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Black Library Advent Calendar 2020 #12
The Lightning Hall
A Horus Heresy story
On Mars, the scions of shattered House Taranis seek to rebuild, even as the servants of the Dark Mechanicum aim to exterminate them utterly.
READ IT BECAUSE
Graham McNeill returns to Mars in a new tale of life under occupation. Discover how the mighty Imperial Knights continue when their entire world has – literally – been destroyed.
THE STORY
For long years, House Taranis have been first among equals, a Knight Household that makes its home on the holy Red Planet itself. But now, Mars has fallen, and Taranis with it. The surviving scions must regroup and find a way to restore their brotherhood on a world where every soul may be an enemy, and the very technology they rely on can be corrupted. But Taranis will rise again.
On Mars, the scions of shattered House Taranis seek to rebuild, even as the servants of the Dark Mechanicum aim to exterminate them utterly.
READ IT BECAUSE
Graham McNeill returns to Mars in a new tale of life under occupation. Discover how the mighty Imperial Knights continue when their entire world has – literally – been destroyed.
THE STORY
For long years, House Taranis have been first among equals, a Knight Household that makes its home on the holy Red Planet itself. But now, Mars has fallen, and Taranis with it. The surviving scions must regroup and find a way to restore their brotherhood on a world where every soul may be an enemy, and the very technology they rely on can be corrupted. But Taranis will rise again.
40 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 24, 2020
10 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Graham McNeill
341 books934 followersHailing from Scotland, Graham McNeill narrowly escaped a career in surveying to work for Games Workshop as a games designer. He has a strong following with his novels Nightbringer, Warriors of Ultramar, Dead Sky, Black Sun and Storm of Iron.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 15, 2024
March 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order - Omnibus IX Omnissiah I Death of Innocence (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy saga and extras.
Goodness gracious, what an absolute banger!
In the years following the Death of Innocence, the destruction of Loyalist Adepts, and the insidious taint of warptouched mechanical abominations across the Red Planet, the sole surviving Knights of Taranis, saved from the destruction of their House by their machine spirit's drive to avenge itself and save the new Keeper of the Dragon from the Kaban Machine, find themselves called to their fallen home. Can they find a skerrick of hope in the profane ruins of their once illustrious halls?
Between being bitterly disappointed by Vorax this morning and this only being available as an ebook, it's taken me all day to work up the effort to actually read this, and gee willickers has it revived my excitement! This is some of the most top tier writing from McNeill without a creepy or otherwise problematic moment in sight, which is a depressing thing to have to point out about such a brilliant, but flawed author.
I'm absolutely blown away!
I actually thought the Knight storyline, beyond the epicness of the prologue, was pretty good, but a weaker element of Mechanicum, so this being the continuation of that storyline and name and item checking aspects of the end of that novel, while surpassing that narrative in every way is mind blowing for me.
The prose is gorgeous and nightmarish, perfectly capturing the horror, tragedy, and unique wrongness of Mars ADOI (Aster Death of Innocence) and bringing the corrupted majesty of the Mars to life! The epicness and pure grimdark legendary mythology of the Horus Heresy is electric in this and it truly beggars belief that this was a Black Library Advent Calendar short that doesn't seem to have been collected in an anthology of the main Horus Heresy series or given the audio treatment. Toby Longworth, Jonathan Keeble, or John Banks would truly elevate this to the next level.
Every aspect of this short story is spectacular and I'm just so pumped to read such a brilliant story. It's not knocking After Desh'ea or Raven's Flight off my personal top spot anytime soon, but this has absolutely jumped into my my top tier and favourite Horus Heresy anythings!
What an absolutely unexpected treat! I love feeling this giddy and pumped after reading something!
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 17.41 Horus Heresy novels, 9 novellas, 45 short stories/ audio dramas, as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 8 Primarchs novels, 3 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
Goodness gracious, what an absolute banger!
In the years following the Death of Innocence, the destruction of Loyalist Adepts, and the insidious taint of warptouched mechanical abominations across the Red Planet, the sole surviving Knights of Taranis, saved from the destruction of their House by their machine spirit's drive to avenge itself and save the new Keeper of the Dragon from the Kaban Machine, find themselves called to their fallen home. Can they find a skerrick of hope in the profane ruins of their once illustrious halls?
Between being bitterly disappointed by Vorax this morning and this only being available as an ebook, it's taken me all day to work up the effort to actually read this, and gee willickers has it revived my excitement! This is some of the most top tier writing from McNeill without a creepy or otherwise problematic moment in sight, which is a depressing thing to have to point out about such a brilliant, but flawed author.
I'm absolutely blown away!
I actually thought the Knight storyline, beyond the epicness of the prologue, was pretty good, but a weaker element of Mechanicum, so this being the continuation of that storyline and name and item checking aspects of the end of that novel, while surpassing that narrative in every way is mind blowing for me.
The prose is gorgeous and nightmarish, perfectly capturing the horror, tragedy, and unique wrongness of Mars ADOI (Aster Death of Innocence) and bringing the corrupted majesty of the Mars to life! The epicness and pure grimdark legendary mythology of the Horus Heresy is electric in this and it truly beggars belief that this was a Black Library Advent Calendar short that doesn't seem to have been collected in an anthology of the main Horus Heresy series or given the audio treatment. Toby Longworth, Jonathan Keeble, or John Banks would truly elevate this to the next level.
Every aspect of this short story is spectacular and I'm just so pumped to read such a brilliant story. It's not knocking After Desh'ea or Raven's Flight off my personal top spot anytime soon, but this has absolutely jumped into my my top tier and favourite Horus Heresy anythings!
What an absolutely unexpected treat! I love feeling this giddy and pumped after reading something!
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 17.41 Horus Heresy novels, 9 novellas, 45 short stories/ audio dramas, as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 8 Primarchs novels, 3 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
June 2, 2021
Solid little short story tying up an old loose thread.
October 10, 2022
I've always loved the way Graham has painted Mars since he first wrote Mechanicum.
His skills in making Knight battles as chaotic as they are beautiful still leaves me in awe.
His skills in making Knight battles as chaotic as they are beautiful still leaves me in awe.
August 1, 2025
“No longer did the Lightning Hall echo to shouted oaths and sworn bonds of honour. No longer did its scions raise their fists to the sky in proud boasts. House Taranis was dead.”
A direct follow-up to McNeill’s book “Mechanicum”. The last two knights of House Tarranis are called back to their House’s Hall by a ghostly transmission.
The story had a grim and tragic atmosphere. Mars has torn itself apart and its greatest defenders lay dead, the giant metal bodies of knight and Titans litter the valleys and deserts.
I didn’t think I needed a follow up to the Knight plot-line in Mechanicum, but I’m glad I read this. It combines the epic high fantasy of questing knights with a grim techno-apocalypse.
A direct follow-up to McNeill’s book “Mechanicum”. The last two knights of House Tarranis are called back to their House’s Hall by a ghostly transmission.
The story had a grim and tragic atmosphere. Mars has torn itself apart and its greatest defenders lay dead, the giant metal bodies of knight and Titans litter the valleys and deserts.
I didn’t think I needed a follow up to the Knight plot-line in Mechanicum, but I’m glad I read this. It combines the epic high fantasy of questing knights with a grim techno-apocalypse.
March 7, 2026
Loved it, finished this after going through mechanicum again. Want to start a AT knight force of knights now
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews