Book Review // Shadows of Treachery
It seems like we are in the season of anthologies when it comes to Horus Heresy. Shadows of Treachery is a collection of short stories by multiple authors and novel number 22 in the series. Let's first check out the official write-up of the book.
Title: Shadows of Treachery
Author: Multiple by edited by Christian Dunn and Nick Kyme
Format: Kindle - Mass Paperback is hard to find or just stupidly expensive (Kindle Amazon Link)
Page Count: 322 Pages
Fluff: From the battlefields of Phall and Isstvan to the haunted shadows of Terra itself – the greatest war in the history of mankind rages on. While the traitor Legions continue their campaign of terror across the galaxy, preparations are made for the defence of the Imperial Palace and the final, inevitable reckoning that must yet come between Horus and the Emperor...
About the book
This anthology spans Horus Heresy, with short stories from Dan Abnett, Graham McNeill and Gav Thorpe, and two new novella-length tales. Learn the fate of Rogal Dorn’s fleet originally sent to Isstvan III in ‘The Crimson Fist’ by John French, and descend deeper into the darkness of the Night Lords Legion in ‘Prince of Crows’ by Aaron Dembski-Bowden.
Review
There are seven titles in total, and I even recognize a couple. A few titles I have read before or, in some cases, listened to on audible, like The Lighting Tower for example. But overall, these are seven solid stories and some entertaining reads. I will review each story separately and even drop in some stunning cover art from them as well. Enjoy!
The Crimson Fist - John French
It's a fantastic opening story. It follows the retribution fleet of the Imperial Fists, led by Alexis Polux. The fleet is becalmed in the Phall system and ambushed by the Iron Warriors, leading to some fantastic combat action scenes. The twist is heartbreaking, and being torn by duty and honour seems to cut Alexis deep. It's a tremendous start to the book. And it's worth the cover price alone.
The Dark King - Graham McNeill
It's a Night Lords classic. This story and the Lighting Tower are some OG stories from before the Horus Heresy series was written (I believe). It shows Curze as the complex and broken character that he is. Wracked by his visions of the future, Curze attacks Dorn in a brother-on-brother battle that is hugely atmospheric and helps move the lore along. It is completely captivating.
The Lightning Tower - Dan Abnett
We follow Dorn as he deals with the realization that he will have to pull down his father's work and rebuild the palace into a fortress—a tale of deep dread and foreboding. If I remember correctly, this was written in 2007 and is a GW author's first step into the heresy. It's hard to believe Dorn is still waiting on Terra for the end.
The Kaban Project - Graham McNeill
It is an Adeptus Mechanicus tale and a long overdue one. The Kaban Machine is a banned A.I. unit made real. When the threat is discovered by a low-level adept, he attempts to flee the forges and warn the allies of the Emperor. But who can he trust? It's a great story and some fantastic characters and locations.
Raven's Flight - Gav Thorpe
Comically, this is set before Deliverance Lost, a novel we have already passed in the reading order. The story explains why the rescue team disobeyed Corax's orders and headed off to Isstvan to save their Primarch. It seems like it would have been a great story if it had been read in the correct order; here, it feels disjointed, sadly. This really should have been in Deliverance Lost.
Death of a Silversmith - Graham McNeill
A tremendous foreboding tale. We follow a silversmith, plucked from Terra at the request of Malcador, to join the crusade fleets alongside the Luna Wolves. Master of dying art, he proves popular among the space marines and is tasked with creating two works. The first is a set of rings, each showing a moon at different cycles for the Mournival, and the second is a crude set of coins embossed with a wolf’s head. The story is written with the power of hindsight, and foretells what will happen in the coming Heresy to follow. A very well-written story and great lore.
Prince of Crows - Aaron Dembski-Bowden
Aaron Dembski-Bowden is the master storyteller of the Night Lords. The story leads to The Long Night Tale (review coming soon). The lead is Sevatar, the first captain of the Night Lords. The Dark Angels have just defeated the Night Lords, and their Primarch lies dying in the medbay, leaving them leaderless and alone in the darkness. As the surviving Captains plan revenge and go out in a blaze of glory, one amongst them rises to take charge (Sevatar enters the chat, haha), and no one can stand in his path and survive. It is a beautiful story that ultimately leads to Sevatar's capture and imprisonment, but this character is so amazing that I need more stories about him..please Black Library! Once again, this is another stunning piece that is well worth reading. I do wish the Nightlords had longer stories in the series.
And with that, the stories are complete. This is a true highlight novel and well worth the cover price. I highly recommend this book. Standout reads Prince of Crows, The Crimson Fist and the Kaban Project.
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