Adrian Collins's Blog, page 47

REVIEW: The One Hand #4

In The One Hand #4, a crime noir series that has no peer in the field at the moment, battered Detective Ari Nassar’s hunt for the serial killer continues apace.  Along the way, we, the audience, are tantalised with the prospect that at last, we will begin to find answers to who the killer is, and why they have embarked on their course of mayhem and slaughter.

Myth, psychology, language, memory.  The One Hand #4 takes the reader by the hand, leads them into a maze, then leaves them to find their way out.  Whether they do or not doesn’t really matter.  As is ever with this marvellous series, it is the journey that counts most of all.  Comprehension comes a distant second.

Of course, The One Hand #4 tantalises, but like the mythic character, that’s all we are offered – glimpses of who and why the killer has embarked on their killing spree again.  And that’s fine – indeed, that’s part of the allure of what writer Ram V, and artist Laurence Campbell, have created with this series.  Because I have a sneaking suspicion that if and when we find out who the killer is, and what their motives are, it won’t be as satisfying as the frankly sensational build up in the series so far.  But I would be more than happy to be proven wrong.

All that said, some of the veil separating the readership from the mystery is partially pulled away, but even then, Ram V simply adds more mystery to the mystery.  Is Ari hearing voices in the hospital ward?  Are there really two people behind the wall discussing the case?  And why do we see more and more instances of the writing the murder leaves behind at each scene of the crime replicated around the city Ari polices?  Is there something in what femme fatale Helene says about being haunted by a memory that isn’t real?  And what to make of the mixture of advanced science in what is ostensibly a 1970s New York City?

All these tantalising mysteries, mixed in with Campbell’s artwork, elevate The One Hand #4 from simply being a story about the hunt for a serial killer, into a real work of art that engages not just the gut emotions, but also theories about the nature of life, philosophy and what it is to be human.  Ram V has evoked not only the essentials of noir fiction – the sense of hopelessness the little guy feels against the vast, impersonal forces arrayed against them – but yokes them to a compelling story that inserts itself under the reader’s skin, and then goes for broke in burrowing ever deeper.  I’ve never really read anything like it, and lament the day the series comes to an end.

In summation, The One Hand #4 is a fantastic read.  If you just want to follow the mystery, then the writer and artist have created a world in which you can step into, and only escape with the greatest of difficulty.  But where The One Hand #4 stands out is that it isn’t simply a mystery, but an excursion into the mystery of human existence, and an even deeper examination of myth and memory.  Come for the mayhem, stay for the thoughtfulness that this series gently simmers in.

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REVIEW: Slave Ring by Tim Dedopulos

Warning – This review of the novel about vampires and slavery will touch on slavery and sexual assault.

Slave Ring by Tim Dedopulos is the first book of the Clan Novel Trilogy: Brujah series. This is one of three trilogies that serve as loose sequels to the CLAN Novel series from 1999. These were the last books to be released before the Time of Judgement series ended the Old World of Darkness until its reboot. The series stars Theo Bell, archon of the Camarilla, and the setting’s rough equivalent to Blade.

The premise for this volume is Theo Bell has been assigned to a seemingly routine mission in Minneapolis: eliminate a rogue vampire guilty of several murders. During the process, he encounters a desperate father out to rescue his twin teenage daughters by any means necessary. Theo Bell finds himself fangs depe in a conspiracy to traffic human beings across the glove to Kindred masters.

I have a few issues with this premise, such as the fact that I’m pretty sure that vampires are almost axiomatically involved in human trafficking via ghouls or for blood. Indeed, one of the earliest adventure hooks for the original Forged in Steel setting was the player characters having to stop it in Gary, Indiana. Even so, I accept that Theo Bell is the sort of vampire who would want to stop it if he could.

Theo proceeds to rescue one of the twins from the slavers but not before they end up Embraced as a member of Clan Brujah themselves. A naive newcomer sidekick is a fairly effective means of humanizing a cold-blooded butt kicker like Theo as Wolverine and Kitty Pryde or Joel and Ellie prove. Delphine is new to the vampire business and Theo ends up serving as her substitute sire while he tries to negotiate for her survival despite her Embrace being a violation of the Traditions.

