Books, more short stories

Posted on January 5, 2015 Updated on December 30, 2014

So, Iv again been flying through short stories. I like them because it allows for a broad variety of reading and also it means I can get through them quickly whilst on the toilet (where I do most of my reading)

birth of a legend by gav Thorpe fantasy

An origin story, which are so often dull. This one was ok, it was for a major character but used him as a normal character growing into a role. It was a little dated as a story, but still enjoyable.

haute cuisine by robert earl fantasy

A ship returns from lustria- home of the lizardmen- and throws an egg overboard. A year later lizardmen are roaming the sewers and scavenging and killing bretonnians. The stories not original, but the focus on the two individuals sent to find the source rather than the killings at least gave it a different edge.

paradise lost by andy jones fantasy

Apparently grunssons marauders are a big deal, I’d not heard of them and I didn’t see the fuss. It was an ok story really, a band of warriors from a variety of races and backgrounds are lost at sea and down on their luck before encountering a pirate who makes them suffer and then they wash up on an island teeming with lizards. This was clearly written about the time lizardmen were introduced to the world as they aren’t really unique, instead being fairly humanised.

the shadow in the glass by Steve Lyons 40k (sort of)

I thought I’d written about this one, so just in case I’ll keep it short. This was a backwater planet with no technology so it barely fits into 40k, but I enjoyed it more because it showed the overpowering nature of the inquisition. It’s a story Iv heard before but setting and style in the warhammer universe gave it an original edge.

vermillion by ben counter 40k

A space marine detachment arrives at an inquisitorial facility too late and discover no answers. One surviving alien is found and a librarian tries to find out what happened. It was a simple concept, but it spend a lot of time developing the format of mind to mind communication. More of a background piece than an actual story

Stromfels teeth by josh Reynolds fantasy

Citizens of the empire start turning into monstrous shark creatures and wreaking havoc so a knight and a priestess hunt out the cause. Lots of violent blood, and a few names that Iv heard before (in dead calm I believe). Somewhere I believe I have full books with the same characters so I’ll be interested to get to them

Irixa by Ben Counter 40k

Lysander of the imperial fists speaks to some potential scouts about marines making choices that could affect lives and worlds. It leaves both retrospectives open to a ‘right or wrong’ argument before providing another without an answer, before then revealing the choice that was made in the last few lines. To be honest this was a bit dull- partly because nothing actually happened and partly because generally the imperial fists feel to me to be a little characterless. However it seems to follow on directly from the invasion of the phalanx by a daemonic force during the soul drinkers series

Thunder from Fenris by Nick Kyme 40k

I’d read this before, all the way through I knew it but couldn’t remember the ending. A small number of space wolves thunderwolf cavalry are preparing to leave a world they have been involved in liberating from a zombie invasion, but first they must track down a rogue brother who has turned wulfen. What they can’t decide is whether he is running or leading them to something. Normally I’m not a fan of the space wolves, but I did enjoy this, probably because it dealt with their imperfections and the aspects of their chapter that suggest they are a far from safe ‘good guy’

In Hrondirs Tomb by Mark Clapham 40k

More space wolves. The story starts with some wolves in a battle against Tau, which I figured would be quite dull (either the wolves get close and slaughter the Tau or they don’t and get shot). Instead the wolves run away from a Hammerhead and end up trapped in a large tomb to a Space Marine Terminator and working alongside the Inquisition to fight a Daemon. Given the mutual distrust between the two there was a little tension, though I feel it could have been heightened slightly more before moving on. Still there were some good moments, even if it ended rather abruptly.

That’s it for short stories for now as the Ahriman sequel is finally here and will be next in my hand.