full swing, Graham McNeill takes us down a little cul-de-sac to see what happens to Magnus. It’s not critical to the direct path taken by Horus, Sanguinius and the rest but is a very interesting journey none-the-less.

There’s a lot of red Primarchs… Magnus is one of the largest! — from Black Library

From the book:

Of all the Emperor’s sons who fell to Chaos, it is perhaps Magnus the Red whose tale is the most tragic. Sanctioned because of his desire for knowledge, chastised, judged, and shattered to his very elements – there is much for the Crimson King to feel vengeful for. Yet revenge is not the only thing that draws him to Terra alongside the Warmaster’s besieging armies. He seeks something, a fragment, the missing piece of himself that lies within the most impregnable place on the planet – the inner sanctum of the Imperial Palace. As the greatest conflict of the ages reaches fever pitch, Magnus fights his own inner battle. To be whole once more, he must not only overcome the fiercest of defences, but also face the one being whom he loves and hates with equal fervour more than any other – his errant father, the Emperor of Mankind.

Ah… poor Magnus. All the Crimson King wants is knowledge… can he be convinced that this knowledge would better serve the side of the Emperor or will he fight with the Warmaster for control of Terra?

Magnus begins by placing himself and his legion at the front of an assault planned by Perturabo, when he offers his legion as a distraction so that Perturabo’s real target will be more lightly defended. It works, and Magnus is able to enter the Palace hidden in plain sight and intent on meeting his father and The Sigilite.

I can see why this is not one of the main stories of the Siege of Terra, but it is great fun none-the-less. The story of Magnus includes and intertwines with the stories of many of the people featured in the Horus Heresy series which came before – as such it does help if you have a rough knowledge of the stories outside Terra. It features Malcador, The Sigilite, and Olivia – an eternal – and Magnus’ own personal battles on Terra. And it’s all great fun.

If you’ve picked up the other Siege of Terra books then this is a great addition, despite not being part of the main 6, and definitely worth picking up. Recommended.

We always encourage people to shop at local bricks and mortar stores, but if your friendly local book store doesn’t have this available, we have a UK Amazon affiliate link & a USA Amazon affiliate link for which Woehammer receives a small commission.

— Declan & Eeyore

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Black Library, Book Reviews, Declan Waters, Games Workshop

Book Review – The Magos

July 26, 2022 Declan and Eeyore Leave a comment

Book 4 of the Eisenhorn Series by Dan Abnett

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I think Warhammer novels are at their best when they leave the Space Marines and superhumans behind and concentrate on more relatable characters. And Dan Abnett has made a great character in the form of Inquisitor Eisenhorn, here returning for Book 4.

From the book:

Inquisitor Eisenhorn returns in a stunning new novel that pits him against his oldest foe, forcing him to finally confront the growing darkness within his own soul.

Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn has spent his life stalking the darkest and most dangerous corners of the galaxy in pursuit of heresy and Chaos, but how long can a man walk that path without succumbing to the lure of the warp? Pursuing heretics in the remote worlds of the Imperium, Eisenhorn must confront the truth about himself. Is he still a champion of the Throne? Or has he been seduced by the very evil that he hunts? The Magos is the brand new, full-length fourth novel in the hugely popular Eisenhorn series. This paperback edition also includes the definitive casebook of Gregor Eisenhorn, collecting together all twelve of Dan Abnett’s Inquisition short stories, several of which have never been in print before. These additional stories have been compiled by the author to act as an essential prologue to this long-awaited new novel, while also serving as an indispensable companion to the original Eisenhorn trilogy.

Dan Abnett has brought together a number of short stories (12) and a novella length tale in this novel to tell of some of the adventures of Gregor Eisenhorn and his followers. It’s great to have stories to dip into, and finish in an afternoon of lazy reading and the 12 stories definitely deliver on that promise. They’ll be some you may not like, but you’ll be back on fire on the next one as the Warhammer 40k universe encounters all the Grim Darkness through Gregor’s eyes.

The Novella – The Magos – is a great ending to the series though. Concentrating on the story of a Magos trapped in a backwater planet with no means of escape Gregor’s team kidnap him to ‘ask’ for his assistance in investigating some animal attacks. But things are not as they seem. It’s a great story told at break-neck speed but with not too many characters so it is easy to keep up. Sure, some of them die early, but that just makes everything easier to follow.

