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Black Library Advent Calendar 2019 #26
The Oubliette
A chilling Warhammer Horror novel set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Do you dare cross the threshold of The Oubliette?
With the death of Ruprekt Matkosen, his daughter Ashielle is now the Lord Governor of Ceocan. Her father’s murderers still lurk in the shadows, threatening not only her rule but every mortal soul under her protection. Even her own people cannot be trusted: any one of them may be part of the poisonous plot to destroy her family.
Deep beneath the palace, locked away from all human contact, Ashielle finds a weapon unlike any other: a monster, more adept at hunting in the darkness than any assassin. Allying with such a horror is surely blasphemy. But with doom lurking around every corner, Ashielle is forced to revive an ancient pact with the beast. But she soon discovers that her family’s mortal enemies are not the only evil that hungers to consume her.
With the death of Ruprekt Matkosen, his daughter Ashielle is now the Lord Governor of Ceocan. Her father’s murderers still lurk in the shadows, threatening not only her rule but every mortal soul under her protection. Even her own people cannot be trusted: any one of them may be part of the poisonous plot to destroy her family.
Deep beneath the palace, locked away from all human contact, Ashielle finds a weapon unlike any other: a monster, more adept at hunting in the darkness than any assassin. Allying with such a horror is surely blasphemy. But with doom lurking around every corner, Ashielle is forced to revive an ancient pact with the beast. But she soon discovers that her family’s mortal enemies are not the only evil that hungers to consume her.
252 pages, Hardcover
First published December 26, 2019
About the author
J.C. Stearns
22 books20 followersJim Stearns started writing for Black Library in 2016. He lives in Illinois.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
February 25, 2020
I dearly wish I could like this novel more. It does many things right that I enjoy. The politics are intriguing and the characters are established well enough early on. Where it falls apart is with its disproportionate use of the horror element, and the characters feeling more underdeveloped the further the plot progresses.
Especially in the second half, I could not keep myself from thinking the book needed additional chapters, or even just pages, simply to properly establish some key players, their mindsets, doubts and fears.
Ashielle's own development happens abruptly, in my eyes, lacking a more natural struggle. Certain characters and the threats emanating from them play mostly off-stage, with the reader seeing little of relevance from them between introduction and conclusion. For a novel that attempts to highlight its protagonist's fall into depravity and abuse of heretical forces, it falls just short of realizing its potential. More often than not the pressure on Ashielle is rather intangible, talked about but not really felt. The immense pressure from inheriting her position unexpectedly, the politics, her brother's suspicion, the loss of her trusted staff, the weight of the responsibility her father left her.... All the elements for her to snap are in place. I just didn't feel like they were played up as much as they needed to when it came down to the snapping.
If I had to make one fix, to smooth out the protagonist's own arc properly and recontextualize the antagonists and supporting characters, it would be this:
Instead, I felt the climax was a bit of a let-down, although I really enjoyed the brief, final chapter, as it married the two sides of Ashielle's personality neatly.
I really wish I could admire the book more, though. It's not a bad novel, or one I didn't enjoy a great deal. But as far as the horror goes, it felt much weaker than its companions in the Warhammer Horror imprint. It did not have the thick, unnerving atmosphere of Dark Harvest. It did not provide the element of body horror or use of darker powers that Castle of Blood provided. And it certainly didn't play on the level of The House of Night and Chain when it comes to its protagonist's mental decline and the increasing amounts of stress and fright. It did very well in the department of politics and establishing court intrigues, but it would have done so with or without the Oubliette. And that, really, is my biggest disappointment.
Especially in the second half, I could not keep myself from thinking the book needed additional chapters, or even just pages, simply to properly establish some key players, their mindsets, doubts and fears.
Ashielle's own development happens abruptly, in my eyes, lacking a more natural struggle. Certain characters and the threats emanating from them play mostly off-stage, with the reader seeing little of relevance from them between introduction and conclusion. For a novel that attempts to highlight its protagonist's fall into depravity and abuse of heretical forces, it falls just short of realizing its potential. More often than not the pressure on Ashielle is rather intangible, talked about but not really felt. The immense pressure from inheriting her position unexpectedly, the politics, her brother's suspicion, the loss of her trusted staff, the weight of the responsibility her father left her.... All the elements for her to snap are in place. I just didn't feel like they were played up as much as they needed to when it came down to the snapping.
If I had to make one fix, to smooth out the protagonist's own arc properly and recontextualize the antagonists and supporting characters, it would be this:
Instead, I felt the climax was a bit of a let-down, although I really enjoyed the brief, final chapter, as it married the two sides of Ashielle's personality neatly.
I really wish I could admire the book more, though. It's not a bad novel, or one I didn't enjoy a great deal. But as far as the horror goes, it felt much weaker than its companions in the Warhammer Horror imprint. It did not have the thick, unnerving atmosphere of Dark Harvest. It did not provide the element of body horror or use of darker powers that Castle of Blood provided. And it certainly didn't play on the level of The House of Night and Chain when it comes to its protagonist's mental decline and the increasing amounts of stress and fright. It did very well in the department of politics and establishing court intrigues, but it would have done so with or without the Oubliette. And that, really, is my biggest disappointment.
March 2, 2020
ARC provided by NetGalley and Black Library. All opinions are mine and freely given.
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"Abandon hope. Do not trust to faith. Sacrifices burn on pyres of madness, rotting corpses stir in unquiet graves. Daemonic abominations leer with rictus grins and stare into the eyes of the accursed. And the Ruinous Gods, with indifference, look on."
03-02: As I'd never explored anything from the Warhammer 40,000 universe before, yet heard so much about it from a long-time friend of mine, I was eager to experience a bit of it for myself when I saw the opportunity arise. 'The Oubliette' by J.C. Stearns was just such opportunity.
The cover depicts a seemingly large, dark hand.. clutching what seems to be a fallen being of fair hair and skin dressed in formal attire.. reaching for a pendant or something they have dropped which is about to slip away. The novel, listed under Warhammer horror, opens with the funeral for a highly regarded governor of the populace of a planet called Ceocan. It's viewed from the perspective of his daughter, who in what is perhaps some strange twist of fate, has found herself inheriting his role due to the death of both him and her eldest brother.
A younger sibling has also returned for the funeral. Having been sent away as an 'extra heir,' upon his arrival we find him to be an arbitrator, this world's version of an officer in charge of investigating incidents of just such magnitude. Though in this case, as a conflict of interest, it's not something he'd be able to become involved with despite his sister's certainty there was foul play afoot.
Normally, I lose interest with a lot of political intrigue, but the aristocrats amongst the Ceocan community are complex creatures. I enjoyed watching the battle even in what were essentially parliament style meetings between the various speakers of both the great and small houses. It was fascinating to watch them dance and duel verbally, utilizing not only their words.. but their social weight.. the volumes of their voices.. and the maneuvering of others around them.