There’s a lot to like in this book and part of why it works is Theo is capable of great evil but he’s mostly an honorable decent man that has forgotten how to be such. Despite its incredibly dark subject matter, it is considerably lighter than a lot of Vampire: The Masquerade books and it is very easy to root for Theo Bell given the people he’s up against. The book also benefits from the flashbacks to Theo dealing with his time in the British Empire, which is much more interesting to examine than his time among the Proto-Confederacy.

Most of the book is about Theo and Delphine with the other vampire characters being somewhat stock versions of the same sorts of characters we’ve seen for many years prior. The scheming Tremere Primogen, the aloof but corrupt Prince, and the establishment figures who don’t care about Theo’s current case. That doesn’t mean they’re not entertaining, though, and there’s quite a few places where the story goes in odd directions. Like when Theo’s attack on a slaver base is interrupted by a grieving father with a bunch of C4.

There are some very unfortunate bits in the book like the fact Theo undergoes sexual assault from a woman who doesn’t take no for an answer and can have him killed in the 19th century. Also, allusions to the kind of treatment that human trafficking victims suffer to break their spirits. This is, however, just TAKEN with vampires and I am all there for that. It is a solid and entertaining book and I’m interested in picking up the remaining volumes of the series.

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REVIEW: Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward

A stand-alone novel set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward is everything you want from a 40k universe novel. It’s war on an epic scale, the odds are against the protagonists at every step, the action is non-stop and breathtaking, the history is hinted at and insinuated and meaningful without getting in the way, and you care about what happens to the characters very quickly and very deeply.

Major Wulf Khan and 905th Night Shrikes are on Lazulai, a dying Imperial planet where thousands of Cadians and Catachans are being fed into the meat grinder of war against the Tyranids … and they are losing. The planet is dying and taking them all with it. The world is being consumed by the Great Devourer, and all hope is lost, until word reaches Imperial forces of a weapon that could turn the tide not just for Lazulai, but for the galaxy.

Khan sacrifices almost everything to lead a small crack squad across the squalid, decomposing landscape, amidst swarms untold thousands strong, to find a lost Machanicus Magos and the ancient weapon he’s been studying. A cunning and brutal leader, Khan takes a heavy flamer trooper, a sniper, her sergeant, a Mechanicus Magos, and the last survivor of a fallen bastion into the Tyranid forests in the hope of finding the ultimate weapon against the swarm.

Hayward has delivered an almost perfect Astra Militarium novel. You want that Tanith First and Only feeling again? Pick this book up. In such a short space of time Hayward gets you neck deep in so many themes of the 40k universe that it’s just a joy to keep turning the pages. My favourite was the author’s focus on the assumptions made about people from other worlds within the Imperium, and the breaking down of barriers. For me, this landed amazingly and added a real humanism to the story–everything from planetism (I’m coining this term), to finding comradeship through shared adversity, to self sacrifice. The character communication which drove this character engagement so easily could have turned into banal footsoldier banter that you read in so many military fantasies, but Deathworlder had depth and meaning, and, in the right moments, true impact due to Hayward’s investment in the characters and their differences.

The world of Lazulai’s decomposing and digesting nature was beautifully and sickeningly written, and the progression of the planet’s landscape and atmosphere as the Tyranid forces began to pull the nutrients of the planet into low orbit so they could move onto the next world was wonderfully imagined. I really enjoyed this aspect, and with other stories like Richard Swan’s Lamenters sort fictions hitting the stands, showcases Black Library’s current theme of human versus overwhelming organic machine that I am just loving at the moment.

Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward is a wonderful read that I absolutely motored through. If there was a list of stand-alone novels you should read if you’re just starting out in Warhammer 40,000, this book should be on it.

