The Man who Never was

Red Tithe by Robbie MacNiven My rating: 4 of 5 stars Going into this story after reading about the unique lore of the Carcharodon Astra chapter, I had a lot of expectations. Especially after reading about Tyberos the Red wake, who's a veritable beast, even when compared to your standard space marine. After reading it, those expectations were, may be 70-75% met you could say. The space sharks are a chapter whose founding is shrouded in mystery. A fleet-based chapter, they've been wandering the far fringes of the imperium for the past 10000 years, exiled for reasons unknown. There, they wage a silent never-ending war, against the horrors and threats which hide in the shadows, threatening to consume the Imperium. Based on their age, as well as the parts about them being exiled, my head cannon is that they might be the remnants of the legion belonging to one of the lost primarchs. Whatever the offenses of them or their gene father might be, they were condemned ...

For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell My rating: 5 of 5 stars Caiphas Cain, Commissar and hero of the Imperium, is basically the 40k version of Tanya Degurechaff from The Saga of Tanya the Evil, Vol. 1: Deus lo Vult . if you haven't read that book yet, why haven't you? Go and read that right now. A simple descriptor of that story is a middle-aged man reincarnated as a young girl, becomes a conscripted child soldier in an alternate history pre-WWI era Imperial Prussia, with mages acting like aerial weapons. Where she uses her knowledge of real-world military history, as well as her considerable intellect, to commit war crimes which technically are compliant to the Geneva convention. Intrigued? Go read it. Caiphas Cain is much like Tanya, in the sense that, the last thing he wants to do, is to be in the frontlines fighting a war. Or facing down heretics, Xenos or chaos. Unfortunately for him, he happened to be form in the world of 40k, where according to ...

Death World by Steve Lyons My rating: 4 of 5 stars Imagine a group of soldiers, facing the predator. Now imagine, that every person in that group, is an 80s action movie protagonist, dripping with manliness, swag and regularly give one another, epic handshake like Dutch and Dillon from predator. Now Imagine, instead of a single predator, it's a planet full of predators. Now Imagine, if the entire fracking planet is the predator, and is trying to deal with these pesky creatures on it, like you would deal with mosquitoes irritating your skin. That would give you a near idea as to what you can expect from the novel Death World, by Steve Lyons. If features a mission embarked upon by the legendary members of the Catachan Jungle fighters. As they come across a planet designated as a 'death world'. In case anyone was wondering what that designation meant, it's quite literal and mentioned at the beginning. A little context on these guys. Thes...

Daemonifuge by Kev Walker My rating: 4 of 5 stars Rating 4 out of 5| Grade: B+; Nuns with guns, in Space! The Adepta Sororitas, or the Sisters of Battle always had a special place in my cold dead mechanical necron heart. There is something so mesmerizing about Nuns in space unloading a truck load of lead onto the heretic, mutant & xenos in one hand, and on the other hand preach the holy word of the Emperor so that you may reach salvation that only his divine grace may bring forth. Plus there are a slap in the face of anyone who says that nerds only like female characters in scantily clad 'boob armor'. The Sororitas are an insult to such comments. I mean, look at them, clad in armament & swagger. They are the freaking emperor's favorite daughters. Plus, plus, there are much needed inclusion in the sausage fest that is the Imperial roster, filled with Astartes, Mechanicus & the Imperial guard. I mean, the Aeldari & Drukh...

Damnation Crusade by Dan Abnett My rating: 5 of 5 stars Rating 5 out of 5 |Grade: A; For the Emperuh, Hell Yeah! After reading a slew of sub-par 40K graphic novels, with at best, passable art style and story, Damnation Crusade was a much needed breath of fresh air. Then again, what else can you expect from the mind that penned, Horus Rising & Eisenhorn . Damnation Crusade, follows the centuries old journey of a Black templar Space marine Raclaw, from the time he was first recruited from his war torn home world (which world isn't in 40K), to being a prospective aspirant, to a rookie neophyte, a war hardened battle brother, to the highest honor in the chapter, being entombed in an Imperial dreadnaught christened Tankred, called to serve in times of dire need. Now here's the thing you need to know about Imperial Dreadnought. They are perhaps the single most important, valuable and venerated war resource for their respective chapters. Not on...

Mont'ka by Games Workshop My rating: 3 of 5 stars During the second Damocles Crusade, the Imperium sends a punitive force, composed of the elements of the astra militarum, adeptus mechanicus, imperial navy to the former Imperial world of Agrellan. Supplementing them are the space marines from the Raven Guard & White Scars chapter, as well as Imperial Knights of House Terryn. Their objective, retake the now Tau dominated world of Macgulath, which serves as a key supply point for their sphere of expansion. Arrayed against them are the forces of the Tau empire, led by Commander Shadowsun, as well as Aun' va the Ethereal supreme. Also making an entrance is the surprise assistance from the renegade Commander Farsight as well as the forces of the Farsight enclave. The former hero of Tau, may not hold the leadership in high regards, but still regards himself as a loyal soldier of the Tau race. Right out of the gates, we are treated to a mass m...

Will of Iron: Warhammer 40,000, Vol. 1 by George Mann My rating: 3 of 5 stars Rating 3 out of 5 | Grade: D+; Solve all problems by throwing a (view spoiler) [f**king meteor at it (hide spoiler) ] (view spoiler) [ (hide spoiler) ] The Story Will of Iron, focuses on the Chapter of Dark Angels, who have come across the Calaphrax Cluster, which, after a thousand year warp storm, have opened up to travel. Now, the former first legion successors must make contact with the lost humans planets in the sector to bring them into the Imperial fold. Shadowing them, literally shadowing them without their knowledge is Inquisitor Sabbathiel & his clandestine group of operatives, with their own agenda differing from the main objective. Now here is what you should know about Inquisitors. Unless you are someone who is named Eisenhorn , as an Inquisitor, you almost always screw things up. You are a paranoid, distrusting, self important elitist, who gene...

Deff Skwadron by Gordon Rennie My rating: 3 of 5 stars If you ask anyone who plays the Warhammer 40k board game, they would agree, that out of all the different Xeno factions in the Grimdark future, one of the most balls to the walls crazy enjoyable to play as are the Orks. Due to their sheer randomness and unpredictability, there is really no telling how the next move will end up doing. Wiping out half of your own squad due to a bad roll, or dropping a freaking orc roc on the unsuspecting opposition, there is never a boring day while playing as orks. Now, I haven't played a single 40K board game as of late, (Damn you, for being born in a desert with no fandom or peer groups to spread the good word of the God Emperor!), but I consider myself somewhat of an lore junkie. But I digress. We're here to talk about a whole bunch of dakka dakka . On which the story delivers. Set in a turf battle between two rival ork warbands, the story focuses on the exploits...