It put me in mind of the great Senate meetings in Star Wars actually and since the original Warhammer Fantasy Battle tabletop game originated within years of the first Star Wars film, it's not unreasonable to think the creator may have taken some inspiration from it. Though, it could just as easily have been inspired by the Senates of Rome or some other real ancient ruling body.
"At the apex of the facade, the Emperor of Mankind stood in profile, His noble gaze cast to the east. In the middle of the night on Reunification Day, His gaze into the night sky lined up with the direction of Holy Terra, His graven visage seeing the distant star that mortal eyes could never discern in the blackness. Behind Him, the great aquila spread its bronze wings."
Though the violent crescendos throughout the story are brief, they are absolute. They are crisply detailed making the visuals unavoidable and lending themselves to the memory for some time.
While the supernatural horrors contained in the telling are highly imaginative, the ties that bind are a bit of rather brutal fun for the reader, so long as we're not overly squeamish.
There's a great deal of conflict, both inner and external. Enemies and friends alike, faced with unenviable choices of realignment or action, sometimes to a surprising result. Loyalties tested, mettle tested, even hands being forced by circumstance to choose pragmatism or failure at some crucial junction.
"Her father had had a saying: When conspiracy goes abroad, coincidence is the mask it wears, and she was beginning to see the wisdom in it."
This is an excellent story.. full of all the darkness and light that can be at war within.. elegantly crafted in the style of some of the most timeless classic horror novels I've ever read. I'd highly recommend it to any horror buff who isn't just looking for a jump scare, but rather a slow dawning realization of the state of one's moral compass.
PURCHASE LINKS:
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | WATERSTONES
--------------------
03-01: I've never read a Warhammer story before.. never played the classic tabletop game.. or painted any of the amazing miniatures, but I have a long-time friend who loves them. I happened to see this one show up in NetGalley's listings.. and it looked fascinating..
January 23, 2020
The Oubliette (Warhammer Horror)
J. C. Stearns
Black Library
The Warhammer Horror imprint has been one of my favourite new developments coming from Black Library, only narrowly beaten by the two Novella Series’ that were released in 2018 and 2019 and which helped draw me back into the Warhammer fiction fold. Although the Warhammer settings (principally 40,000 and Age of Sigmar) have a general underpinning of cosmic and supernatural horror (40,000 was one of the originators of the term Grimdark, after all) I don’t believe that any Warhammer fiction could ever really fully utilise that horror before the creation of Warhammer Horror because it was always inevitably restrained by the need to advance a certain meta narrative for the settings overarching plot, or to advertise a new unit or campaign or model released by Games Workshop.
As such, I was excited by the idea of a series of titles unhindered by the requirements of the games developer; shorn of those limitations, surely we would be able to see new and veteran authors alike develop terrifying and unsettling horror stories using the 40,000 and Age of Sigmar universes? Fortuitously that is indeed what happened, and I’ve become such a cheerleader for the imprint that I’m determined to review every novel, anthology and audio drama that is released as part of Warhammer Horror. The latest title, released on Boxing Day 2019, was The Oubliette by J.C. Stearns, a new author to Black Library but one whose stories have already impressed me. His short story The Marauder Liveswas a highlight of the Maledictions anthology because of its subtle blend of psychological horror and character-driven plot, and as such I looked forward to seeing what Stearns could do with a full-length novel.
The cover illustration for The Oublietteis one of the most arresting pieces of art I’ve seen in quite some time. The Warhammer Horror titles have had uniformly high-quality illustrations used for their covers, but this piece is by far the best I’ve seen, both for the imprint and Black Library titles in general. What at first glance I took to be a multi-hued flower of some kind is instead a stunning illustration of a woman in a petticoat falling through darkness, a spectral hand grasping at her as she falls. Some kind of pendant or jewellery piece falls with her, just out of her desperate reach. It’s a hugely evocative and memorable piece, and really brought me into Stearn’s tale before I’d even started reading, aided by an intriguing back-cover blurb. Ashielle Matkosen is now the new Governor of the planet of Ceocan, unprepared for the harsh realities of ruling a planet in the God-Emperor’s name and faced by enemies in every direction. A pact with an ancient monstrosity under the Governor’s Palace may hold the key to surviving the treachery of her family, friends and enemies, but – this being Warhammer 40,000 – can only have dire consequences for her and the world in general.
The Oubliette opens with an Administratum document that handily summarises the planet Ceocan and its population, highlighting that it’s an agri-world that produces a nutrient paste for Mechanicus workers and Tech-priests, with a small population that doesn’t seem to have any real hardships. It’s a deft move by Stearns as it makes a nice change from the warn-out trope of war-torn, Chaos-blighted worlds that usually feature in Warhammer 40,000 novels, and contrasts nicely with the coming darkness, thereby making it all the more shocking. With the death of her father, Ashielle now takes her place as Governor of Ceocan, and realises that political manoeuvring against her has begun even before her father is in his grave; she has no allies save her younger brother who offers no support, and is socially and professionally isolated at the exact moment she needs help the most. Assassins are soon coming for her and those few she trusts, and in desperation she finds herself throwing her lot in with something ancient, abominable and heretical lurking in the depths of the ancient labyrinth underneath her Palace. It saves her life – but at a cost she cannot even begin to fathom, and one which becomes more and more sinister and beguiling as time passes and her enemies draw closer and closer to ending her short reign as Governor.
One of the best elements of The Oubliette is the richness and depth of the world-building to be found in the novel, with Stearns deftly and engagingly building up a portrait of Ceocan and its population. As the plot progresses, we get to see a minor planet that’s been all but forgotten by the wider Imperium, valued only vaguely for its agricultural output. As a result, lack of oversight has allowed the planetary elites to ossify and become decadent and corrupt even before the actual Chaos being underneath the Palace comes into play. Stearns shows us a quasi-feudal state that is dominated by the subtle snobbery of the planetary elite and the perilous, isolated existence of the Matkosen family as the hereditary Governors encircled by vicious enemy families. This is a society where even the order of speaking in a conversation can lead to a loss of prestige or social problems, and the cut and thrust of politics has prevented anything but the most conservative form of economic and social development. Stearns has a masterful eye for barbed wits and cutting comments, writing natural and multi-layered conversations between socialites, elites and politicians that develops the planet into something unique and memorable compared to the settings of many other Black Library titles. This is also a world that has an original and strikingly impressive Pre-Imperial History that Stearns weaves into the narrative and then leads to a number of major plot-twists in a manner that I don’t think I’ve seen done before in Warhammer fiction; or if it has been done, then never as well as this.
