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The Dark Coil
Fire and Ice
An Inquisition and T'au Empire story
A hunted Inquisitorial agent, determined to end T'au influence on an Imperial world, finds himself drawn into a larger game in which he may be a pawn – or he may be the key to victory.
READ IT BECAUSE
Peter Fehervari is the master of the twisted tale, where nothing can be taken at face value and every line adds more to the tangled web of mystery – and 'Fire and Ice' takes that to whole new levels, as an Interrogator comes face to face with a legend…
THE STORY
On an Imperial world being torn apart by internal rivalries and the influence of the T'au Empire and its pernicious "Greater Good", Interrogator Haniel Mordane is in trouble. Pursued by the Inquisition for his part in a failed operation and guarded by a man he fears and mistrusts, Mordane is still set on doing his duty and defeating the T'au influence. Is a meeting with the mysterious Calavera key? And will Mordane survive as he finds himself on a maglev train, using his interrogation skills on a very dangerous and very special prisoner?
A hunted Inquisitorial agent, determined to end T'au influence on an Imperial world, finds himself drawn into a larger game in which he may be a pawn – or he may be the key to victory.
READ IT BECAUSE
Peter Fehervari is the master of the twisted tale, where nothing can be taken at face value and every line adds more to the tangled web of mystery – and 'Fire and Ice' takes that to whole new levels, as an Interrogator comes face to face with a legend…
THE STORY
On an Imperial world being torn apart by internal rivalries and the influence of the T'au Empire and its pernicious "Greater Good", Interrogator Haniel Mordane is in trouble. Pursued by the Inquisition for his part in a failed operation and guarded by a man he fears and mistrusts, Mordane is still set on doing his duty and defeating the T'au influence. Is a meeting with the mysterious Calavera key? And will Mordane survive as he finds himself on a maglev train, using his interrogation skills on a very dangerous and very special prisoner?
85 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 26, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 11, 2017
Note: The novella Fire and Ice originally appeared in the "Shas'o" hardback, which was later released in paperback with the title "Tau Empire". Now, it finally gets a well-deserved standalone release, complete with a new cover (the cover, while dynamic as a piece of Tau art, does not at all match either the content or the tone of the story, but it is still a bold piece of work nonetheless).
"The promise of a new story by personal Black Library favorite Peter Fehervari generated a lot of excitement, to say the least. As I'm sure I've mentioned many times before, in my opinion no other author in the Black Library stable puts forward stories with the kind of twisted potential and depth that this created universe allows for. They are brutal, honest, puzzling, twisting, and unapologetically raw.
Fire and Ice takes that standard to a new high.
As a forewarning, I can only say so much regarding the structure and storyline of this tale, since that would compromise some of the wonderful and mind-boggling twists. Let me just say that it is no coincidence that the name of one of the central figures of the story, an assassinated Inquisitor, happens to be Escher. This will give you a good idea of how the narrative of Fire and Ice unfolds.
Set amidst the turmoil of the Damocles Gulf Crusade, Fire and Ice focuses on a meek Inquisitorial Interrogator named Haniel Mordaine. Mordaine is a man that truly finds himself wedged between a rock and a hard place; he is being pursued by the Inquisition's Grand Conclave for his part in allowing Escher to be assassinated, and he is still trying to do his duty by attempting to uproot the Tau influence in the sector. Along this precarious path, he is ushered and guarded by a shadowy man named Kreeger, who, along with providing safety, is preparing Mordaine for a rendezvous with his "contact", a shadowy figure known as the Calavera, who will hopefully provide some insight on quelling the blueskin menace.
His efforts reach a climax on the frozen world of Oblazt, where the Tau-engineered "Unity" revolution is born. As the hive of Vyshodd falls to the newly-minted human subscribers to the Greater Good, Mordaine beats a hasty egress aboard a maglev train (superb technological concept here) on a journey to.....well, let's just say fate.
