Where the predations of the alien, the witch and the heretic threaten the Imperium, the Angels of Death fight to oppose them.Brother-Sergeant Allectius wages a brutal war of attrition against a seemingly endless xenos foe. But when the vile necrons unleash a mysterious pall over him and the people he protects, Allectius must take his fight beyond the walls… for more than just victory, now their very survival is at stake.Also included in this book is a host of awesome short stories to give you a flavour of the many warring armies that exist within the worlds of Warhammer 40,000.CONTENTSNexus by Thomas ParrottKraken by Chris WraightRedeemer by Guy HaleyThe Test of Faith by Thomas ParrottThe Darkling Hours by Rachel HarrisonLightning Run by Peter McLeanMissing in Action by Dan AbnettThe Crystal Cathedral by Danie WareTo Speak as One by Guy HaleyWhere Dere's Da Warp Dere's a Way by Mike BrooksRedemption on Dal'yth by Phil KellyVoid Crossed by J C StearnsLight of a Crystal Sun by Josh ReynoldsWar in the Museum by Robert RathHeadhunter by Steve ParkerDuty Unto Death by Marc Collins

    Amongst these heroes is Cato Sicarius, Master of the Watch and vaunted captain of Second Company. Disaster befalls Sicarius and his brave warriors as their ship, the Emperor’s Will, is lost to the hellish warp, its entire crew believed slain. But Sicarius endures, though he and his men are fighting for their very survival against the denizens of the Great Rift – the daemons and renegades of Chaos. Cast adrift and war-weary, hope appears too distant to grasp until the storm breaks at last and a strange world beckons. As the captain and a band of his chosen warriors descend to the surface seeking aid, they find an isolated land seemingly from an ancient era, one plagued by a terrible enemy. Sicarius will not see this world suffer, and pledges his warriors to the world’s cause, determined to save it, whatever the cost… But what is the dark secret harboured here, and what will it mean for the Ultramarines if they uncover it?Written by Nick Kyme

    He was once just a man, a newly minted officer from the ranks of the schola progenium.His first mission under the tutelage of Lord Commissar Rasp was on Mistral. Here, an uprising of barons had upset the delicate balance of power. But, as Yarrick was soon forced to learn, Mistral and Imperial politics are often murky, the truth seldom clear cut. As war engulfs the world, a plot unravels that pits old friends against one another and fashions unusual alliances. Chaos cults, the fanatical Adepta Sororitas and clandestine inquisitors all stand between Yarrick and his mission. Here is where the legend began. In this crucible was Lord Commissar Sebastian Yarrick forged in blood.

    What manner of daemon or xenos could cause such horror?READ IT BECAUSEIt's a bit of a horror tale and a bit of a mystery as the men of Mordian try to uncover the true cause of the rebellion sweeping an Imperial world.THE STORYThe 114th Mordian Iron Guard, pride of their world, renowned for their heroic actions at the Siege of Defure, are deployed to the mining world of Belmos VII, unaware that a terrible affliction plagues the local populace. As the Guardsmen attempt to track down the source of the corruption, panic spreads and the brave men of Mordian soon find themselves surrounded by enemies, both from within the Belmosian population and from without…

    Nothing is as straightforward as it seems, and wheels are turning within wheels. Uriel and his allies are forced into a deadly race against time to destroy their shadowy enemy - or the whole planet must be sacrificed for the good of humanity.

    Has the Blood Angels messiah been reborn or are darker things at work?

    But stiff resistance will test him to his limits, and beyond.READ IT BECAUSEPhil Kelly continues his look at the life of Commander Farsight with his first campaign against the full might of the Imperium, and shows how the T'au Empire's technological superiority fares against Imperial grit.THE STORYThe t'au are a mysterious alien race, diametrically opposed to the Imperium of Man in every possible way - in their mastery of technology, methods of warfare and social structure. Yet in galactic terms they are a young race, and naive when it comes to the manipulations of Chaos. When promising young Commander Farsight is promoted to lead a crusade across the Damocles Gulf to reclaim the T'au Empire's lost colonies from mankind, the mood is one of optimism. With their mighty fleet, and superior weapons and machines, how can their endeavour possibly fail? However, despite a parade of early successes, Commander Farsight soon faces enemies he wasn't anticipating, and finds not only his courage but also his soul tested to the very limit.

    Only the Lord of Death himself, Blood Angels Chief Librarian Mephiston, has any hope of discerning the fate of this once pious world. After enacting a powerful blood ritual, Mephiston and an honour guard of his fellow Blood Angels reach the stricken shrine world to find it seized by religious civil war. Each faction fights for dominance of a potent artefact, the Blade Petrific, said to be wrought by the Emperor Himself. Yet there is more at work here than a mere ideological schism, for Mephiston believes Divinatus Prime could offer answers to how he became the Lord of Death, he who resisted the Black Rage, and possibly even a way to end the curse of ‘the Flaw’ in all Blood Angels.Read by Richard Reed.

    Only one thing stands in their way: the wrathful, holy fire of the Adepta Sororitas.READ IT BECAUSEAfter her first Adepta Sororitas story, the fantastic 'Mercy', Danie Ware returns with a longer tale of Sister Superior Augusta and her squad bringing their faith and fury to their enemies.THE STORYFrom the blasphemy of the fallen… Our Emperor, deliver us. At the edge of the Imperium sits the fetid jungle world of Lautis. Amidst the creeping foliage and ancient monuments, a horror is rising. From the depths of a crumbling cathedral come bloodied nightmares, intent on fulfilling their dark purpose by any means necessary. Only one thing stands in their way: the wrathful, holy fire of the Adepta Sororitas. Filled with the light of the Emperor, Sister Superior Augusta and her squad are a force to be reckoned with. They are here to purge the darkness from Lautis with prayer and bolter, and nothing will stop them. But the things that dwell in the darkness aren’t afraid. Augusta must put her trust in her Battle Sisters and lead them into the shadows of the crypts in search of the truth. Faith and fire are powerful weapons, but will they be enough to defeat the sinister powers that lurk in the deeps?

    Can they achieve victory and restore their reputation?READ IT BECAUSEIt's an interesting take on the Imperial Guard – seeing a disgraced unit through the eyes of the commissar who's been sent to turn them back into a useful fighting unit.THE STORYDeployed to the prison planet of Furia Penitens to quell a violent uprising, the 77th Vostroyan Firstborn regiment of the Imperial Guard find themselves in a precarious position. The rebels are in a fortified prison-hive, all but impenetrable. A disgrace suffered by their forebears haunts them. And they hate their new commissar… Can Commissar Flint bring them victory and restore their reputation, or will the 77th fail again?

    Worlds are falling to madness and rebellion, and the great war machine of the Imperium is moving to counter the threat. Amongst its agents is Inquisitor Covenant. Puritan, psyker, expert swordsman, he reserves an especial hatred for those of his order who would seek to harness the power of Ruin as a weapon. Summoned to an inquisitorial conclave, Covenant believes he has uncovered such a misguided agent and prepares to denounce the heretic Talicto before his fellows. But when the gathering is attacked and many left dead in its wake, Covenant vows to hunt down Talicto and discover the truth behind the mysterious cult apparently at the heart of the massacre, the Unseen. In the murky plot into which he is drawn, Covenant knows only one thing for certain: trust no one.Written by John French.Audiobook running time: 10 hours 14 minutes.Narrated by John Banks.

    Equipped by the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition, Deathwatch Space Marines possess war gear purposely designed for the destruction of all aliens. In the gauntleted fists of these black-armoured warriors does the sanctity of mankind rest, in their hearts the iron will to vanquish every alien predator and wipe them from the face of the galaxy.Deathwatch: Xenos Hunters is one of our classic Direct Exclusive anthologies containing 11 short stories about the Deathwatch Space Marines, and now includes Last Watch by L J Goulding. Machine Spirit by Nick Kyme The Infinite Tableau by Anthony Reynolds Headhunted by Steve Parker Rackinruin by Braden Campbell Weaponsmith by Ben Counter The Vorago Fastness by David Annandale Fearful Symmetries by Rob Sanders A Sanctuary of Wyrms by Peter Fehervari Exhumed by Steve Parker The Alien Hunters by Andy Chambers Last Watch by L J Goulding

    Now on a mission to retrieve an ancient relic, the Soul Drinkers Chapter of the Space Marines is forced to make an impossible choice between remaining loyal to the Emperor of Mankind and being true to themselves.

    Original.

    Chapter Master Amit leads his warriors to a feral world in pursuit of orks, but discovers something far more ancient and deadly in the depths of the jungle. Already battle-weary, the Flesh Tearers must master the dark legacy of their primarch Sanguinius if they are to prevail... and perhaps find a world worthy of being called their home.