‘Darkness Eternal – Stories from the 41st Millennium’ – Various (Black Library)

 

I try to vary my reading, as much as I can, but I can never stay away from the Black Library for too long :o) The ‘why’ is probably a post for another time but for now, lets just say that the setting very rarely lets me down when I’m in need of a decent tale.

I have a large pile of unread Warhammer books (40K, Age of Sigmar and even some Old World) and over the weekend, ‘Darkness Eternal’ had its turn in the spotlight; mostly because I was after bite sized stories but, being completely honest, I’d already read a few of the tales here and it was a slightly easier route to getting another book under my belt. I’ve got some momentum and I don’t want to lose it ;o)

So, blurb? Go on then…

In the grim darkness of the far future, the galaxy burns as its disparate races fight for resources, territory, and divine purpose. The Imperium faces threats both alien and heretic, and the touch of the warp is ever a moment from seeping into reality, with deadly consequences. Survival is earned in blood.

Darkness Eternal runs the gamut of the Warhammer 40,000 setting, featuring tales from Nate Crowley, Justin D Hill, Peter Fehervari, and many more. With a diverse range of characters from across dozens of factions, Darkness Eternal takes us into the worlds of the savage kroot, the ravenous tyranids, and the avaricious Leagues of Votann – and examines the Imperium of Man’s struggle for primacy against them all.

It feels like a real ‘cop-out’ to say this but it's how I feel so…

Anthologies are a bit of a lottery, aren’t they? I know how that comes across but it’s true; if you’re very lucky, you’ll open a collection where every story is a sure-fire hit and you’re all the better for the experience. More often though, you’ll open up a book where you’ll get a couple of hits and the rest will be average; not great but not bad either. And if you’re really unlucky, you’ll get a few tales that just don’t work at all. You’re either not a fan of the author or you’re not up for what they’ve written about. It’s not the book’s fault, you just can’t spread a net widely and hope to catch everything.

I got lucky with ‘Darkness Eternal’. There were no ‘misses’, just maybe not as many sure-fire hits as I would have liked. And you know what? That was ok :o) For me, anthologies are all about being able to dip in, for a quick read, and then put it down until the next one. This was never going to be a 'read in one sitting' book.

What I will say though is that ‘Darkness Eternal’ is a good way of getting some snapshots of the other factions making up the WH40K universe. This collection is less ‘human-centric’ than my normal fare and that made for a refreshing change. It’s also not just about massive pitched battles and that’s a side of this setting that I don’t often come across. If you’re after a wider picture of the setting, this could well be a book for you.

Quick thoughts follow on each of the collected stories...

One Million Years (Nate Crowley)

And there I was, thinking that Necrons are just soulless robots (well, apart from Trazyn the Infinite that is); ‘One Million Years’ absolutely proved me wrong. I’m not a huge Necron fan but I could be tempted if other books are like this story. I got a real insight into Necron culture along with an intriguing tale that still has me wondering.

Altar of Maws (Peter Fehervari)

A great reminder that the universe of 40K is vast and there is room for far more darkness than just the four powers of Chaos. The fact that there is so much that we don’t know here, really makes this tale all the more unsettling. And watching the Tau struggle with something outside their understanding makes things all the more engaging.

The Light of the Emperor (Darius Hinks)

What starts off as a face-off between Ultramarines and Tyranids is suddenly shown to have been a discussion around the stagnancy of the Imperium and how important knowledge is, no matter the source. The outcome isn’t in any doubt at all but it’s the food for thought that counts here.

The Devouring Void (Danie Ware)

Already reviewed over Here

Own Worst Enemy (Denny Flowers)

I really need to read ‘Above and Beyond’… ‘Own Worst Enemy’ was fun but over too quickly to make much sense (although I could easily have missed the point). I reckon a full length novel would make all the difference in telling us more about Lucille von Shard.

Arcady Pride (Justin D Hill)

Justin Hill was one of the authors I was really looking forward to reading here and… ‘Arcady Pride’ does exactly what it needs to and you really get a feel for Minka Lesk and how she is dealing with the fall of her homeworld. The thing is… If this had been the first ‘Fall of Cadia’ story I’d read, it would have blown me away. As it is, I know how it went down so ‘Arcady Pride’ lost a little of that impact. That’s not the story’s fault though.

Nightsider Imperialis (Victoria Hayward)

Already reviewed over Here.

A Forbidden Meal (Carrie Harris)

I’ve come across the Kroot before but only really in passing so I was looking forward to getting stuck in. ‘A Forbidden Meal’ wasn’t a standout tale but still an interesting look at a faction that I’ve only seen in a supporting role.

Eradicant (R S Wilt)

Already reviewed over Here. This tale was a nice reminder that I really need to pick up ‘Final Deployment for a read…

The Convocation (Tammy Nicholls)

Again, I’ve already reviewed this tale over Here.

Stealing Orpheon (Richard Ford)

‘Stealing Orpheon’ was a real surprise; Ford isn’t a hundred percent comfortable in the setting, yet, but the tale is still full of intrigue, and menace, with an ending that I didn’t see coming at all. I’m not sure how much mileage there is in Katta Myron but I’d happily read another short story, at least.

Lessons of Rorphax (Callum Davis)

This is a very important tale in terms of the introduction of the Primaris Marines. Marines don’t just gel with their Battle Brothers immediately and ‘Lessons’ takes a real deep dive into what this means. There’s a lot going on here that’s worth sticking with; it’s a bit of a shame that it’s told in such a dry manner. It’s perfect when placed in context, just not particularly engaging…

Devilhunter (Nicholas Wolf)

And we finish on another tale focusing on the ‘Greater Good’ of the Tau, this time with a little Tyranid action to complement it. I absolutely loved ‘Devilhunter’ and its mix of all the best bits of ‘Predator’ and ‘Alien’ movies. A little lesson in the perils of arrogance as well, this was a great story to end the collection on.