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REVIEW: Daughter of Calamity by Rosalie M. Lin

Rosalie M. Lin’s debut, Daughter of Calamity is set in the glittering world of Shanghai in the 1920s. A cultural melting pot thanks to the influence of colonialism, the Jazz Age seems to have taken root in China. The setting is enjoying a burst in popularity, notably in Chloe Gong’s These Violent Delights. And just like Gong, Lin picks up on these cultural tensions, on a world where nothing is quite like it was only a few years earlier. Both these stories grow out of organised crime – but that is where the similarities end. Lin’s Daughter of Calamity follows Jingwen, a dancer in one of the night clubs, as she is drawn into the family business, as one might say.

Jingwen’s story is one of self-determination more than oriented towards romance – and full of calculation and manipulation. It is dark just as much as it is glittering with the gold brought in by the setting. Girls, dancers, are losing bits of themselves. Jingwen is there when Huahua, one of her fellow dancers, is suddenly found without her lips. Only to see those precise lips on a white woman shortly after. Jingwen’s grandmother is a healer of sorts. One bound to the will of Wang Daojun, the leader of the Society of the Blue Dawn – who are colloquially known as “silverhands” due to their magical prosthetics. A reader may wonder if the two things are linked.

The central thread running through Daughter of Calamity is that power corrupts. No one who grows powerful is able to remain objectively good. Just as much as the players exploit power, power exploits them. Jingwen becomes her grandmother’s apprentice to bring her down – and Wang Daojun with her. She is motivated both intrinsically and externally. The Society of the Blue Dawn is just one of the many players in Shanghai’s underbelly. While they certainly take a prominent position within the story, it is always clear that they are just one part of a large web. Ultimately, it doesn’t make much of a difference who holds the power. They are all flavours of the same corruption trying to cement their position and willing to wager everything.

Daughter of Calamity is a dark and captivating tale. I loved reading a story focused on the moral ambiguity of its characters rather than romance. While there is a romantic element to it, it takes a back seat to the power dynamics examined. Jingwen is given space to discover herself. The story is pensive even while it is racing through dramatic events – and utterly enthralling. Daughter of Calamity is a different book to the one I thought I was going into, subverting expectations and eschewing simple expectations. It is a shimmering jewel of a debut and I look forward to reading more of Lin’s work.

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REVIEW: Monstrum by Lottie Mills

Lottie Mills’ debut collection Monstrum is mind blowing. As the title hints, these stories explore what is monstrous, why we perceive someone as other. The collection is an open letter to society advocating for a re-examination of deeply entrenched expectations. Each story is haunting, thought-provoking and beautiful. And every single one is strong in its own right, unique but connected through an overarching theme of disability and the monstrous – because being different doesn’t mean worse or bad. Monstrum is on the very literary end of genre fiction, but worth the reader’s effort. Their appeal to a grimdark audience is clear in the stories’ examination of monstrosity, though it should be noted that Monstrum isn’t for every reader. While all of the stories in this collection are brilliant, I have picked out those that resonated especially well with me for further discussion.

One of the stories that stuck with me most is “The Mirror”, where a young girl does the shopping for her supposedly monstrous mistress. Through small acts of kindness, she forges a relationship and throws any notion of monstrosity out the window. There is a sapphic element to it too, and a bittersweet ending. I was very impressed with how it dares to eschew the obvious ending – and how it manages to use the mirror theme as a cornerstone of the story.

In 2020, Lottie Mills won the BBC Young Writers’ Award award for the opening story of this collection. “The Changeling” sticks with the reader long after they finish. It’s a slow, atmospheric story about physical change and deformity, about the expectations of normalcy. Mills’ clean prose and evocative writing stands out, as does her ability to take her time. At the centre of each story is a person, and they themselves are the point of the story. There is little convoluted plot, instead leaving the stories space to breathe freely. There is no rush as Monstrum as a whole aims to get the reader to think about its themes rather than focusing on quick wins.