So the world-building is absolutely first-rate, and the plot is evenly-paced and moves along at a nice pace, with some rather cunning and surprising plot twists that actually surprised me in places and weren’t telegraphed at all: again, that’s rather rare in Warhammer fiction and something that seems to be common in the Warhammer Horror imprint. The characters are also first-rate, well-developed and multidimensional people that never really fall into the clichés that often dominate Warhammer fiction. Ashielle is a fantastic protagonist who’s character develops significantly through the plot of the novel, and her decisions always seem to be organic to the world-building that Stearns has created, rather than because the plot summary and remaining word-count demand it. The abomination itself is also a fascinating character because, while at first it just seems to be the usual tropey warp spawn seen in a hundred Black Library titles, it slowly develops into a genuinely repulsive creation that Stearns imbues with a sardonic personality and a merciless lethality that the new Governor comes to rely upon. It’s entirely alien nature really comes across in the text, as does its instinctive sadism, and its imbued with this raw, primal energy that left a real impression on me days after finishing the novel.
There’s so much more I’d like to say about The Oubliette, but I fear to do so would both bore you as a reader, and spoil some of the best bits within the novel. It really is a fantastic read, even more impressive when you consider that this is Stearns’ first novel for Black Library, and given the thought, detail and passion that the author has clearly put into it I expect to see much more from him in the near future. Indeed, given that one of the best plot elements of The Oubliette is the investigation by a veteran Arbites into the murders committed by the Chaos creature, Stearns seems like the obvious candidate to write a novel for the Warhammer Crime imprint starting later in 2020. Multi-layered, deftly paced and with some incredibly dark and grimly shocking moments of both cosmic and human horror, The Oubliette is a superb debut novel by a talented and skilful author, one who joins the ranks of other impressive newcomers to Black Library such as Thomas Parrott, Nate Crowley and Richard W. Strachan.
J. C. Stearns
Black Library
The Warhammer Horror imprint has been one of my favourite new developments coming from Black Library, only narrowly beaten by the two Novella Series’ that were released in 2018 and 2019 and which helped draw me back into the Warhammer fiction fold. Although the Warhammer settings (principally 40,000 and Age of Sigmar) have a general underpinning of cosmic and supernatural horror (40,000 was one of the originators of the term Grimdark, after all) I don’t believe that any Warhammer fiction could ever really fully utilise that horror before the creation of Warhammer Horror because it was always inevitably restrained by the need to advance a certain meta narrative for the settings overarching plot, or to advertise a new unit or campaign or model released by Games Workshop.
As such, I was excited by the idea of a series of titles unhindered by the requirements of the games developer; shorn of those limitations, surely we would be able to see new and veteran authors alike develop terrifying and unsettling horror stories using the 40,000 and Age of Sigmar universes? Fortuitously that is indeed what happened, and I’ve become such a cheerleader for the imprint that I’m determined to review every novel, anthology and audio drama that is released as part of Warhammer Horror. The latest title, released on Boxing Day 2019, was The Oubliette by J.C. Stearns, a new author to Black Library but one whose stories have already impressed me. His short story The Marauder Liveswas a highlight of the Maledictions anthology because of its subtle blend of psychological horror and character-driven plot, and as such I looked forward to seeing what Stearns could do with a full-length novel.
The cover illustration for The Oublietteis one of the most arresting pieces of art I’ve seen in quite some time. The Warhammer Horror titles have had uniformly high-quality illustrations used for their covers, but this piece is by far the best I’ve seen, both for the imprint and Black Library titles in general. What at first glance I took to be a multi-hued flower of some kind is instead a stunning illustration of a woman in a petticoat falling through darkness, a spectral hand grasping at her as she falls. Some kind of pendant or jewellery piece falls with her, just out of her desperate reach. It’s a hugely evocative and memorable piece, and really brought me into Stearn’s tale before I’d even started reading, aided by an intriguing back-cover blurb. Ashielle Matkosen is now the new Governor of the planet of Ceocan, unprepared for the harsh realities of ruling a planet in the God-Emperor’s name and faced by enemies in every direction. A pact with an ancient monstrosity under the Governor’s Palace may hold the key to surviving the treachery of her family, friends and enemies, but – this being Warhammer 40,000 – can only have dire consequences for her and the world in general.
The Oubliette opens with an Administratum document that handily summarises the planet Ceocan and its population, highlighting that it’s an agri-world that produces a nutrient paste for Mechanicus workers and Tech-priests, with a small population that doesn’t seem to have any real hardships. It’s a deft move by Stearns as it makes a nice change from the warn-out trope of war-torn, Chaos-blighted worlds that usually feature in Warhammer 40,000 novels, and contrasts nicely with the coming darkness, thereby making it all the more shocking. With the death of her father, Ashielle now takes her place as Governor of Ceocan, and realises that political manoeuvring against her has begun even before her father is in his grave; she has no allies save her younger brother who offers no support, and is socially and professionally isolated at the exact moment she needs help the most. Assassins are soon coming for her and those few she trusts, and in desperation she finds herself throwing her lot in with something ancient, abominable and heretical lurking in the depths of the ancient labyrinth underneath her Palace. It saves her life – but at a cost she cannot even begin to fathom, and one which becomes more and more sinister and beguiling as time passes and her enemies draw closer and closer to ending her short reign as Governor.
One of the best elements of The Oubliette is the richness and depth of the world-building to be found in the novel, with Stearns deftly and engagingly building up a portrait of Ceocan and its population. As the plot progresses, we get to see a minor planet that’s been all but forgotten by the wider Imperium, valued only vaguely for its agricultural output. As a result, lack of oversight has allowed the planetary elites to ossify and become decadent and corrupt even before the actual Chaos being underneath the Palace comes into play. Stearns shows us a quasi-feudal state that is dominated by the subtle snobbery of the planetary elite and the perilous, isolated existence of the Matkosen family as the hereditary Governors encircled by vicious enemy families. This is a society where even the order of speaking in a conversation can lead to a loss of prestige or social problems, and the cut and thrust of politics has prevented anything but the most conservative form of economic and social development. Stearns has a masterful eye for barbed wits and cutting comments, writing natural and multi-layered conversations between socialites, elites and politicians that develops the planet into something unique and memorable compared to the settings of many other Black Library titles. This is also a world that has an original and strikingly impressive Pre-Imperial History that Stearns weaves into the narrative and then leads to a number of major plot-twists in a manner that I don’t think I’ve seen done before in Warhammer fiction; or if it has been done, then never as well as this.
