To Speak as One

Warhammer 40,000

by Guy Haley

Summer of Reading 2019 – Day 7

Not all in the Imperium are enthused by primarch Roboute Guilliman's return – and some would question the authority of his allies, even if it may lead to armed conflict.

READ IT BECAUSE
Get a glimpse at how the Imperium remains fractious and divided even under Roboute Guilliman's leadership in a sinister tale with some shocking twists and turns.

THE STORY
In the wake of the Great Rift, hope has returned to the Imperium in the form of Roboute Guilliman, the Emperor's son. Yet not all servants of the Emperor wish to answer to the primarch's authority… When Inquisitor Cehen-qui receives an order to transfer an alien prisoner to the custody of Guilliman's ally, the visionary – or possibly heretical – Magos Belisarius Cawl, he refuses. But will he stand down when the tech-priest's forces arrive, ready to take the xenos by force?

Written by Guy Haley

Genres: Short Stories, Science Fiction, 40k

34 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 25, 2019

About the author

Guy Haley is the author of over 50 novels and novellas. His original fiction includes Crash, Champion of Mars, and the Richards and Klein, Dreaming Cities, and the Gates of the World series (as K M McKinley). However, he is best known as a prolific contributor to Games Workshop's Black Library imprint.

When not writing, he'll be out doing something dangerous in the wild, learning languages or gaming.

Reviews

[Michael Dodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inquisitor Cehen-qui isn’t best pleased to receive orders to hand off a xenos prisoner to one of Cawl’s lieutenants, Magos Qvo-87, so refuses and hunkers down in an abandoned Ordo Xenos void station to defend his prize. Undeterred, Qvo deploys his forces – including Alpha Primus, a Space Marine of ambiguous origins and unusually dour demeanour – to press the issue.

It’s a simple premise but there’s a lot more to this story than a straight-up fight. There are plenty of questions left unanswered, but it’s a lot of fun seeing the interactions between these characters and speculating upon their origins and motivations. As long as you don’t mind a little mystery and ambiguity, there’s lots to enjoy here.

Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/08/...

[Elodie Cunningham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good characterisation and all the parts are there, but introducing so many elements in such a short story makes it feel unnecessarily convoluted. Obviously this is the precursor to a much larger story, but it doesn't stand super well on its own

[Mikael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good despite its short length.

[Andrew Alvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another terrific piece from Guy Haley, cleverly misleading up to the end.