Warhammer: Raiders of the Realms Short Stories

Black Library released five digital short stories set in their Warhammer fantasy universe last month. They were available as part of their Raiders of the Realms eShort Subscription Week which offered all five stories for the price of four. I wasn’t sure if I’d be interested in them based on their descriptions alone, but after reading a review online I decided to go for it and I’m glad I did.

Slinktalon by Robbie MacNiven 

Things don’t go as planned after Skaven (rat-like creatures of the Warhammer universe) assassins are hired to take out a mark. Clear action with interesting twists and turns. 

Rating: 3.5/5

Conn Crowhand’s Last Oath by Graham Wilcox

Two Darkoath warriors are faced with difficult decisions regarding loyalty and oaths when their chieftain sends them on a mission to root out those he perceives as disloyal. A page turner of a story with fascinating characters and some noir-like prose that really grabbed me. 

Rating: 5/5

Reclaimed Honor by Jacob Peppers 

Gideon Vell, a disgraced Freeguild member, now demoted to Wildercorp Hunter, joins a group of soldiers investigating a mysterious death in the wilderness. I enjoyed the frontier setting, Gideon and his tragic past was an interesting character, and the story was suspenseful with an action filled finale.

Rating 4.5/5

Vipers of the Marsh by Bryce Mainville 

Cousins Mathais and Jakk join a squad of Wildercorps Hunters on a mission into a swamp. Trouble ensues. I’m not a fan of the villains in this, the Warhammer version of orcs called orruks with group names like Kruleboyz and Gutrippaz. Those names and their spellings pulled me out of the story every time I read them. On the other hand, the author did a great job of bringing the dangerous marshland to life and had me rooting for the cousins. 

Rating: 4/5

This Rough Beast by Graham Wilcox 

The vampire knight Marcuccio and his wolf companion are part of a group of vampire knights searching for The Black Chalice. After they attack a group of duardin warriors (dwarves of the Warhammer universe) they find that they have bitten off more than they can chew. As in Wilcox’s previous story, oaths and honor come into play. Loved the characters, action scenes, prose, use of vocabulary, and where the story leads. If you’re a fan of Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, and Clark Ashton Smith, you’re probably going to like this story. 

Rating 5/5

Not a bad story in the bunch. I enjoyed them all, especially the two by Graham Wilcox. The subscription deal is over, but the stories are available individually on the Black Library website as well as on Amazon and Kobo.

Brothers of the Snake by Dan Abnett

Brothers of the Snake (Black Library, 2007) follows Priad of Damocles Squad as he rises through the ranks of a Space Marine chapter known as the Iron Snakes of Ithaka. Each chapter is basically a short story or novelette about Priad and his brothers in arms fighting against aliens and other agents of Chaos in the Warhammer 40K universe. Some good character development in between the action, and I liked the use of Greek and pseudo-Greek names which brought to mind Greek mythology. The final chapter, the longest in the book, had an epic feel to it and I liked how it tied into the first story. I really enjoyed how I learned more about the characters and their world as each story progressed, something I see in the sword & sorcery genre but not often in other genres. 

Part One: Grey Dawn - Undertaking to Baal Solock 

After something crash lands on their planet, the inhabitants reach out to the legendary Iron Snakes, who have not been needed for 600 years. When help arrives it’s not what they were expecting. As a reader new to Warhammer, I liked how we follow from the perspective of people who don’t know much about these legendary warriors. A suspenseful start that held my attention, which moved to gradual revelations and an explosive finale. 

Rating: 5/5

Part Two: Black Gold - Undertaking to Rosetta 

Damocles Squad is sent to a planet to liberate an oil refinery from invaders. A straightforward and well done “men on a mission” and “things don’t go as planned” story with lots of action. 

Rating: 4/5

Part Three: White Heat - Undertaking to Eidon 

Chapter Librarian Petrok is introduced as he joins Damocles Squad during a mission to retake a city from the Dark Eldar. It’s an okay “men on a mission” story but I didn’t get a handle on Petrok or his role as Chapter Librarian. 

Rating: 3/5

Part Four: Red Rain - Undertaking to Ceres 

Four squads of Iron Snakes investigate towns that may have been taken over by Chaos forces on the agricultural world of Ceres. I enjoyed the build-up of tension and the creepy folk horror-like atmosphere.

Rating: 4/5

Part Five: Crimson Wake - Ithaka 

The squad returns to their home planet to honor team members lost in battle and to decide on replacements. Priad investigates when one of his choices is refused. An excellent “between missions” story with some great world building. I loved getting to see Ithaka up close after hearing about it in the previous stories.

Rating: 5/5

Part Six: Blue Blood - Undertaking to Iorgu 

The squad is sent to a planet as emissary guards for the coronation of a new king. Priad is disappointed about being sent on a non-combat mission but then Chaos ensues. I liked the fast pace and the introduction of the mysterious Inquisitor, a kind of intelligence agent in the Warhammer 40K universe.

Rating: 4/5

Part Seven: Green Skin - Undertaking to Ganadarak 

The longest story in the book brings more character development, more world building, and adds conflict within the squad. The story then moves on to an epic battle with the realization that brawn and force of arms alone isn’t always enough to lead to victory in battle. There are so many things I liked about this novella, including the reintroduction of Chapter Librarian Petrok, as I got a much better handle on his character this time, how the story eventually ties into the first story, and how the conflict within the squad was eventually resolved.  

Rating: 5/5

This was my second Warhammer 40K read and I found it to be a fantastic introduction to the 40K universe. Looking forward to reading more.