That summary really does no justice to the the story; and, mind you, the real story begins once all the players are on that fateful train. Here, while convalescing from wounds suffered during the riot, Mordaine will work with the mysterious Calavera (obviously an Adeptus Astartes, but also obviously so much more), and he will attempt to fill the void of the fallen Escher's shoes by interviewing "the prisoner"; a Tau warrior who may or may not be the legendary Commander Farsight.
If you need a straight-forward, linear Tau story, with clearly defined actions and arcs, please refer to my last review, for Phil Kelly's Farsight (no insult there, it is a really good novella). Also, if you are looking for seeing cadres of Fire Warriors lined up, with Crisis Suits soaring overhead, go with Farsight. But if you want a representation of what it would mostly be like to deal with the confluence of Tau socialism, Inquisition dogmatic totalitarianism, and Warp-infused Chaos, then read this novella. If you want a psychological power play, and the formation of grand-scale chess match (both figuratively and literally), then read Fire and Ice. Everything is offered in carefully calculated contradiction. Everything is everything and nothing at once.
There are no easy reveals here. Like all of Fehervari's other works, the reader finds themselves sorting through tangled webs in a house of smoke and mirrors. You will be asking yourself throughout, what is the ultimate point? Why is this character being chosen for these grand trials and responsibilities? And when an answer, of sorts, posits itself, revealing its truly ugly face, it is a true shock (and a nice little nod to one of my favorite movies of all time. But like I said, no spoilers from me).
Assessing the individual parts that make the whole, Fire and Ice is, like all of Fehervari's other works, very strong. If you were to strip away each outer layer, its core fundamentals are still strong. Take away the 40K universe, and it is still strong sci-fi. Take those concepts away, and it is still a strong character piece. Peel that back, and see the dark recesses of the mind. Claw through that, and fall into the blackest valleys of the soul.
There is real strength in the words employed. Every line has structural and philosophical importance. And, like in Fehervari's other stories, there are puzzles and riddles abound. Names are a central motif here; the meanings of them, the importance of them, and the grave missteps of addressing someone by the wrong name.
World building and scenery is excellent too. The technology of the anchor hive pulses with legitimacy, as does the maglev train which serves as the vessel for a trip to Hell. The partisan politics of those who would embrace the Tau'va over Holy Terra is especially poignant given the socio-political overtones so prevalent in today's society. Indeed, there is nothing so tragically comedic as low-information consumers rebelling and fighting for the opportunity to be another regime's disposable assets.
Of course, the most important aspect of such a story as this is characters. We have a fantastic dramatis personae here. Mordaine is an well-portrayed in his role; frayed, emotionally crumbling, and yet capable of an inner strength (bolstered, perhaps, by the inner voices which plague him). His guardian, Kreeger, is also a standout character. He embodies the physical characteristics and nihilism of Fire Caste's Holt Iverson, and yet, I find it hard to believe that they are one and the same....
The real puzzles, of course, are the shadowy pupeeters: the Calavera and the traveler. Their true motives are as well-hidden as their true identities, and even when there are some reveals, their ultimate goals are still out of sight.
Fehervari also shows that he can still craft well-conceived, if somewhat unconventional Imperial Guard regiments. Here we have the Iwujii Sharks, brutal, efficient, and unabashedly more gang-like than regimental. They give us some truly memorable personalities, especially the priestess La Mal Kalfu.
There is also a very nicely done minor arc involving an outcast kroot shaper. Here, as in some of his previous stories, Fehervari has shown a real flair for portraying this alien race. He truly gets their physiology, their bearing, and their base warrior instincts.
The dialogue here is beyond amazing. Sometimes I list a favorite quote from a story, one that resonates with something deep within with its poignancy. Here, almost every line fits that bill. So, for my favorite quote, I will choose these three simple words, which come from the most welcome character in the novella:
"It's a lie."