It also helps to bring the 40k universe to life – it’s not just epic clashes for the future of Terra – it’s people trying to survive, documenting species for the future, and making a living… and into that walks Eisenhorn to cause or solve mayhem and destruction.

A great ending to the Eisenhorn series, but Dan Abnett does have a number of other books featuring the Inquisition, so if you like this there’s definitely other books you can give a go.

— Declan & Eeyore

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Black Library, Book Reviews, Declan Waters, Games Workshop

Book Review – Neferata: The Dominion of Bones

July 1, 2022 Declan and Eeyore Leave a comment

by David Annandale

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After a few Horus Heresy: Siege of Terra reviews, I decided to take a break with Age of Sigmar, and what better way than to take a step into Nu-Lahmia.

From the book:

Neferata is besieged. To the east, the daemon prince Graunos gathers the legions of the Blood God, seeking to tear the Mortarch from her throne. To the south, Sigmar’s storm heralds the coming of the Anvils of the Heldenhammer, intent on pressing the God-King’s claim. All the while, an ancient enemy grows, hidden within Neferata’s lands. Never has her power seemed so fragile. But, within the dominion of bones, the Mortarch of Blood controls all, and even the champions of the Dark Gods will find themselves puppets in her schemes.

Black Library have more Warhammer 40k/Warhammer 30k releases than Age of Sigmar, but this is slowly improving this as the Age of Sigmar gets more and more background. However, this is almost back to the Old-World as Neferata (brought back by Nagash) is the main protagonist in the book. But caught between the Heldenhammer (Stormcast) and the Blood God how will she retain control?

Lahmian vampires may not be the best vampires on the table top but they are one of the most interesting narratively. Better suited to an RPG than rolling battlefields these creatures are great centre-pieces whilst they manipulate others. And Nu-Lahmia and Neferata have not changed at all – and it’s great to have the stability of knowing the characters.

David Annandale manages to bring this together with Stormcast and Khorne (with a little Nurgle thrown in for good measure), whilst still ensuring that this remained a book about Neferata. It’s a great read, runs at a good pace and has action throughout. Great fun, and perfect for people wanting to bring Lahmian’s into their Age of Sigmar RPGs.

— Declan & Eeyore

Black Library, Declan Waters, Games Workshop

Book Review – Warhawk

May 28, 2022 Declan and Eeyore Leave a comment

Book 6 The Siege of Terra by Chris Wraight

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Chris Wraight has written a few books on the Khan of the White Scars and he enters the Siege of Terra when the Khan decides that attack is the best form of defence and attacks Mortarion and the Death Guard for the Space Port… hoping for the arrival of the Ultramarines and Gulliman.

From the book:

The Inner Walls are breached.

Traitor vanguards tear towards the heart of the Palace, sensing victory. Desperate gambits are attempted: an unwilling saint is released into the ruins, as well as an enthusiastic sinner. A black sword rises, forged from spite, ready to create a legend. But amid the slaughter, Jaghatai Khan, Warhawk of Chogoris, prepares to launch the most audacious strike of the conflict. His goal is nothing less than the liberation of the Lion’s Gate space port. Cut off from any help, he stakes everything on one desperate counter-offensive, launched against an old enemy who has been made far greater than he ever was before. As the White Scars ride out against the newly crowned lords of life and death, they know that defeat for them dooms not only the Legion, but Terra itself.

As we approach the end of the end with the Siege of Terra things are definitely hotting up and it’s great to see Chris Wraight return to the White Scars and the battles with Mortarion and his Death Guard.

The Khan is stuck on Terra where he is one of the Primarchs facing the invasion of Horus in the final stages of the Heresy and it is not his natural environment, being trapped behind walls, unable to use the speed of his jetbikes. Eventually he grows tired of defense and goes on the attack… straight towards the Death Guard and the Lion’s Gate Space Port.

This is another great addition to the series, and one I liked a lot – which, considering neither of the chapters hold particular interest for me was down to the good writing and pace. The White Scars are introduced slightly in case you hadn’t seen or read of them before and then it’s quickly into the action – there are still lots of smaller stories whirling around here, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself getting a little lost! I certainly did.

That said, it is a fun addition to the story which slowly moves towards it’s conclusion and Chris Wraight does a good job of bringing in the White Scars, but keeping the underlying story moving as well.

— Declan & Eeyore

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Black Library, Book Reviews, Declan Waters, Games Workshop

Book Review – Mortis

April 15, 2022 Declan and Eeyore Leave a comment

Book 5 The Siege of Terra by John French

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John French returns to the Siege of Terra series having written one book. And this is a big one… Titans come to Terra; and the Dark Mechanicum are here for war.

From the book:

The victories of Saturnine and the sacrifices of the Eternity Wall space port have faded into the hope of yesterday. Denied but not defeated, the Traitors intensify their assault on the Imperial Palace. With the principal space ports in Horus’ hands, the Warmaster now drains the heavens of his reserves.

As the pressure of the assault increases, the power of Chaos waxes. The waking lives of the defenders are filled with despair, while their dreams pull them in search of a false paradise. As the fabric of the defences fails and the will of those who stand on them cracks, Horus commands the Titans of the Legio Mortis to breach the walls. Against them stands the might of Mercury Wall and the strength of the Legio Ignatum. Ancient rivals, the god-engines of both Legions meet in battle, while within the walls a few desperate individuals seek a way to turn back the tide of the warp’s malign influence. Across Terra, lost warriors and travellers make their way through wastelands and gardens of horror, towards home and an unknown future.

Gosh, book 5 already, and the Death Engines of the Mechanicus are unleashed on Terra… but the Dark Mechanicus have embraced chaos and their engines have changed, and they are coming for the walls.

The globe spanning conflict continues as Horus gets closer to the end, and his inevitable conflict with the Emperor of Mankind, and Dorn holds the walls. As with the other books in this series, there are a lot of characters, and storylines and they all entwine to make a story of war which is not only gun shots and death (although it is mostly that!). The Siege of Terra series would certainly be difficult to follow if you didn’t know the overall story but I have missed a lot of the Horus Heresy series and am following the story in Siege of Terra with interest.

Another great addition – but one for the fans only!

— Declan & Eeyore

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Black Library, Book Reviews, Declan Waters, Games Workshop

Book Review – Saturnine

April 8, 2022 Declan and Eeyore Leave a comment

Book 4 The Siege of Terra by Dan Abnett

Welcome to Woehammer – have you noticed the lovely feeling of no adverts (ads), no pop-ups and no auto-playing videos? Well, that’s the norm here at Woehammer.

They couldn’t keep the author of so many Black Library books away and Dan Abnett comes into the Siege of Terra with a tour-de-force very different (but earily similar) to the Gaunt’s Ghosts series.

Black Library – a great example of movement and scale!

From the book:

The Traitor Host of Horus Lupercal tightens its iron grip on the Palace of Terra, and one by one the walls and bastions begin to crumple and collapse. Rogal Dorn, Praetorian of Terra, redoubles his efforts to keep the relentless enemy at bay, but his forces are vastly outnumbered and hopelessly outgunned. Dorn simply cannot defend everything. Any chance of survival now requires sacrifice, but what battles dare he lose so that others can be won? Is there one tactical stroke, one crucial combat, that could turn the tide forever and win the war outright?

Dan Abnett brings his own special writing style to the Siege of Terra series and it is a tour-de-force. The defenders of Terra are trying to delay their defeat, in the hope of rescue from the other loyalist legions, and Dorn is at the head of the defense.

In common with the other books in the series, the Primarchs are incidental in most cases, and the battles are seen through the eyes of Space Marines, humans, and Sisters of Silence. It’s great to have more female representation in warhammer and Abnett succeeds with a truely scary representation of a Sister.

Although not the last book in the series, it is a powerful stand alone book and definitely not a bridge between set pieces – a great read.

— Declan & Eeyore

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Black Library, Book Reviews, Declan Waters, Games Workshop

Book Review – The First Wall

March 25, 2022 Declan and Eeyore 1 Comment

Book 3 The Siege of Terra by Gav Thorpe

Welcome to Woehammer – have you noticed the lovely feeling of no adverts (ads), no pop-ups and no auto-playing videos? Well, that’s the norm here at Woehammer.

It’s Book 3 and of course the reigns had to be passed to Gav Thorpe at some point. A safe, dependably write who seems to really care for the Warhammer 30k story line… and produces cracking books as well.