So the world-building is absolutely first-rate, and the plot is evenly-paced and moves along at a nice pace, with some rather cunning and surprising plot twists that actually surprised me in places and weren’t telegraphed at all: again, that’s rather rare in Warhammer fiction and something that seems to be common in the Warhammer Horror imprint. The characters are also first-rate, well-developed and multidimensional people that never really fall into the clichés that often dominate Warhammer fiction. Ashielle is a fantastic protagonist who’s character develops significantly through the plot of the novel, and her decisions always seem to be organic to the world-building that Stearns has created, rather than because the plot summary and remaining word-count demand it. The abomination itself is also a fascinating character because, while at first it just seems to be the usual tropey warp spawn seen in a hundred Black Library titles, it slowly develops into a genuinely repulsive creation that Stearns imbues with a sardonic personality and a merciless lethality that the new Governor comes to rely upon. It’s entirely alien nature really comes across in the text, as does its instinctive sadism, and its imbued with this raw, primal energy that left a real impression on me days after finishing the novel.
There’s so much more I’d like to say about The Oubliette, but I fear to do so would both bore you as a reader, and spoil some of the best bits within the novel. It really is a fantastic read, even more impressive when you consider that this is Stearns’ first novel for Black Library, and given the thought, detail and passion that the author has clearly put into it I expect to see much more from him in the near future. Indeed, given that one of the best plot elements of The Oubliette is the investigation by a veteran Arbites into the murders committed by the Chaos creature, Stearns seems like the obvious candidate to write a novel for the Warhammer Crime imprint starting later in 2020. Multi-layered, deftly paced and with some incredibly dark and grimly shocking moments of both cosmic and human horror, The Oubliette is a superb debut novel by a talented and skilful author, one who joins the ranks of other impressive newcomers to Black Library such as Thomas Parrott, Nate Crowley and Richard W. Strachan.
March 8, 2020
Part of the growing Warhammer Horror range, The Oubliette is JC Stearns’ debut Black Library novel, a grim tale of bitter political rivalry on an isolated Imperial world. With her father and older brother dead in suspicious circumstances, Ashielle Matkosen takes up the mantle of Governor of Ceocan, trying to process her grief even as she fights to establish her reign with political enemies all around. When those enemies threaten her life, as well as her position, in desperation Ashielle turns to an ancient presence she encounters in the darkness under the palace; a creature with the power to protect her, but whose assistance comes with a high cost.
It’s essentially a morality tale – demonstrating how easily determination can turn to desperation, how one bad decision, though made with the best of intentions, can lead to damnation. Of course this is 40k and Black Library, so damnation comes in the guise of a very real, tangible evil. It’s not outright scary, certainly not in terms of jump scares or excessively graphic gore, the horror elements more about the slow descent into darkness and the underlying ghastliness of 40k. The overarching plot is excellent, it just all feels a little rushed, and could really have benefited from a longer word count to give characters more space to develop in order for arcs, relationships and individual moments to have greater impact. It’s all good…there’s just always a sense that it could have been even better in a longer format.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2020/03/...
It’s essentially a morality tale – demonstrating how easily determination can turn to desperation, how one bad decision, though made with the best of intentions, can lead to damnation. Of course this is 40k and Black Library, so damnation comes in the guise of a very real, tangible evil. It’s not outright scary, certainly not in terms of jump scares or excessively graphic gore, the horror elements more about the slow descent into darkness and the underlying ghastliness of 40k. The overarching plot is excellent, it just all feels a little rushed, and could really have benefited from a longer word count to give characters more space to develop in order for arcs, relationships and individual moments to have greater impact. It’s all good…there’s just always a sense that it could have been even better in a longer format.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2020/03/...
January 16, 2020
For transparency purposes, I was granted a free review copy of this book, and while I am grateful for the opportunity, it will not colour my review beyond the fact that I have taken a bit more time to collect my thoughts.
This was my first foray into Warhammer Horror, a label of the Black Library that I had previously overlooked as I had wrongly assumed that all of the titles in the series would be set in Warhammer Fantasy or Age Of Sigmar; and as I am only mortal, I tend to stick to the Warhammer 40,000 & Horus Heresy titles, simply out of lack of infinite reading time. So I was pleasantly surprised to discover that The Oubliette was set in the grim darkness of the 41st millennium.
I went into this book expecting horror, as it was my first Warhammer Horror title I didn’t know where Black Library would be pitching the level of horror/adult content given that a significant portion of Games Workshop’s player base is young adult. Considering the general darkness of the setting, it would have been tricky to amp up the body horror without becoming excessive in the gore and violence. J.C. Stearns paints a different kind of horror, a more psychological horror.
In Black Library’s fiction have often been presented with villains, sometimes even as a main character. It is a rare to see the protagonists slow slide from an act of desperation, through post-act rationalisation, to Machiavellian cruelty; starting a heroine, and ending the very villains she set out to defeat. Much like Walter White in Breaking Bad, Governor Ashielle’s decent into villainy is paced and believable, with every evil deed seemingly the only logical choice in the moment. The writing style mimics Ashielle’s fall, slower and more considered in the beginning, moving almost in real time; becoming faster and looser, with bigger and bigger time jumps, as her first step into darkness turns into a ever more frantic tumble downwards.
I saw a couple of the twists and turns coming, but was still caught off guard by others. It was also nice to see so many female characters, and not just female for the sake of being female; once again Black Library is ahead of their miniature producing counterparts in representation. Flavour wise it felt no less a Warhammer 40,000 book for being a horror story, and no less a horror story for being set in a science fiction setting.
This was my first foray into Warhammer Horror, a label of the Black Library that I had previously overlooked as I had wrongly assumed that all of the titles in the series would be set in Warhammer Fantasy or Age Of Sigmar; and as I am only mortal, I tend to stick to the Warhammer 40,000 & Horus Heresy titles, simply out of lack of infinite reading time. So I was pleasantly surprised to discover that The Oubliette was set in the grim darkness of the 41st millennium.
I went into this book expecting horror, as it was my first Warhammer Horror title I didn’t know where Black Library would be pitching the level of horror/adult content given that a significant portion of Games Workshop’s player base is young adult. Considering the general darkness of the setting, it would have been tricky to amp up the body horror without becoming excessive in the gore and violence. J.C. Stearns paints a different kind of horror, a more psychological horror.
In Black Library’s fiction have often been presented with villains, sometimes even as a main character. It is a rare to see the protagonists slow slide from an act of desperation, through post-act rationalisation, to Machiavellian cruelty; starting a heroine, and ending the very villains she set out to defeat. Much like Walter White in Breaking Bad, Governor Ashielle’s decent into villainy is paced and believable, with every evil deed seemingly the only logical choice in the moment. The writing style mimics Ashielle’s fall, slower and more considered in the beginning, moving almost in real time; becoming faster and looser, with bigger and bigger time jumps, as her first step into darkness turns into a ever more frantic tumble downwards.