Fans of Fire Caste will be happy to know that there are some references in Fire and Ice to that classic piece. They are not as obvious, or as directly connected as the ones in stories like The Crown of Thorns or Vanguard (which acts more of an epilogue to Fire Caste than a separate work). It is just another cold reminder of the great story cycle that might have been if the Black Library had given Fehervari another book or two to tell a story that really deserved to be heard.
I'll put forward Fire and Ice as what I believe to be required reading for Warhammer 40,000 fans. This story shows the true potential for a created universe. These stories don't need to be constrained to the depictions of the battles acted out by tabletop miniatures. What makes those stories possible are the schemes and machinations of greater forces, and that is what you get in Fire & Ice. Like Fire Caste, this story might polarize some fans, and isolate those who prefer more clear cut tales. But it is the kind of story that a legend like Farsight deserves - complex, full of deception and obfuscation, calculated and calculating, brutal, and merciless.
Here's what it is:
Alas, how terrible is wisdom when it beings no profit to the wise."
You can read my full review of this outstanding story here:
http://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/20...
"The promise of a new story by personal Black Library favorite Peter Fehervari generated a lot of excitement, to say the least. As I'm sure I've mentioned many times before, in my opinion no other author in the Black Library stable puts forward stories with the kind of twisted potential and depth that this created universe allows for. They are brutal, honest, puzzling, twisting, and unapologetically raw.
Fire and Ice takes that standard to a new high.
As a forewarning, I can only say so much regarding the structure and storyline of this tale, since that would compromise some of the wonderful and mind-boggling twists. Let me just say that it is no coincidence that the name of one of the central figures of the story, an assassinated Inquisitor, happens to be Escher. This will give you a good idea of how the narrative of Fire and Ice unfolds.
Set amidst the turmoil of the Damocles Gulf Crusade, Fire and Ice focuses on a meek Inquisitorial Interrogator named Haniel Mordaine. Mordaine is a man that truly finds himself wedged between a rock and a hard place; he is being pursued by the Inquisition's Grand Conclave for his part in allowing Escher to be assassinated, and he is still trying to do his duty by attempting to uproot the Tau influence in the sector. Along this precarious path, he is ushered and guarded by a shadowy man named Kreeger, who, along with providing safety, is preparing Mordaine for a rendezvous with his "contact", a shadowy figure known as the Calavera, who will hopefully provide some insight on quelling the blueskin menace.
His efforts reach a climax on the frozen world of Oblazt, where the Tau-engineered "Unity" revolution is born. As the hive of Vyshodd falls to the newly-minted human subscribers to the Greater Good, Mordaine beats a hasty egress aboard a maglev train (superb technological concept here) on a journey to.....well, let's just say fate.
That summary really does no justice to the the story; and, mind you, the real story begins once all the players are on that fateful train. Here, while convalescing from wounds suffered during the riot, Mordaine will work with the mysterious Calavera (obviously an Adeptus Astartes, but also obviously so much more), and he will attempt to fill the void of the fallen Escher's shoes by interviewing "the prisoner"; a Tau warrior who may or may not be the legendary Commander Farsight.
If you need a straight-forward, linear Tau story, with clearly defined actions and arcs, please refer to my last review, for Phil Kelly's Farsight (no insult there, it is a really good novella). Also, if you are looking for seeing cadres of Fire Warriors lined up, with Crisis Suits soaring overhead, go with Farsight. But if you want a representation of what it would mostly be like to deal with the confluence of Tau socialism, Inquisition dogmatic totalitarianism, and Warp-infused Chaos, then read this novella. If you want a psychological power play, and the formation of grand-scale chess match (both figuratively and literally), then read Fire and Ice. Everything is offered in carefully calculated contradiction. Everything is everything and nothing at once.
