‘Death Warrant’ & ‘The Reaping Time’ – Robbie Macniven (Black Library)
The last couple of days have been more than a little busy, for good and bad reasons that left me no time for blogging; I’ll let you guess which were which ;o) Friday was work, followed by ‘Walking Dead Evening’ with my eldest daughter (finishing off Season 6 and making a start on Season 7). And Saturday was a day spent with both my daughters, we all needed that time more than I needed to post something here. I’m here now though :o)
There wasn’t a lot of time for reading, over the last couple of days, but the beauty of short stories is that I can always find time for a quick read. They don’t come a lot quicker than the short stories that Black Library put out. I’m not quite sure how I found my way back to Robbie Macniven’s ‘Carcharadons’ space marines tales, especially as I didn’t get on with ‘Red Tithe’ at all; I guess I’ve always had a soft spot for the concept of these killers in self-exile, guarding the frontiers of the Imperium, and that’s what ultimately led me to ‘Death Warrant’ & ‘The Reaping Time’. I wish I’d kept hold of my old copy ‘Red Tithe’ now; based on what I read here, I wouldn’t mind going back and giving it another read.
Quick thoughts follow for both tales…
‘Death Warrant’
Page Count: 34 Pages
On a deserted jungle moon, Rogue Trader Anjelika Trayn and her expedition unearth a legion of deathless horrors. The arrival of a squad of Space Marines seems like salvation, but the strange grey-clad killers may yet prove more deadly for Trayn than the ancient civilisation she has awoken.
Part ‘Indiana Jones’, part ‘The Terminator’ (which may will give the game away a little, sorry) and part space marines who may well hold humanity in just as much contempt as the xenos they are facing off against. The end result is a short sharp burst of action that really makes it clear how the cure can be at least as bad as the disease, if not worse. Not just that, ‘Death Warrant’ gives us a real feel for what lurks on the edges of the Imperium, whether it’s looking inwards, or out…
‘The Reaping Time’
Page Count: 32 Pages
The human Imperium is vast indeed, and not all worlds are happy with the terms that grant them the Emperor’s protection. When the Carcharadons land on the mining planet of Zartak, instead of being welcomed, they are treated with suspicion and hostility by its population of miners. What dark secrets does this planet hide, and how far will its inhabitants go to protect them, even if it means pitting themselves against such powerful adversaries as the Adeptus Astartes? With both sides pursuing their own agenda, bloody conflict can be the only outcome.
With a galactic bureaucracy the size of the Imperium, there is always scope for delayed communications, or just straight up miscommunication, to drive a tale in the best traditions of Warhammer 40K fiction. This is definitely the case here and while the outcome is never really in any doubt, the fun lies in reaching the destination. There is a lot happening here and continuity may well have taken a slight hit for it, don’t quote me though, I need to go back and have a re-read.
That’s a small quibble though as ‘The Reaping Time’ is a very entertaining read. Just watching how events unfold, just because two factions who are meant to be allies are not really talking to each other, makes for a compelling tale. And watching how the Carcharadons conduct themselves in the aftermath hearkens back to the whole ‘cure worse than the disease’ thing that I mentioned up the page. ‘The Reaping Time’ is good fun and definitely worth a look if you’re after reading about a Space Marine Chapter that are stone cold killers first, defenders of humanity second.
I will have to keep an eye open for ‘Red Tithe’ now, and give it another go.
There wasn’t a lot of time for reading, over the last couple of days, but the beauty of short stories is that I can always find time for a quick read. They don’t come a lot quicker than the short stories that Black Library put out. I’m not quite sure how I found my way back to Robbie Macniven’s ‘Carcharadons’ space marines tales, especially as I didn’t get on with ‘Red Tithe’ at all; I guess I’ve always had a soft spot for the concept of these killers in self-exile, guarding the frontiers of the Imperium, and that’s what ultimately led me to ‘Death Warrant’ & ‘The Reaping Time’. I wish I’d kept hold of my old copy ‘Red Tithe’ now; based on what I read here, I wouldn’t mind going back and giving it another read.
Quick thoughts follow for both tales…
‘Death Warrant’
Page Count: 34 Pages
On a deserted jungle moon, Rogue Trader Anjelika Trayn and her expedition unearth a legion of deathless horrors. The arrival of a squad of Space Marines seems like salvation, but the strange grey-clad killers may yet prove more deadly for Trayn than the ancient civilisation she has awoken.
Part ‘Indiana Jones’, part ‘The Terminator’ (which may will give the game away a little, sorry) and part space marines who may well hold humanity in just as much contempt as the xenos they are facing off against. The end result is a short sharp burst of action that really makes it clear how the cure can be at least as bad as the disease, if not worse. Not just that, ‘Death Warrant’ gives us a real feel for what lurks on the edges of the Imperium, whether it’s looking inwards, or out…
‘The Reaping Time’
Page Count: 32 Pages
The human Imperium is vast indeed, and not all worlds are happy with the terms that grant them the Emperor’s protection. When the Carcharadons land on the mining planet of Zartak, instead of being welcomed, they are treated with suspicion and hostility by its population of miners. What dark secrets does this planet hide, and how far will its inhabitants go to protect them, even if it means pitting themselves against such powerful adversaries as the Adeptus Astartes? With both sides pursuing their own agenda, bloody conflict can be the only outcome.
With a galactic bureaucracy the size of the Imperium, there is always scope for delayed communications, or just straight up miscommunication, to drive a tale in the best traditions of Warhammer 40K fiction. This is definitely the case here and while the outcome is never really in any doubt, the fun lies in reaching the destination. There is a lot happening here and continuity may well have taken a slight hit for it, don’t quote me though, I need to go back and have a re-read.
That’s a small quibble though as ‘The Reaping Time’ is a very entertaining read. Just watching how events unfold, just because two factions who are meant to be allies are not really talking to each other, makes for a compelling tale. And watching how the Carcharadons conduct themselves in the aftermath hearkens back to the whole ‘cure worse than the disease’ thing that I mentioned up the page. ‘The Reaping Time’ is good fun and definitely worth a look if you’re after reading about a Space Marine Chapter that are stone cold killers first, defenders of humanity second.
I will have to keep an eye open for ‘Red Tithe’ now, and give it another go.
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