I saw a couple of the twists and turns coming, but was still caught off guard by others. It was also nice to see so many female characters, and not just female for the sake of being female; once again Black Library is ahead of their miniature producing counterparts in representation. Flavour wise it felt no less a Warhammer 40,000 book for being a horror story, and no less a horror story for being set in a science fiction setting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2020
I received a copy of The Oubliette through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The Oubliette is the latest novel to hit the Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Horror series. Written by J.C. Sterns, this is a graphic tale of what can go wrong, when a planet is left to its own devices for too long. Or perhaps it’s a tale of politics and temptation. You be the judge.
Ceocan has long run smoothly and efficiently. They meet their quota, and as such are essentially left to their own devices. But with the death of the Lord Governor, that is all at risk. But as with any tale of politics, will it be noticed before it is too late?
Ashielle just lost her father and eldest brother. She hadn’t expected to take on the role of Lord Governor, but thanks to that unfortunate series of events (which she has great suspicions about), she must do exactly that.
Ashielle will have to play the politics game in order to keep her planet afloat. But when danger strikes too close to her heart, a new darkness seeps in. And with it, the temptation to use it.
“Make your offering of flesh and blood. Of life. And the darkness shall descend where you command, leaving only whom you wish.”
Warnings: The Oubliette is a horror novel through and through. As such, it does contain some more graphic details. Most of them involve graphic details of death or gore.
The Oubliette was a mesmerizing read. This is a book that I simply couldn’t put down, or get out of my head. Even when I wasn’t reading it, I found myself wondering what was going to happen next. What turn of fate was in store for Ashielle. Or what drastic action she would take next.
I’m quickly learning that the horror novels coming out of Warhammer are my favorites. The chilling tones add an extra layer to this world, making them all the more thrilling and captivating. The Oubliette is no exception. As a happy side note, The Oubliette also features my favorite cover thus far.
This was honestly a chilling read, from start to finish. It had so many twists and turns. Some of them were predictable, but many were not. I actually suspect that the predictable elements were thrown in with intent – to trick us into a false sense of security. Or perhaps this story made me as paranoid as some of the characters within.
It was thrilling trying to figure out what was going to happen, and what the intent of the ‘other’ was in this novel. I love novels such as this, where much of the truth is intentionally obfuscated. The addition of the politics and scheming really enhanced the sense of dread, something I hadn’t anticipated, by very much appreciated.
I really enjoyed reading The Oubliette, and find myself eagerly looking forward to seeing what the next novel will be from Warhammer Horror. I’m also going to be adding J.C. Sterns to my list of authors to keep an eye on.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
The Oubliette is the latest novel to hit the Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Horror series. Written by J.C. Sterns, this is a graphic tale of what can go wrong, when a planet is left to its own devices for too long. Or perhaps it’s a tale of politics and temptation. You be the judge.
Ceocan has long run smoothly and efficiently. They meet their quota, and as such are essentially left to their own devices. But with the death of the Lord Governor, that is all at risk. But as with any tale of politics, will it be noticed before it is too late?
Ashielle just lost her father and eldest brother. She hadn’t expected to take on the role of Lord Governor, but thanks to that unfortunate series of events (which she has great suspicions about), she must do exactly that.
Ashielle will have to play the politics game in order to keep her planet afloat. But when danger strikes too close to her heart, a new darkness seeps in. And with it, the temptation to use it.
“Make your offering of flesh and blood. Of life. And the darkness shall descend where you command, leaving only whom you wish.”
Warnings: The Oubliette is a horror novel through and through. As such, it does contain some more graphic details. Most of them involve graphic details of death or gore.
The Oubliette was a mesmerizing read. This is a book that I simply couldn’t put down, or get out of my head. Even when I wasn’t reading it, I found myself wondering what was going to happen next. What turn of fate was in store for Ashielle. Or what drastic action she would take next.
I’m quickly learning that the horror novels coming out of Warhammer are my favorites. The chilling tones add an extra layer to this world, making them all the more thrilling and captivating. The Oubliette is no exception. As a happy side note, The Oubliette also features my favorite cover thus far.
This was honestly a chilling read, from start to finish. It had so many twists and turns. Some of them were predictable, but many were not. I actually suspect that the predictable elements were thrown in with intent – to trick us into a false sense of security. Or perhaps this story made me as paranoid as some of the characters within.
It was thrilling trying to figure out what was going to happen, and what the intent of the ‘other’ was in this novel. I love novels such as this, where much of the truth is intentionally obfuscated. The addition of the politics and scheming really enhanced the sense of dread, something I hadn’t anticipated, by very much appreciated.
I really enjoyed reading The Oubliette, and find myself eagerly looking forward to seeing what the next novel will be from Warhammer Horror. I’m also going to be adding J.C. Sterns to my list of authors to keep an eye on.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
July 8, 2022
Not bad, the beginning is VERY slow and the ending is a little rushed. But the story is solid and enjoyable. if you can make it through the minutiae of houses and history that make up the first third of the book, you are rewarded with a delightfully dark descent into horror and brutality. It could have used a good editor, but otherwise a great read.
September 10, 2024
This was EXCELLENT. Such a good angle for a Warhammer horror story with plenty of immensely enjoyable politicking and a non-demon related horror element.
Great characters with a story that kept me both engaged and guessing the whole time.
Great characters with a story that kept me both engaged and guessing the whole time.
February 4, 2020
Though reading more like a thriller with supernatural elements than horror as such (an atmosphere much better captured by Dark Harvest) I must say this book was just as excellently written. Its main hallmark in fact was a prose that excelled at being both beautiful and darkly evocative without bogging down the story as such.
The characters themselves, while being very distinct and interesting in themselves, something even longer books sometimes utterly fail at, were also the point at which the book struggled for me. Specifically, near the end, our mc's development feels jarringly rushed. Not so much in where she ends but in how fast. This makes the denouement feel more disconcerting than... Tragic?
I really believe a somewhat slower exploration could have benefited both her and Hanrik extremely, which in turn would have likely alleviated other shaky plot points that seemed to hang on uncertainly or maybe just a little too conveniently.
Ultimately, however, the book was extremely enjoyable despite my somewhat picky perception of its flaws and its definitely recommend it to people looking for something beyond the usual War-filled fare of Warhammer books.
The characters themselves, while being very distinct and interesting in themselves, something even longer books sometimes utterly fail at, were also the point at which the book struggled for me. Specifically, near the end, our mc's development feels jarringly rushed. Not so much in where she ends but in how fast. This makes the denouement feel more disconcerting than... Tragic?
I really believe a somewhat slower exploration could have benefited both her and Hanrik extremely, which in turn would have likely alleviated other shaky plot points that seemed to hang on uncertainly or maybe just a little too conveniently.
Ultimately, however, the book was extremely enjoyable despite my somewhat picky perception of its flaws and its definitely recommend it to people looking for something beyond the usual War-filled fare of Warhammer books.
March 2, 2020
The Oubliette by J.C. Stearns. This is the second story by this author that I read and while I enjoyed this novel, I have one impression I want to comment on.