The story “The Body” has a particularly polemic approach to disability. It is set in a world where you can apply (and pay) to receive a new body, a “whole” one. The main character in this story, however, finds it hard to let go of her old self. She struggles to cope with the physical changes that come with a non-disabled body – it is particularly jarring when she uses her old wheelchair for plot reasons. Her “whole” body no longer has the muscle memory her original one had, so she is forced to relearn much of what was second nature. I found it impressive how Lottie Mills doesn’t ever take the easy way out. I imagine all of us who have had brushes with disability have fantasised about having a new body that is “normal” – I know I certainly have. In “The Body”, Mills examines how it’s not an easy solution but what struggles it brings with it. The main character is confronted with the sentiment of “of course you did” when others find out about her original body, which further illustrates the complex relationship she has with her disabled body.

These are just a few of the stories included in Monstrum. It is an impressive debut collection and shows Mills’ infinite potential as a writer. I can’t wait to read more of her work and see her grow into an even stronger writer. I particularly recommend these rather literary stories to readers who have enjoyed John Wiswell or Lee Mandelo, who love the slow, atmospheric examination of what is monstrous – or maybe just different.

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REVIEW: When the Blood Has Dried #3 by Gary Moloney (W) and Daniel Romero (A)

If the first two issues of When the Blood Has Dried were setting up the initial plot of the story, issue 3 is where things start to really escalate. Maebh, our hero and owner of a tavern that’s threatened to be swallowed up by the intimidating Darius and the mysterious Adventurer’s Guild, is backed into a corner when Darius – and by extension Boru, the Gaffer’s son – try to sell the land connected to the tavern to the Guild. Darius’s call for a test of skill puts Maebh in a position to defend herself and all that she’s been working for in the intervening years since her violent departure from the Guild, but it also gives her a chance to defend herself, to really show what she can do.

When the Blood Has Dried has, in only three issues, shown itself to be a very relatable fantasy story, one about fresh starts and running from parts of one’s past that one may not find all that pleasant. I found myself rooting for Maebh more and more: she’s fighting for what she’s worked hard for, what she wants to keep, because it gives her purpose, fulfills her. Darius stands in the way of all of that. I was equally impressed to see Darius’s resolve in this matter too; it’s always refreshing to see a villain who is just as determined as the hero to complete their goals, nefarious as they might be. He’s dogged in his pursuit, and it’ll be interesting to see what exactly his plans for the town are.

From page one, When the Blood Has Dried issue 3 also has some of the most action-packed art in the series so far. Everything is expressive and kinetic; the test of skill near the end of the issue, an archery contest set by Maebh herself, is especially important because it’s so cinematic and expressive. Romero’s art here really shines in those moments.

From the onset, When the Blood Has Dried is pitched as a fantasy story that draws inspiration from spaghetti Westerns, and it’s now that we’re starting to see those elements coming out. It’s easy to draw comparisons between Maebh as the white hat sheriff protecting the town and Darius as the black hat outlaw who comes to take it by force. The archery contest feels like a duel at high noon, with each combatant quick drawing their arrows and shooting almost impossible shots. Issue 3 ends in a cliffhanger, so we’re bound to see more of those elements between Darius and Maebh. The colors in those pages in particular really bring out the Western vibe.

With the fate of Maebh’s tavern – and probably the town itself – in jeopardy, When the Blood Has Dried issue 3 shows that Darius will stop at nothing at nothing to get what he wants, but also that Maebh, intimidated as she might be due to his reappearance, won’t stop until she defends what’s hers. When the Blood Has Dried has shown itself to be a series that continues to impress.

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REVIEW: Shadows of Pnath by Josh Reynolds

Shadows of Pnath is the second of the Countess Zorzi novels in the Arkham Horror series. The Arkham Horror series is pretty much what I wish Call of Cthulhu had done with their fiction line decades ago, which is tell a popularized Pulpy adventure series where the investigators have a (small) chance of thwarting the supernatural horrors around them. The Countess Zorzi series is one of the Pulpiest with the Catwoman-esque protagonist and her sidekick, taxi driver Pepper Kelly.

Unfortunately, while the Countess Alessandra Zorzi managed to survive the K’ynan’s vengeance in the previous book, she has left behind a large number of enemies. One of these is the Comte Henri d’Erlette, an former lover with a family history of black magic, who kidnaps Pepper in order to force the Countess to retrieve his copy of Cults des Goules. It turns out the Countess stole it from him and he takes that personally.

The Comte is not the only individual who wants the infamous tome, however. The Black Chamber, the RL predecessor agency to the NSA, has gotten into the supernatural occult business. I wondered if this was an homage to Charles Stross’ The Laundry series where that is the United States’ chief cult. If it’s not, though, it’s still a pretty good thing to see the US government stumbling around and trying to cut off the head of the supernatural while having no idea what it requires to do so in the Arkham Horror universe. They’ve also made some extremely poor choices in allies, working with the Silver Twilight Lodge that were the bad guys in The Shadows of Yog-Sothoth campaign and no less nasty here.

Plus, the ghouls themselves have a fairly large role in the story. It turns out they’re not too happy about Cults des Goules publishing the secrets of their race and are willing to kill everyone that Alessandra knows to get it back. This forces Alessandra to track down the client she sold it to and bargain or steal it back. Unfortunately, the kind of people who buy rare occult tomes in the Cthulhu Mythos are far more dangerous than crime bosses or arms trafficker.

I think the book suffers a bit for the fact that Pepper and Alessandra are parted for too long of the story. Much of the series’ success depends on their chemistry between the American working class Pepper and the European aristocrat (fraudulent as she may be). Still, both characters have a lot of good scenes with them. I also appreciated the motivation of the Comte as he isn’t the typical madman trying to summon an Elder God to destroy the world.

We also get the introduction of another secret society in the Red Coterie. These aren’t quite a “good” counterpart to the Silver Twilight Lodge but perhaps a more morally neutral one. I’m not a huge fan of them but I appreciate every entry into the Arkham Horror universe that incorporates new organizations. I hope we see the Brotherhood of the Beast and other classic Chaosium groups get included in future novels.

In conclusion, Shadows of Pnath is a solid sequel to the Wrath of N’Kai. While I enjoyed the previous book more, I think this is entertaining and another good example of Josh Reynolds’ writing style. The books introduce new elements as well as incorporate traditional Lovecraftian ones. I love the Contessa and Pepper so much that I’d read a dozen novels starring them.

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REVIEW: The Tigress by Anna Mocikat

The Tigress by Anna Mocikat is the sixth book of the Behind Blue Eyes series. The series is a successful indie cyberpunk drama that follows the tales of a murderous group of sexy antiheroes, specifically the morally conflicted Nephilim. She is a cyborg assassin working for the Olympias Corporation and presently in a relationship with the leader of the Guardian Angels, a death squad that secures the power of the Olympias Corporation over North and South America.

The previous books established that Metatron, simultaneously villain and love interest of Nephilim, has been plotting to overthrow the Olympias Board of Directors for some time. Having successfully defeated the invasion of Europe’s Rosprom corporation, Olympias has never been more vulnerable while Metatron has never been more powerful. However, to successfully pull off his coup, he needs the other corporation to stand down. The leader of TogbuaXiang, the so-called Tigress, wants to meet with Nephilim and Metatron suspects treachery but it is the only way he can pull off his coup.

As always, I appreciate any cyberpunk that embraces the dark and sexually charged atmosphere of the genre. Also, the moral ambiguity that defines the peculiar of noir and science fiction at its heart. Characters who were heroes in previous books have fallen to absolute vile levels while villains have started to show their more human qualities. This is particularly notable with former “good guy” Jake, who is completely blind to his own culpability in horrific crimes, while Metatron is starting to see past his previous obsessions.

This book deals with the fallout from the previous ones and manages to develop not just Nephilim but other supporting characters like Jake, Siro, Finwick, and Metatron himself. There’s a lot of humanizing moments and character development that replaces action this time around and I think this is a good decision from the author. In an ongoing series like this, it’s good to follow up big action works like The Last Stand with giving the storyline time to breathe.

I’m not a big fan of the Metatron relationship with Nephilim and still consider it to have been done almost entirely under coercion because he wiped her memory of his actions in the first book. However, it’s interesting to see him finally show some moral revulsion to the behavior of the Board and their own dirty little secrets. While I doubt Behind Blue Eyes will introduce the supernatural at this point in the story, the hints at darker occult undertones aren’t entirely out of place in cyberpunk stories. Mike Pondsmith has done plenty of awesome things with the supernatural and AI after all.

I am also really fond of the way that Jake was treated in the book and his almost serial killer like degeneration to misogyny and violence due to the fact he betrayed everything he believed for Nephilim but had already done unforgivable things to her friends. He’s a wild card now and his toxic relationship with the woman sent to spy on him is fascinating to read about. He may just be projecting a lot of his own self-loathing on her as well. I’m eager to see how that works out as the reversal from hero to villain is now complete.

This book also expands on the portrayal of Asia in the Behind Blue Eyes world. Previous books had given us a look as to how Europe and South America were functioning in the setting but now we know how China and Australia have been changed. While Olympias is shown to be a totalitarian Brave New World-esque hellhole of excess and moral bankruptcy, TogbuaXiang is more, “Like today only worse.” I also like the introduction of the Wasps and their contrast to the Guardian Angels.

In conclusion, The Tigress is another great installment of the Behind Blue Eyes franchise. We’ve got a lot of new developments to the characters and the politics is extremely well handled. While I’d still love for Nephilim to break free from Metatron’s control and go rogue, the story remains consistently interesting and well-written. I’ve yet to read a bad book by Anna Mocikat yet, though.

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The Road to Redemption by Matthew Ward

More than anything, I love a character with a redemption arc.

I’m not picky. I’ll work on any scale. From Londo Mollari’s galaxy-shaping reversals in Babylon 5 to Javert’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it change of heart in Les Miserables there’s nothing makes me happier than seeing a lost soul turn back towards the light, if only for a moment. Moreso if they’re not the protagonist (I’m drawn to supporting characters more than the main cast). Especially if there’s no outrunning the consequences hounding their heels.

I know I’m not alone in this. I assume it springs from a desire (conscious or otherwise) for reassurance that we can atone for things that we’ve done in the past, even if they’re nothing more serious than a futzed conversation. Seeing characters grapple with altogether more serious lapses and still find a brief measure of peace in the striving has to be reassuring, right?

On another level, I think we’re drawn to these doomed souls simply because you can’t have a satisfying redemption arc without decent characterisation. They have to feel real for any of the story beats to land. They have to be sympathetic – if only a little – for you to care whether they manage to walk towards the light, despite all the darkness dragging them down. Don’t hate the player, hate the game, and all that.

Even knowing all this, I’m still surprised at just how many redemptive character arcs trickle into my books. The Legacy Trilogy has a bunch, some playing out over a single book whereas at least one runs the length of the entire story, complete with wobbles along the way. The Soulfire Saga probably has more, despite its smaller cast … and the gears on a couple really start to grind in The Fire Within Them (out June 11th).

So, what have I learnt along the way? Let’s talk about that. Bear in mind that I’m mostly talking about redemption for supporting characters (because they’re my favourite) but the rules still apply to protagonists, gallant or otherwise.

You’ve Got to Care

As mentioned above, it’s no good if you don’t like the redemption seeker. It’s simply not enough for them to chase atonement because it’ll help the protagonist get ahead and keep the plot on course. You have to long for them to acknowledge their mistakes and embrace change. Hopelessly romantic? Maybe, but even the darkest story benefits from emotional contrast. Despite his toxically ironclad dedication to his duty, Javert from Les Mis is an honourable man. Babylon 5’s Londo is a genuinely likeable, down on his luck rogue who badly wants to be liked.

Missed Opportunities

Just as protagonists mostly (but not always) need to reject the call to stand up and be counted for a satisfying story, so too does the redemption seeker need to be a bit sluggish out of the gate. After all, they wouldn’t need redemption if they had the nous to simply do the right thing from the very start. This can be anything from a full-fledged betrayal through to simply refusing to help at a vital moment.