Black Library – Always Excellant Cover Art

From the book:

The war for the fate of mankind blazes on. Though the outer defences have fallen, the walls of the Palace itself remain inviolate as Rogal Dorn, the Praetorian of Terra himself, uses every known stratagem and ploy to keep Horus’s vast armies at bay. In Perturabo, the Traitor siegebreaker, Dorn faces an adversary worthy of his skill. A terrible, grinding attrition ensues. The crucial battle for the Lion’s Gate space port is at the heart of this conflict. With it in their possession, the Traitors can land their most devastating weapons on Terran soil. Dorn knows it must not fall. But with enemies attacking from all sides, and the stirrings of the Neverborn drawn to the slaughter, can the Imperial defenders possibly prevail?

Gav Thorpe brings characters from Terra and Terra orbit together from Imperial Guardsmen, Rememberancers, Traitors and Primarchs… and knits it all together in a satisfying progression of the story… as the Space Port comes under attack from Perturabo.

Not every novel can include Sanguinius and his Blood Angels, and so this one brings in the battle of the greatest strategists within the Primarchs together in the first for the Lion’s Gate space port. As with other books in the series, Gav Thorpe ensures that he includes ‘normal’ citizen in the form of Imperial Guardsmen and Rememberancers to give us – the simple reader – a change of understanding the super-human conflict which is raging on Terra. And he does a good job of it too.

There are times when the battles stall a little, but it is barely noticable as you quickly dive into another ‘set-piece’ battle as part of the conflict. It’s another great addition to the end of the story!

— Declan & Eeyore

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Black Library, Book Reviews, Declan Waters, Games Workshop

Book Review – Honour Guard

March 18, 2022 Declan and Eeyore 1 Comment

Gaunt’s Ghosts – 4 – By Dan Abnett

Welcome to Woehammer – have you noticed the lovely feeling of no adverts (ads), no pop-ups and no auto-playing videos? Well, that’s the norm here at Woehammer.

Continuing my re-reading of the Dan Abnett series – Gaunts Ghosts – next up is book 4, Honour Guard.

Gaunts Ghosts – Honour Guard – Black Library

‘Commissar Gaunt and his Ghosts are back in the thick of the action in a battle to defend a vital shrine-world. But the vile forces of Chaos will never allow them to hold their prize for long and as the counter-attack rages, Gaunt is sent after the most priceless relic of all: the remains of the ancient saint who first led humanity to these stars.‘

In Honour Guard, Gaunt and his Ghosts are tasked with taking a Holy Sabat city, but given impossible deadlines by the General in charge, they have to capture the city quickly… allowing chaos to blow up the city.

Gaunt is blamed for the failure and given the opportunity for one last mission before command of the Tanith First and Only is taken from him – he must recover the bones of the Saint and evacuate them from the planet before it is left to Chaos.

The Ghosts fight through an enemy who shouldn’t be there, in numbers unexpected whilst trying to reach their goal. Meanwhile some injured Ghosts try to join up with the rest of the Tanith to be with Gaunt for his last mission.

More lasguns, big guns, tanks, transports, and fighting! All with Abnett’s characteristic page turning style. This book is a great addition to the books of the Imperial Guard / Astra Militarum and shows how humans can overcome the seemingly impossible in a far future where there is only war.

Another great novel and a good read.

— Declan & Eeyore

Previous Gaunt’s Ghosts Book Reviews on Woehammer:

First & Only
Ghostmaker
Necropolis

Check out the Woehammer Book Review Archive for more reviews!

Black Library, Book Reviews, Declan Waters, Games Workshop

Book Review – Bossgrot & Fangs of the Rustwood

March 11, 2022 Declan and Eeyore Leave a comment

Short Fiction from Black Library by Eric Gregory & Evan Dicken

Welcome to Woehammer – have you noticed the lovely feeling of no adverts (ads), no pop-ups and no auto-playing videos? Well, that’s the norm here at Woehammer.

I like short fiction, so this week I thought I’d branch out a little and review two of Black Library’s short stories from their previous releases.

Regular readers of Woehammer will know that I love Goblins and Grots and will read almost anything that includes them… so both my short stories this week are about the diminutive little devils.

Bossgrot – by Eric Gregory

This book can be picked up on E-Book from Black Library.

Unfortunately the price point for these stories is high (£1.99) for a story that can be read in an hour… still it lasts slightly longer than a pint of beer!

Gribblak is having a rough time. A disastrous battle against a Khornate horde has robbed his skrap of its morale (not to mention two dozen Fanatics, two troggoths and a gargant called Hurg). Worst of all, when he fled from the blood-soaked ‘umie boss, Gribblak lost his dignity, his pride and the respect of his grots. He needs to get them back, and draw the attention of the Loonking if he is to achieve his goal of being the most powerful bossgrot ever. He needs to do something magnificent – so he leads his skrap against the most heavily defended enemy outpost in all the Loonking’s lands: the famed Glinty Crown. There’s no way his plan can fail…

This is a great first person view into the strange world of the Loonking’s Skrap, and one of his Loonbosses who has a little bad luck in his battles. Having been scared by a ‘umie Big Boss, and accidentally letting his followers know that he wasn’t a boss, Gribblak then pulls an ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ storyline on us to hear what he Grots think of him.

Their diminished opinion brings him to promise to destroy the Glinty Crown… an enemy outpost which has been built in Grot territory.

This story is a great view of the world of the Grots and their fearless (or should that be hapless) leaders. A great introduction into Age of Sigmar Gloomspite Gitz.

Fangs of the Rustwood – by Evan Dicken

Also available from Black Library as an E-book

I picked this up because of the cover, and the Fangs… who doesn’t love a very large Spider.

Kantus Vallo, witch hunter of the Order of Azyr, escorts a caravan of prisoners back to civilisation for trial. Their path takes them through the Rustwood, a great untamed wilderness, menacing and foreboding. Each prisoner is a suspect in the murder of an influential governor – sorcerer, poisoner and guard captain, each has their means and motives. Vallo’s attempts to discover the truth are derailed when the inhabitants of the Rustwood attack. Enemies quickly become allies, but can Vallo truly trust three potential killers?

So there may not be as Gitz in this one, as it does take place with them threatening to kill Vallo, his soldiers and prisoners. As the Grots and their Spiders emerge from the woods and attack with poisoned arrows, spears and fangs (see AoS rules writers… poison! …) and start to kill the guards. Will Vallo be able to keep his prisoners safe and escape the Rustwood?

Whilst this has limited Gitz background it is good to have a view of the Gitz from the humans and to see what they can do from ambush. A fun read, but difficult to justify at the cost.

— Declan

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Black Library, Book Reviews, Declan Waters, Games Workshop

Book Review – Necropolis

February 25, 2022 Declan and Eeyore 3 Comments

Gaunt’s Ghosts – 3 – By Dan Abnett

Welcome to Woehammer – have you noticed the lovely feeling of no adverts (ads), no pop-ups and no auto-playing videos? Well, that’s the norm here at Woehammer.

I read Gaunts Ghost’s on their first release, but lost track of the books after a while. When Black Library offered the first trilogy on ebook at a discount I picked them up and have started to re-read them. You can read my review of the first book First and Only here; and the second Ghostmaker here.

The last book of the opening trilogy is Necropolis:

On the world of Verghast, a grinding war between two hive cities – one loyal to the Imperium, the other fallen to the worship of the Dark Gods – is bolstered by the forces of the Astra Militarum, spearheaded by the Colonel-Commissar Gaunt and the Tanith First and Only. But bitter rivalries and treachery threaten to derail the defence of Vervunhive, and it falls to Gaunt to take command of the Imperial forces and forge victory from an almost certain defeat.

Necropolis is the third book in the Gaunt’s Ghosts series and it is getting closer and closer to being Sharpe in Space…! Or at least Sharpe does Warhammer. Whilst the first two books were essentially collections of short-stories about the Ghosts this is the first story about one battlefield from beginning to end.

Vervunhive is under attack from a neighbouring hive and the Warmaster has sent a few Imperial Guard regiments to shore up the defenses – but Gaunt and his fellow commanders are about to find that there is something more troubling is behind the attack – and that the defenders are not all fully invested in ensuring Vervunhive stands.

Abnett keeps all the action clear despite dotting around about the various combat zones. He also brings short vignettes of soldiers and hivers fighting and dying for minimal gains – or none at all. The Gaunt’s Ghosts novels are beginning to show the randomness of combat in the 41st millenium and the cruelty of it, the Imperium and the luck (or lack of it) that dogs the Ghosts.

Another great novel and a good read.

— Declan & Eeyore

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