For me it looks like Stearns’ strong points work against him in this story.
Descriptive part is really solid – it managed to convey the “gothic” feeling of Imperium culture and depicted a lot of interesting details of life away from “only war” (which is always welcomed). It was very interesting to read about nobility and their constant struggles with each other, from etiquette of “high society” to their “unconventional hobbies” and means to deal with each other. “Slice of life” aspect was great.
Dialogs and character interactions are written really well. From the very first moments, I enjoyed how characters were presented and how scenes were directed. For example, the conversation between main heroine and her brother in carriage – they don’t even talk properly but a lot of characterization conveyed through pauses and awkward silence at specific moments. It is not often that you encounter something like this in wh40k novels.
Stearns excels at these aspects. But at the same time because they are on that level they increase your expectations of the book as whole. And at that point with that high expectations you encounter weak part – the plot of the story itself, the main intrigue so to speak. It is not specifically bad or anything, it is just… normal. Ordinary. Average. And the contrast is jarring.
It is especially critical for second part of the novel where characterization and character interactions fade into background to free space for moving plot forward. But “development” that takes their place isn’t as much as fulfilling.
And about intrigue part…
But at the end – positive point from my biased perspective. As I find out reading this book, Stearns can use Slavic names in a way that they sound natural and don’t induce cringe unlike significant part of the media. It is always welcomed in my book.
All in all I like this story but wish it to be even better.
For me it looks like Stearns’ strong points work against him in this story.
Descriptive part is really solid – it managed to convey the “gothic” feeling of Imperium culture and depicted a lot of interesting details of life away from “only war” (which is always welcomed). It was very interesting to read about nobility and their constant struggles with each other, from etiquette of “high society” to their “unconventional hobbies” and means to deal with each other. “Slice of life” aspect was great.
Dialogs and character interactions are written really well. From the very first moments, I enjoyed how characters were presented and how scenes were directed. For example, the conversation between main heroine and her brother in carriage – they don’t even talk properly but a lot of characterization conveyed through pauses and awkward silence at specific moments. It is not often that you encounter something like this in wh40k novels.
Stearns excels at these aspects. But at the same time because they are on that level they increase your expectations of the book as whole. And at that point with that high expectations you encounter weak part – the plot of the story itself, the main intrigue so to speak. It is not specifically bad or anything, it is just… normal. Ordinary. Average. And the contrast is jarring.
It is especially critical for second part of the novel where characterization and character interactions fade into background to free space for moving plot forward. But “development” that takes their place isn’t as much as fulfilling.
And about intrigue part…
But at the end – positive point from my biased perspective. As I find out reading this book, Stearns can use Slavic names in a way that they sound natural and don’t induce cringe unlike significant part of the media. It is always welcomed in my book.
All in all I like this story but wish it to be even better.
April 29, 2021
Although I liked the story and appreciated certain efforts to push into new directions, the oubliette regrettably fails to be scary or unsettling.
In fact I liked a lot more then just the plot; the main character was interesting, the world had an interesting unique feel to it that was more then a mere backdrop, the side characters had stuff going on beyond the bare necessity of the plot, the monster was an interesting unconventional choice, the pacing was ok for the most part, but here I do start to get into less appreciated territory.
The pacing was ok for most of it but the last 20 pages or so felt a bit rushed. I can't help but feel that there could and perhaps should have been at least 40 pages extra because events get fired at you at rapid speed near the end. It is not that those events are out of character or stupid but they don't quite match up with the built up to this point. The main character Ashielle seems to be skipping a few progression points towards an end that I am on board for, but I wish to have seen all of it and not the endpoint solely.
The main question though, is it horror? Well to me it wasn't but that has to do with the form of relation that Ashielle has with the monster. I was reminded of two things. Firstly in Belgium/the Netherlands there is this near forgotten folklore thing from the 17th-18th century called Galgenjongens. Little demon dolls that do the bidding of their master for blood they sacrifice to them. However if one is killed while in possession of such a galgenjongen (gallowsboy translated) one is instantly doomed to hell. So one is obliged to find someone else to take the gallowsboy but and here is the catch, it can't be given, it has to be stolen from you. The plot of the oubliette has elements of this dynamic and concern for the main character. A second thing I was reminded off, was deathnote; like with Ryuk I quickly developed a fascination for the monster and his/her drives while the way Ashielle develops a bond with it that reminded me of Light Yagami but as I said the pacing near the end did spoil or force that transition towards a Kira a bit to quickly.
So the above, the calculated pragmatism and the personality of the monster, that is not something I find scary. I can see how others might be unnerved by the path of Ashielle but not me. Not that I would do the same but I can't be that horrified by it either, maybe if the story had been about 50ish pages longer to ease me towards the crescendo?
and here is Ryuk for no reason https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zYw5...
In fact I liked a lot more then just the plot; the main character was interesting, the world had an interesting unique feel to it that was more then a mere backdrop, the side characters had stuff going on beyond the bare necessity of the plot, the monster was an interesting unconventional choice, the pacing was ok for the most part, but here I do start to get into less appreciated territory.
The pacing was ok for most of it but the last 20 pages or so felt a bit rushed. I can't help but feel that there could and perhaps should have been at least 40 pages extra because events get fired at you at rapid speed near the end. It is not that those events are out of character or stupid but they don't quite match up with the built up to this point. The main character Ashielle seems to be skipping a few progression points towards an end that I am on board for, but I wish to have seen all of it and not the endpoint solely.
The main question though, is it horror? Well to me it wasn't but that has to do with the form of relation that Ashielle has with the monster. I was reminded of two things. Firstly in Belgium/the Netherlands there is this near forgotten folklore thing from the 17th-18th century called Galgenjongens. Little demon dolls that do the bidding of their master for blood they sacrifice to them. However if one is killed while in possession of such a galgenjongen (gallowsboy translated) one is instantly doomed to hell. So one is obliged to find someone else to take the gallowsboy but and here is the catch, it can't be given, it has to be stolen from you. The plot of the oubliette has elements of this dynamic and concern for the main character. A second thing I was reminded off, was deathnote; like with Ryuk I quickly developed a fascination for the monster and his/her drives while the way Ashielle develops a bond with it that reminded me of Light Yagami but as I said the pacing near the end did spoil or force that transition towards a Kira a bit to quickly.
So the above, the calculated pragmatism and the personality of the monster, that is not something I find scary. I can see how others might be unnerved by the path of Ashielle but not me. Not that I would do the same but I can't be that horrified by it either, maybe if the story had been about 50ish pages longer to ease me towards the crescendo?
and here is Ryuk for no reason https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zYw5...
