Tag: Warhammer

Cold Open Stories – July 2020 Fast Fiction Collection: ‘Everyone Can See It’ – Quick Review

“…another outstanding collection of Warhammer 40,000 fast fiction stories released by Cold Open Stories, all of them providing ample proof of just how vital the website and its team is to the Warhammer fan community as a whole. Without its existence, none of these fine authors would have had the chance to showcase their undoubted talents and innate understanding of the grimdark scifi setting, nor would the community have had a chance to enjoy their stories while visiting such a slick and well-constructed website…”

Cold Open Stories – Spring 2020 Unofficial Warhammer 40,000 Short Fiction Anthology – Review

“The fate of Cold Open Stories may be uncertain at the moment, and it may well be possible that the website has to close permanently, or at the very least for quite some time. Yet if that is so, then at least Colyn and the dedicated team of volunteers can take heart in their final publications being some of the best stories that Cold Open Stories have ever published. They have curated some truly original, engaging and deeply captivating stories that have demonstrated an innate understanding of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and done tremendous work to rehabilitate the reputation of fan fiction – both specifically to the Warhammer 40,000 setting, and in general as well.”

Inferno! Volume 2 – Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells (ed.) – Review

“Inferno! Volume 2 once again demonstrates the great strides that Black Library have taken to get to where they are currently as a publisher, with the vast increase in quality that can be seen in the stories published in the anthology firm evidence that the publisher has moved on from the dark days in the mid-2010s. A deft mixture of veteran authors and new talent – including such up and coming greats as Thomas Parrott, Jamie Crisalli and J.C. Stearns – bring to life a number of fantastic, action-packed and highly atmospheric stories that take place in the Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar settings….”

Gloomspite – Andy Clark – Review

“Populated with engaging, multi-faceted characters who walk off the page and into your head (and heart), and set in Draconium, a fascinating city with a compelling backstory that deserves further expansion, Gloomspite is one of the most accomplished and polished Warhammer novels I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I near-obsessively read it over the course of a few days, finishing it far quicker than most of the scifi or horror titles I’ve read this year, and it deserves – no, demands – to be read by anyone even vaguely interested in Age of Sigmar, or Warhammer in general.”

Black Library Celebration 2020 Anthology – Review

“Another triumph for Black Library, the Black Library Celebration 2020 Anthology is a collection of top-notch stories that demonstrate just how varied and colourful the Warhammer settings have become, and how the publisher has adapted in the past few years to create new imprints to explore those settings. The anthology acts as an excellent introduction to the settings, as I’m sure was intended, moving between Warhammer 40,000, Necromunda, Age of Sigmar, the Horus Heresy and the new Warhammer Horror Imprint. But just as importantly, it functions as a showcase to demonstrate the wide breadth of talented authors commissioned by Black Library…”

Loyal to the End (Thomas Parrott) & War in the Museum (Robert Rath) – Quick Review

“With Loyal to the End and War in the Museum, Parrott and Rath have written two intelligent, thought-provoking and action-packed tales that examine aspects of the Warhammer 40,000 setting that still haven’t really been explored in fiction published by Black Library until now. I thoroughly enjoyed both stories, and am delighted that both authors will have the opportunity to demonstrate their obvious skills as authors later this year, when both men have their first novels published by Black Library.”

Inferno! Volume 4 -Richard Garton (ed.) – Review

“Black Library continues to impress with the Inferno! volumes, with Volume 4 being the best so far – filled with engaging, action-packed and often thought-provoking stories that that take the most interesting elements, settings and factions in all of the Warhammer worlds, and use them to tell original stories that stay with you long after finishing the anthology. It’s all pure, undiluted Warhammer in a deeply refreshing way, and I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on the next volume.”

Black Library Celebration 2019 Anthology – Review

“The Black Library Celebration 2019 Anthology really is a marvellous little collection, gathering together some of the best authors published by Black Library, with each providing complex, multi-layered and action-packed stories that effectively demonstrate just how varied the different Warhammer settings can be. Whether you’re a fan of Age of Sigmar, the Horus Heresy or Warhammer 40,000, you’ll find stories to engage and enthral you, and this collection absolutely deserves to be read by anyone interested in Warhammer as a whole.”

The Test of Faith – Thomas Parrott – Quick Review

“Once again I’m deeply impressed by Thomas Parrott and his Warhammer 40,000 fiction. The Test of Faith demonstrates once again his intuitive understanding of the setting, and an ability to create an immersive, engaging and action-packed story that also has some great characters in it. He really nails the Dark Angels as a Chapter, giving them a depth and dimension that some writers have failed to imbue them with, and the nature of the story’s revelation is a grimly fascinating one that I’d like to see expanded upon in a future story.”

Flame and Damnation (Anthology) – Review

“It’s a real shame that Flame and  Damnation has disappeared from view and can only be found through careful navigation of the Black Library website, because it’s a brilliant set of short stories that really do justice to the concept of the Legion of the Damned, fleshing them out as a faction (pun intended) and providing some deeper insights into how and why they operate”

Born of the Storm & Last Flight – Edoardo Albert – Quick Reviews

“Taken together, Born of the Storm & Last Flight are an indication of just how skilled a writer Edoardo Albert is, able to compose two thrilling, engaging and memorable stories set in two very different aspects of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Taken alongside his excellent novella Lords of the Storm, all three act as clear evidence that Albert is one of the best authors in the latest Black Library cohort, easily ranking alongside fellow newcomers like Thomas Parrott and Danie Ware, as well as veterans like Reynolds, Wraight and and Annandale. I hope to see more stories from him in the future, and fervently hope that this includes novels as well as short stories.”

Cold Open Stories – Winter 2020 Unofficial Warhammer 40,000 Short Fiction Anthology – Quick Review

“All of the stories to be found in the Winter 2020 Unofficial Warhammer 40,000 Short Fiction Anthology have been written with passion and dedication, and an inherent knowledge of canon which are a credit to their authors. While some of them required further work in terms of proofreading and copy-editing, several really stood out from the rest of the entries in the anthology as worthy of specific praise, most notably New Moon by Daniel Summerbell. However, it isn’t just the authors who deserve credit – it should equally go to Cold Open Stories, who have provided a slick, professional and easy to use platform to view these stories on.”

Inferno! Volume 1 – Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells (Ed.) – Review

“Editor Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells has done a superb job in gathering together a disparate yet highly skilled set of writers for Inferno! Volume 1, ensuring that the collection is packed full of stories that both inherently understand the various Warhammer settings they take place in, but also engage with the source material in ways that the short stories contained within the previous Inferno! magazines would never have done. Each story is a masterpiece, carefully written and considered, and the entire anthology is a genuine triumph that deserves – indeed, requires – to be on the bookshelf of any discerning fan of Black Library fiction, or anyone interested in learning more about the background and lore of Games Workshop’s many universes.”