As long as it feels like a natural progression of the character, the possibilities are endless … although of course the deeper the pit they dig, the longer the ladder they’re going to need to clamber back out. Think about Javert. In all versions of Les Mis, he has plenty of opportunities to let the clearly virtuous Jean Valjean escape his past, but initially can’t unbend enough to do so. Babylon 5’s Londo has so many chances to turn aside from his dark path but still does horrific things out of fear and ambition. If you listen closely, you can hear the audience screaming at him to stop.

Sacrifice

Redemption has to hurt for it to have value. The more terrible the character’s deeds, the greater the pain. It’s not just the karmic balance for the redemption seeker themselves that matters, but evening up the balance within the storyline. Go too light on the redemption seeker and it’ll cheapen what (should) be a pivotal turning point in the story.

Londo Mollari is warned long before the end that his only hope for redemption is to surrender to his greatest fear, knowing that it will destroy him. By the time he really embraces atonement, the audience has a pretty good idea of what that’s going to mean – even Londo doesn’t – making his turn towards the light that much more poignant. Javert’s sacrifice is more immediate. Though he knows he’s done the right thing by finally abandoning his pursuit of Valjean, he can’t reconcile his actions with his duties and becomes his own executioner.

(And because I know I’m writing this for Grimdark Magazine) Redemption Can’t be Certain

Even when a redemption seeker’s finally done the right thing, the rest of the characters (or even the world) have no obligation to think better of them. Friends might be glad that they came through in the end. Others might actively hate them all the more for all those pesky missed opportunities. Some can even remain cheerfully ignorant that a sacrifice ever took place.

Sometimes the worst punishment is to throw your life away and for no one even to notice. It’s not fair, maybe, but who said life had to be?

I mean, until it’s gone midnight and you can’t sleep, and every questionable decision you’ve ever made comes crawling out of your brain to circle around your thoughts in a cackling chorus line. Just me? Fine. Be like that. Lie to yourself.

With a wonderful singing voice if it’s the musical version. That ain’t nothing.

No pressure, mate.

Or moodily, because Grimdark.

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REVIEW: Tears of Raphaela by Richard Swan

In Tears of Raphaela by Richard Swan, a new Warhammer 40,000 short story from Black Library, Brother Ramethos of the Lamenters space marine chapter hunts the last Tyranid Prime across the devoured cities of the planet Raphaela. With his sniper bolt rifle and three remaining executioner rounds he can destroy the horde’s synaptic link to their last leader and end their domination.

In Tears of Raphaela, we get another look into the Tyranid invasion we first read in Blood Harvest, this time from the elite space marines’ perspective. I loved the way Swan showcased that even the super human space marines and their ancient power armour could fall and start rotting in the miasma of a world where the Tyranid bio forms had devoured everything and poisoned the very air with their carnivorous spores.

As Ramethos chases the Prime we are shown a vision of a world where the mighty and many have fallen beneath the teeth and claws of the innumerous, and every act of heroism from the smallest Astra Militarium soldier to the mightiest space marine is forgotten in the eyes of the universe, but for one lone space marine to lament their passing.

What makes Tears of Raphaela a fun read is that it creates a feeling of constant movement and action, without resorting to it being one long battle scene. I also really liked the play on the bad luck of the Lamenters chapter—something I didn’t previously know and that I think, for this reader at least, added a tiny bit of humour.

One of the things I love about Black Library is their focus on creating ongoing stories with retained characters (If you’d like a starting point for some of their best series, check out Warhammer 40k: Where to Start Reading) who you cheer for (and sometimes maybe cry a bit for) as their bloody, brutal lives are portrayed on the page (and soon on screen!). With Blood Harvest and Tears of Raphaela, it feels like Swan has taken the first two steps towards creating a Lamenters versus Tyranids playpen for stories of might heroism and all-hope-lost moments against the never-ending horde of Tyranids, and I can’t wait for more.

Make sure you grab this quick, 20 minute read full of non-stop action.

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The post REVIEW: Tears of Raphaela by Richard Swan appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.