November 1, 2020
This was my first Warhammer horror novel and it was a very different read compared to my usual YA novels, however I was happily surprised by this book. J.C Stearns has the most beautiful and elegant writing style that it the words flowed easily, making it a fast read. I should mention that this was my first political drama story and so I wasn't entirely sure whether this book was for me, but it still sounded interesting with the horror aspect. As other reviews read, this story isn't entirely engulfed in the traditional horror sense but the character of Jaezubiel was eerie nonetheless. The pacing of the plot also kept me on edge on what would happen next and I found the climax of Ashielle satisfying, I only wish there was more details on her emotions and the burdens of her responsibility, especially over the death of her brother she was forced to inflict. Still, I finished the book happily. Also I should add that the audiobook sounds amazing and I definitely recommend it for this read. Because of this book I will be purchasing more Warhammer horror novels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2020
An enjoyable horror/political drama. I was drawn in, right at the start, by the author's wonderful description of the world and its politics. When we first come across the 'horror' of this story I was very impressed and looked forward to some gruesome shenanigans, but... the middle act disappointed. I was hoping that things would step up, when in fact, the story dropped down a few gears. I was hoping that the next chapter would ratchet up the tension, but it never did.
When the ending did arrive, it felt like a damp squib, so many missed opportunities. Although, I am happy with the resolution. No sugar-sweet endings here.
Still worth a read if you like stories about back-stabbing politicians sprinkled in with some gruesome horror.
When the ending did arrive, it felt like a damp squib, so many missed opportunities. Although, I am happy with the resolution. No sugar-sweet endings here.
Still worth a read if you like stories about back-stabbing politicians sprinkled in with some gruesome horror.
June 20, 2020
I don't think I can say anything new, as I agree with most of what other reviews have said. The plot is good, politics interesting, and the few characters well imagined. It does feel that the second half lacks character development, and although I can see how Ashielle's decisions become inevitable, I expected the central character to suffer more internal agonies as a result. The conclusion seemed fitting, and I liked how the author had neatly woven the more minor figures into the political outcome.
November 9, 2021
I really enjoyed this book.
Full disclosure...I am only vaguely aware of things in the 40k world. I've read some books, played some games, but that's about it. I do not feel like much knowledge of the world is needed for this book.
This story was creepy, and somehow right up my alley. The author did a nice job of keeping me interested as a reader throughout the entire time. The general plot was all the tropes I like and I think that the way the characters grew and developed was interesting.
Definitely worth the read. Passing it along to my husband now.
Full disclosure...I am only vaguely aware of things in the 40k world. I've read some books, played some games, but that's about it. I do not feel like much knowledge of the world is needed for this book.
This story was creepy, and somehow right up my alley. The author did a nice job of keeping me interested as a reader throughout the entire time. The general plot was all the tropes I like and I think that the way the characters grew and developed was interesting.
Definitely worth the read. Passing it along to my husband now.
November 17, 2020
Not horror in the sense of gore or unexplainable terror, but in the peeling back of the mind, in the devastation of consequence. Its terrifying to realize just how close we all are to irrevocably falling into darkness.
There was some good symbolism here and I loved our protagonist. A few characters and scenes felt a little rushed or underdeveloped to me, but I really liked this book. Would recommend, but it wouldn't be the first book I mentioned.
There was some good symbolism here and I loved our protagonist. A few characters and scenes felt a little rushed or underdeveloped to me, but I really liked this book. Would recommend, but it wouldn't be the first book I mentioned.
June 15, 2021
Well written. Good slow atmospheric novel. A surprisingly able gothic offering for 40k without being too _40k_. Someone who had never read 40k could likely read and enjoy this without becoming hopelessly confused.
May 29, 2022
Stearns did a great job with this novel. He crafted an interesting unique world, with some awesome horrifying moments, and an equally terrible twist. (terrible in the "inspires terror" kind of way).
He also uses a lot of words I've never read before, but it fit the scenario, as the book is about planetary nobility. It worked.
My favorite section of the book is actually the beginning, I think the initial discovery of the Oubliette and the scenario leading up to it was some quality "horror" writing.
He also uses a lot of words I've never read before, but it fit the scenario, as the book is about planetary nobility. It worked.
My favorite section of the book is actually the beginning, I think the initial discovery of the Oubliette and the scenario leading up to it was some quality "horror" writing.
February 3, 2023
Imagine House of Cards (the good British version) but all the characters were written by a third-rate Jane Austin who lost her sense of humour. That's kinda what The Oubliette is like.
If that sounds like an unpromising premise for a horror novel, that's because this is not in the least bit horrifying. Honestly, I think I've watched scarier episodes of Garth Marenguie's Dark Place. There is a bit of gore, which is probably a touch more graphic than your average Black Library novel, but there is absolutely no tension and the plot lacks any kind of mystery of suspense.
What if we put aside the whole horror thing and just treat this book like any other Black Library novel?
There are certainly some promising elements here. We've had plenty of novels about ordinary Guard troopers and even bog-standard law enforcement in the, far more successful, Warhammer Crime series. But I can't think of a book that focuses exclusively on the high politics of planetary governors before. Ashielle, the book's main character, takes on the throne after her farther and older siblings are assassinated by a rival aristocratic family who seem to be super into BDSM for some reason. She has to assert her authority while avoiding meeting a similar fate and stabilise the political tensions now threatening to boil over on her home world. It's a promising start.
Unfortunately, I think that without the usual set-piece action scenes which characterise Black Library, nor any kind of proper mystery or plot twists, the book just didn't really have much to sustain my interest for a full novel. I cared a little bit about Ashielle, but she is neither particularly deeply, nor sympathetically, sketched out. The book is further slowed down by a largely pointless side plot involving a lower-ranking politician in which he spends most of the time being pretty bored and frustrated, leading to much the same emotions in me.
If you want palace intrigue in the 41st millennium, I'd recommend perhaps the Warhammer Crime novels Bloodlines or Flesh and Steel which play in somewhat similar territory and are far more compelling reads.
If that sounds like an unpromising premise for a horror novel, that's because this is not in the least bit horrifying. Honestly, I think I've watched scarier episodes of Garth Marenguie's Dark Place. There is a bit of gore, which is probably a touch more graphic than your average Black Library novel, but there is absolutely no tension and the plot lacks any kind of mystery of suspense.
What if we put aside the whole horror thing and just treat this book like any other Black Library novel?
There are certainly some promising elements here. We've had plenty of novels about ordinary Guard troopers and even bog-standard law enforcement in the, far more successful, Warhammer Crime series. But I can't think of a book that focuses exclusively on the high politics of planetary governors before. Ashielle, the book's main character, takes on the throne after her farther and older siblings are assassinated by a rival aristocratic family who seem to be super into BDSM for some reason. She has to assert her authority while avoiding meeting a similar fate and stabilise the political tensions now threatening to boil over on her home world. It's a promising start.
Unfortunately, I think that without the usual set-piece action scenes which characterise Black Library, nor any kind of proper mystery or plot twists, the book just didn't really have much to sustain my interest for a full novel. I cared a little bit about Ashielle, but she is neither particularly deeply, nor sympathetically, sketched out. The book is further slowed down by a largely pointless side plot involving a lower-ranking politician in which he spends most of the time being pretty bored and frustrated, leading to much the same emotions in me.
If you want palace intrigue in the 41st millennium, I'd recommend perhaps the Warhammer Crime novels Bloodlines or Flesh and Steel which play in somewhat similar territory and are far more compelling reads.
October 4, 2021
Probably my favorite Black Library novel I've read so far - as it does something Black Library so seldom does: Something different!
September 17, 2022
Stearns offers a solid Warhammer 40,000 horror story, albeit with some plot developments which seem to come a little out of nowhere. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/202...
May 5, 2023
The Warhammer 40k universe is filled with so many amazing horrors, so it feels unfortunate that so many Warhammer Horror stories basically boil down to "demons". The good news is that the Oubliette draws upon a different corner of the Warhammer mythos.
As I am a bit fan of Clive Barker there was a healthy dose of the Hellraiser to this story. The tension builds really well and escalates quickly. I probably would like liked a bit more background to the "skitterlings" and less about the political machinations of the government, but that might be personal taste.
Once again, I like any warhammer book that shows that the Imperium is a corrupt bureaucratic nightmare.
As I am a bit fan of Clive Barker there was a healthy dose of the Hellraiser to this story. The tension builds really well and escalates quickly. I probably would like liked a bit more background to the "skitterlings" and less about the political machinations of the government, but that might be personal taste.
Once again, I like any warhammer book that shows that the Imperium is a corrupt bureaucratic nightmare.
February 17, 2020
A new planetary governor inherits and uses a malicious intelligence in politics. This was like an evil djinni being unleashed. Short, sweet and entertaining. Great, bloody ending.
May 23, 2020
A 2 sounds bad - but out of 10 I would rate 4. But since they don't have half stars I give a 2 because I gave 3 stars to The Colonel's Monograph (Black Library Novella Series 2 #10) or The House of Night and Chain and I liked those more.
This story is not horrifying per se. The politics are interesting (not as good as House of Night and Chain). It didn't felt like 250 pages - which is rather unfortunately because the last 50 to 75 pages were a rush. Ashielle transformation happens quickly and it looks like we missed some chapters. One page she is questioning her actions and the next she is full blown Machiavelli persona.
Overall the climax should have been better. A finale revelation mayhaps?
I would think the author was going one way and then went another. Ashielle felt flat in the end you know? But with 240 pages more or less you will not fail trying...
Btw, why the hardback editions? Damn it... They are expensive and books are way smaller in terms of pages....
This story is not horrifying per se. The politics are interesting (not as good as House of Night and Chain). It didn't felt like 250 pages - which is rather unfortunately because the last 50 to 75 pages were a rush. Ashielle transformation happens quickly and it looks like we missed some chapters. One page she is questioning her actions and the next she is full blown Machiavelli persona.
Overall the climax should have been better. A finale revelation mayhaps?
I would think the author was going one way and then went another. Ashielle felt flat in the end you know? But with 240 pages more or less you will not fail trying...
Btw, why the hardback editions? Damn it... They are expensive and books are way smaller in terms of pages....
September 2, 2020
Finally, an appropriately dark tale from the world of 40k!
The evolution of the main character is remarkable and very well accomplished. It's also refreshing as a change from all the bolters-blazing, tanks-roaring action that has been my experience of literature in the setting. The insight into (an example of) human society in the 41st millenium, with its associated intrigues, hierarchies, traditions really enrichens the tapestry of the setting too.
I don't know that I would necessarily classify the story as horror, as I cannot say that I was particularly scared or disturbed whilst (or after) reading, but it is the closest I have ever come to that with a 40k book!
I'll definitely be lining up a few of Stearns' other books for a future date!
The evolution of the main character is remarkable and very well accomplished. It's also refreshing as a change from all the bolters-blazing, tanks-roaring action that has been my experience of literature in the setting. The insight into (an example of) human society in the 41st millenium, with its associated intrigues, hierarchies, traditions really enrichens the tapestry of the setting too.
I don't know that I would necessarily classify the story as horror, as I cannot say that I was particularly scared or disturbed whilst (or after) reading, but it is the closest I have ever come to that with a 40k book!
I'll definitely be lining up a few of Stearns' other books for a future date!
January 25, 2021
Was pleasantly surprised by this book. Overall it's an ok book, however the monster of this book is what made me give it his rating. I'm a really big fan of . Really liked the way that they have introduced it into the story, and to see it ''evolve'' during it. I wouldn't really call it a horror story, but nonetheless it was a nice read and I didn't need to struggle through it, last few chapters went really fast.
June 15, 2021
"It was a world of prey that had forgotten predators even existed."
A decent 40K political read but basically no horror.
A decent 40K political read but basically no horror.
May 22, 2021
Did I savor this latest installment of the Warhammer Trilogy? Indeed I did. I must confess, after reading several short stories written by JC Stearns, I wondered what could this author produce in a novel? Nevertheless, my curiosity was soon answered in the first chapter.
I found this to be a spellbinding addition to the Warhammer Trilogy. I was on the edge of my seat to discover the outcome of Ashielle Matkosen. The entire novel kept me so engaged that I found myself mesmerized by the way the author drew the reader into this saga. I was not disappointed with this outstanding addition to the Warhammer trilogy. Cannot wait to see the next literary creation from JC Stearns.
I found this to be a spellbinding addition to the Warhammer Trilogy. I was on the edge of my seat to discover the outcome of Ashielle Matkosen. The entire novel kept me so engaged that I found myself mesmerized by the way the author drew the reader into this saga. I was not disappointed with this outstanding addition to the Warhammer trilogy. Cannot wait to see the next literary creation from JC Stearns.
August 1, 2023
When I read my first Warhammer novel, I was surprised by the writing. It's easy to look down on the genre, but the Black Library authors in general keep a very high standard and this author is no different.
I liked the world-building with it's intro/extro, history and planetary politics, but the characters didn't have too much depth to them. That and the mystical parts made it feel like I was reading a classic horror story from 1850.
I liked the world-building with it's intro/extro, history and planetary politics, but the characters didn't have too much depth to them. That and the mystical parts made it feel like I was reading a classic horror story from 1850.
June 20, 2024
Not a bad story and it's a quick read. The horror elements are more interesting upon reflection and analysis than while reading the story. Having read the dark eldar omnibus the villain reveal made more sense than otherwise but the author does a good job of describing the character from an in-world perspective. The most interesting part of the story is showing how much leeway planetary governors have if they play their cards right.
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