There are no easy reveals here. Like all of Fehervari's other works, the reader finds themselves sorting through tangled webs in a house of smoke and mirrors. You will be asking yourself throughout, what is the ultimate point? Why is this character being chosen for these grand trials and responsibilities? And when an answer, of sorts, posits itself, revealing its truly ugly face, it is a true shock (and a nice little nod to one of my favorite movies of all time. But like I said, no spoilers from me).
Assessing the individual parts that make the whole, Fire and Ice is, like all of Fehervari's other works, very strong. If you were to strip away each outer layer, its core fundamentals are still strong. Take away the 40K universe, and it is still strong sci-fi. Take those concepts away, and it is still a strong character piece. Peel that back, and see the dark recesses of the mind. Claw through that, and fall into the blackest valleys of the soul.
There is real strength in the words employed. Every line has structural and philosophical importance. And, like in Fehervari's other stories, there are puzzles and riddles abound. Names are a central motif here; the meanings of them, the importance of them, and the grave missteps of addressing someone by the wrong name.
World building and scenery is excellent too. The technology of the anchor hive pulses with legitimacy, as does the maglev train which serves as the vessel for a trip to Hell. The partisan politics of those who would embrace the Tau'va over Holy Terra is especially poignant given the socio-political overtones so prevalent in today's society. Indeed, there is nothing so tragically comedic as low-information consumers rebelling and fighting for the opportunity to be another regime's disposable assets.
Of course, the most important aspect of such a story as this is characters. We have a fantastic dramatis personae here. Mordaine is an well-portrayed in his role; frayed, emotionally crumbling, and yet capable of an inner strength (bolstered, perhaps, by the inner voices which plague him). His guardian, Kreeger, is also a standout character. He embodies the physical characteristics and nihilism of Fire Caste's Holt Iverson, and yet, I find it hard to believe that they are one and the same....
The real puzzles, of course, are the shadowy pupeeters: the Calavera and the traveler. Their true motives are as well-hidden as their true identities, and even when there are some reveals, their ultimate goals are still out of sight.
Fehervari also shows that he can still craft well-conceived, if somewhat unconventional Imperial Guard regiments. Here we have the Iwujii Sharks, brutal, efficient, and unabashedly more gang-like than regimental. They give us some truly memorable personalities, especially the priestess La Mal Kalfu.
There is also a very nicely done minor arc involving an outcast kroot shaper. Here, as in some of his previous stories, Fehervari has shown a real flair for portraying this alien race. He truly gets their physiology, their bearing, and their base warrior instincts.
The dialogue here is beyond amazing. Sometimes I list a favorite quote from a story, one that resonates with something deep within with its poignancy. Here, almost every line fits that bill. So, for my favorite quote, I will choose these three simple words, which come from the most welcome character in the novella:
"It's a lie."
Fans of Fire Caste will be happy to know that there are some references in Fire and Ice to that classic piece. They are not as obvious, or as directly connected as the ones in stories like The Crown of Thorns or Vanguard (which acts more of an epilogue to Fire Caste than a separate work). It is just another cold reminder of the great story cycle that might have been if the Black Library had given Fehervari another book or two to tell a story that really deserved to be heard.
I'll put forward Fire and Ice as what I believe to be required reading for Warhammer 40,000 fans. This story shows the true potential for a created universe. These stories don't need to be constrained to the depictions of the battles acted out by tabletop miniatures. What makes those stories possible are the schemes and machinations of greater forces, and that is what you get in Fire & Ice. Like Fire Caste, this story might polarize some fans, and isolate those who prefer more clear cut tales. But it is the kind of story that a legend like Farsight deserves - complex, full of deception and obfuscation, calculated and calculating, brutal, and merciless.
Here's what it is:
Alas, how terrible is wisdom when it beings no profit to the wise."
You can read my full review of this outstanding story here:
http://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/20...
May 3, 2019
‘I do not walk the vash’yatol to learn how to win… I walk to decide what I will do after I have won.’
