‘Down Amongst the Dead Men’ – Steve Lyons (Black Library)

Page Count – 20 Pages

Apologies for the brief radio silence, life stepped in and demanded some attention… For what it’s worth, I didn’t read an awful lot over the last couple of days. I did make some decent inroads into ‘Into the Narrowdark’ but am still a good couple of hundred pages away from the finish line.

Just a quick post today as ‘Down Amongst the Dead Men’ was a short and sweet read that I got into on the way to yesterday’s hospital appointment. That and the fact that I have my half-year review tomorrow morning, that’s taking up a lot of my brain right now :o( In the meantime then,

On the nightmare world of Krieg, the elite Death Korps practise their killing arts against the only enemy they have available: those among the population unsuitable to join the regiments of the Imperial Guard. In the midst of a live-fire exercise, one of these human targets disobeys orders and follows the trail of a mysterious alien beast, one that could spell doom for all of Krieg if it is not stopped...

I needed a quick read yesterday, just to get me through the train journey to Waterloo, and there’s something about the Death Korps of Krieg that keeps me coming back for more of their stories; possibly the way that Lyons gives us a little more lore with each tale. Whatever the reason, ‘Down Amongst the Dead Men’ ended up being an enjoyable way to spend a short train journey.

On the face of it, ‘Down Amongst the Dead Men’ doesn’t do an awful lot that’s new. Once again, we’re looking at themes of conformity and sacrifice for the good of the Imperium. Dig a little bit beneath the surface though and all of a sudden, there’s a lot going on and it’s all handled with the minimum of fuss and bother, just like the Death Korps of Krieg manage their business. It all makes for a relentless tale that’s explosive in all the right places, just the Death Korps of Krieg ;o)

In case you’ve ever wondered what happens to the Kriegsmen who don’t make the cut, ‘Down Amongst the Dead Men’ offers you another sobering insight into a world and culture where everything serves a purpose and nothing is wasted. The accompanying battle is almost a side note when you’re sat there thinking about a lead whose sole purpose is to die sharpening a colleague’s skills for active duty. You don’t get to dwell on that too long though as Lyons adds a certain insidious xenos to the mix, giving us a nice little slice of ‘Alien’ action as well as showing us that sometimes (and even though it goes against the whole Krieg ethos), independent thought is the only thing that is going to guarantee. And fair play to Lyons for staying true to the setting and ending ‘Down Amongst the Dead Men’ in the only way that it could possibly end. It was still a real wrench but just wouldn’t have worked any other way.

‘Down Amongst the Dead Men’ is one of those tales where I’m glad that I had to spend a little time on the train and really get stuck in. A short, sharp burst of 40K fiction with a lot to chew on.