The galactic Imperium of Mankind comprises millions of inhabited planets – lots of which are slightly less habitable than others. And of all the authors writing for the Warhammer universe, it’s Peter Fehervari who has surely created some of the most exciting. Among the fictional worlds beautifully fleshed out by him is a hellish jungle planet where nature itself is pretty lively and rain feels more like drool, or a lone slab of bare rock amidst endless lava plains and soot-choked air…
For its part, Fire and Ice introduces a world that is in essence a fathomless ocean under a thin crust of ice swathed with perennial darkness. Its population ekes out a (mostly) miserable existence under the domes of several aptly-named 'anchor hives' separated by days of travel only manageable via so-called 'chain engines' (and affordable, it seems, exclusively to the local toffs). An ages-old chasm between the oppressed and their masters, along with recent neglect of this backwater by the wider Imperium, force the people to rebel in the hope that their desired liberation will come from the mysterious aliens. And that’s when the ice starts melting under the fire of an uprising…
On such a troubled, inhospitable world arrive the main characters, each of whom seems to bring along problems and mysteries of their own. Together with its delightfully gloomy, action-packed atmosphere, it’s actually these characters that make this novella so intriguing.
The protagonists are essentially two outcasts from their respective societies, one of them determined to find the truth about the other in a desperate attempt to clear his name from guilt. With regard to them, the story title acquires deeper meaning – for while the Emperor’s disgraced servant was taught to fortify his soul with ice, the heart of his alien antagonist burns with a warrior’s fire. To follow the interrogator’s pained attempts at learning the true identity of his prisoner is rather enjoyable, though it is the former’s masterfully rendered psychological transformation that I personally found most interesting.
Oh, and on their physical – and metaphysical – journey, these heroes are accompanied by a regiment of soldiers as ill-suited to the world of their deployment as it gets, while above them looms an Astartes (sorry, Adeptus Astartes) warrior like no other you may have previously encountered.
I first read Fire and Ice when my interest for Warhammer literature had only just kindled, not yet all that familiar with the greater background – and already at that time the novella immediately became one of my absolute favourites. Overall, I admire this tale for its inimitable style, its engaging characters, their dialogues which are hugely enjoyable to follow, and overall because its every sentence – no, every word – is charged with relevance and shows Fehervari’s highest dedication to his work.
All the stories by Peter Fehervari are intertwined, so it’s not the only time that one gets to visit the austere icebound world (which I, as a Russian, particularly appreciated for its Eastern-European feel with some precious details lovingly borrowed from Slavic history, folklore and culture). Neither do all the characters belong solely to this particular tale... And that is the most compelling trait of Peter’s world-building: every single story actively interacts with the rest – as well as with the readers, allowing them to seek answers that may be only hinted at by the author, and letting them explore his unique worldview in its entirety. For all its originality, Fehervari’s 'Dark Coil' perfectly retains (and even brings to the next level!) the unmistakably iconic spirit of Warhammer 40K at its best.
The galactic Imperium of Mankind comprises millions of inhabited planets – lots of which are slightly less habitable than others. And of all the authors writing for the Warhammer universe, it’s Peter Fehervari who has surely created some of the most exciting. Among the fictional worlds beautifully fleshed out by him is a hellish jungle planet where nature itself is pretty lively and rain feels more like drool, or a lone slab of bare rock amidst endless lava plains and soot-choked air…
For its part, Fire and Ice introduces a world that is in essence a fathomless ocean under a thin crust of ice swathed with perennial darkness. Its population ekes out a (mostly) miserable existence under the domes of several aptly-named 'anchor hives' separated by days of travel only manageable via so-called 'chain engines' (and affordable, it seems, exclusively to the local toffs). An ages-old chasm between the oppressed and their masters, along with recent neglect of this backwater by the wider Imperium, force the people to rebel in the hope that their desired liberation will come from the mysterious aliens. And that’s when the ice starts melting under the fire of an uprising…
On such a troubled, inhospitable world arrive the main characters, each of whom seems to bring along problems and mysteries of their own. Together with its delightfully gloomy, action-packed atmosphere, it’s actually these characters that make this novella so intriguing.
The protagonists are essentially two outcasts from their respective societies, one of them determined to find the truth about the other in a desperate attempt to clear his name from guilt. With regard to them, the story title acquires deeper meaning – for while the Emperor’s disgraced servant was taught to fortify his soul with ice, the heart of his alien antagonist burns with a warrior’s fire. To follow the interrogator’s pained attempts at learning the true identity of his prisoner is rather enjoyable, though it is the former’s masterfully rendered psychological transformation that I personally found most interesting.
Oh, and on their physical – and metaphysical – journey, these heroes are accompanied by a regiment of soldiers as ill-suited to the world of their deployment as it gets, while above them looms an Astartes (sorry, Adeptus Astartes) warrior like no other you may have previously encountered.
I first read Fire and Ice when my interest for Warhammer literature had only just kindled, not yet all that familiar with the greater background – and already at that time the novella immediately became one of my absolute favourites. Overall, I admire this tale for its inimitable style, its engaging characters, their dialogues which are hugely enjoyable to follow, and overall because its every sentence – no, every word – is charged with relevance and shows Fehervari’s highest dedication to his work.
All the stories by Peter Fehervari are intertwined, so it’s not the only time that one gets to visit the austere icebound world (which I, as a Russian, particularly appreciated for its Eastern-European feel with some precious details lovingly borrowed from Slavic history, folklore and culture). Neither do all the characters belong solely to this particular tale... And that is the most compelling trait of Peter’s world-building: every single story actively interacts with the rest – as well as with the readers, allowing them to seek answers that may be only hinted at by the author, and letting them explore his unique worldview in its entirety. For all its originality, Fehervari’s 'Dark Coil' perfectly retains (and even brings to the next level!) the unmistakably iconic spirit of Warhammer 40K at its best.
July 15, 2020
Another excellent novella from Peter Fehervari. This one goes deep into the mind games and reads as something far different than most 40K literature. You have to work hard with this one, nothing is handed to you but as the story’s layers unfold and the objectives work themselves out, you get a pretty staggering piece of philosophical science-fiction that would hold up to scrutiny even with its 40K serial numbers filed off. If you are a reader of the author’s other Dark Coil works, this is a must but given it’s challenging scope, not one I’d start off with. Also recommended to Farsight fans who want a peak into the Commander’s mindset.
February 17, 2021
I first read this knowing not very much about the lore of 40k beyond regular internet osmosis, but it was an absolute standout book. Having reread it, it stands up. It's a really incredible short story, and the cast of characters is in my opinion VERY strong for the standards of short stories. Lots of perspective shifts flesh out this unfolding mystery without revealing too much of anything at all. My only recourse against giving it 5 stars is that it lies a bit TOO much on shadowy motives and plots that are never fully revealed, but my overall impression is that the stuff which IS revealed is very satisfying - I suppose that if we're revealed some plausible and cool twists, the things we don't know are amplified. As a short story in an established universe, I'd be as tiny bit wary of recommending it to someone who doesn't know the setting, but if they liked sci-fi mystery and were willing to read between the lines they'd find a great story underneath.
August 31, 2019
“The ordinary mass of mankind is irrelevant, as are even the most exceptional individuals. It is the divine thread of our species that the Inquisition safeguards. All else is either expendable or inimical.”
May 28, 2023
Another great story by this author.
I especially loved how he made the Kroot as dangerous and creepy as they deserve to be. Played strait, Kroot are creatures of pure horror.
I especially loved how he made the Kroot as dangerous and creepy as they deserve to be. Played strait, Kroot are creatures of pure horror.
February 25, 2024
Decent little story. As always, leaves me with questions but I did finally meet Calavera so that's cool.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews