Book picks similar to
The Bookkeeper's Skull by Justin D. Hill


horror
warhammer
warhammer-horror
warhammer-40k

Day of Ascension


Adrian Tchaikovsky - 2022
    The long-awaited angels are close, and the cult must prepare for their coming.READ IT BECAUSEAcclaimed science fiction author Adrian Tchaikovsky's first full-length work for Black Library takes the form of Day of Ascension, in which the populace of the forge world of Morod grow weary of the backbreaking work and injustice of their lives. But how far will they go to achieve change?THE STORYOn the forge world of Morod, the machines never stop and the work never ends. The population toils in the mines and factoria to protect humanity from the monsters in the void, while the Adeptus Mechanicus enjoy lives of palatial comfort.Genetor Gammat Triskellian seeks to end this stagnant corruption. When he learns of a twisted congregation operating within the shadows, one which believes that the tech-priests are keeping people from their true salvation – a long-prophesied union with angels – he sees in them an opportunity to bring down Morod's masters and reclaim the world in the name of progress.But sometimes, the only hope for real change lies in the coming of monsters.

The Twice-dead King: Ruin


Nate Crowley - 2021
    For the Necron Lord Oltyx, the Ithakas dynasty was his by right, but the machinations of the court see him stripped of his position and exiled to a forgotten world.READ IT BECAUSESee the struggles of the Necron court through their own eyes, and discover the lengths one Lord will go to for the status they desire.THE STORYExiled to the miserable world of Sedh, the disgraced Necron Lord Oltyx is consumed with bitterness. Once heir to the throne of a dynasty, he now commands nothing but a dwindling garrison of warriors, in a never-ending struggle against Ork invaders. Oltyx can think of nothing but the prospect of vengeance against his betrayers, and the reclamation of his birthright. But the Orks are merely the harbingers of a truly unstoppable force. Unless Oltyx acts to save his dynasty, revenge will win him only ashes. And so he must return to the crownworld, and to the heart of the very court which cast him out. But what awaits there is a horror more profound than any invader, whose roots are tangled with the dark origins of the Necrons themselves.

Shadowbreaker


Steve Parker - 2019
    Now recovered from the injuries sustained on his previous mission, Codicier Karras must lead Talon Squad in the hunt for a missing inquisitor. Their only clue is the name of an Imperial planet that has been taken over by the T’au. Is the missing inquisitor alive, or dead? Worse still, has she gone rogue, jeopardizing one of the Inquisition’s most secret projects? Karras must lead his team against a whole planet of hostile T’au and survive the deadly internal politics of the Inquisition to succeed in his mission, codenamed Shadowbreaker. Action, intrigue and excitement are seamlessly woven together by the master of high-octane science fiction, Steve Parker.

Sepulturum


Nick Kyme - 2020
    Hiding in the low-hive of Blackgheist, she pieces together the fragments of her broken memory, trying to regain her past even as a hideous plague sweeps the hive, turning men into monsters…READ IT BECAUSETake a nightmare journey into a plague-wracked city where monsters stalk the streets and nothing can be trusted… including the memories of the protagonist.THE STORYMorgravia Sanctus is being hunted; why or by whom she doesn’t know. Something terrible has happened to her, a profound trauma that has left behind ‘red dreams’ and a physical agony that can strike at any moment. Her life in danger and her memory fragmented, she arrives in the low-hive of Blackgheist to escape her pursuers and search for ‘the Broker’ – a trafficker in memories and psychic mind manipulation. Soon after, a plague sweeps the city, turning its citizens into blood-hungry monsters. Order collapses, death and slaughter are rampant. Caught up in the carnage, Morgravia must flee once more. But as the ravening spreads, is there any hope of stopping this contagion?

Silent Hunters


Edoardo Albert - 2021
    Some swim closer to the light, drawn by the beacon that is the Astronomican, while others stalk the Void, predators in the dark. The Carcharodons have hunted for millennia, but now they are drawn into a new blackness… the Dark City of the drukhari itself. Commorragh.For a thousand years, Chaplain Tangata Manu has searched for a relic lost under his watch – an ancient thing, once charged into the keeping of the Forgotten One himself. But at the brink of seeing his hunt fulfilled and the relic returned, it is stolen from under him. Now, if Tangata would see his honour restored, he must lead his hunt against some of the vilest predators the galaxy has ever seen, before they can turn the artefact to their own purposes…

Rites of Passage


Mike Brooks - 2019
    His widow and murderer, the Lady Chettamandey, stands to inherit his power and influence. Her plans for ascension are curtailed when she’s drawn into a dark world of ritual killings and cult murders, with planets being dragged into the warp seemingly at a whim, the threat to Chettamandey’s legacy is dire, and only she can avert potential disaster.

Iron Guard


Mark Clapham - 2012
    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…

Waiting Death


Steve Lyons - 2010
    After a particularly fierce firefight, the Catachans find themselves cut off from the rest of the Imperium forces and must seek refuge in a native village.Before long, troopers begin to hallucinate and warp-born horrorslay siege to the village.  Even Straken himself falls under the sway of the Dark Powers.  Can he break the psychic grip in time to save his men or will Borealis Four be Straken's last stand?

Ahriman: The Omnibus


John French - 2017
    The greatest sorcerer of the Thousand Sons, and protege to the primarch Magnus the Red, Ahriman's deepest flaw is hubris. His mistaken belief in casting the Rubric to cure his Legion of their curse has seen him exiled. Though spurned by his kin, Ahriman has not given up on his quest to restore his brothers from the fleshless husks they have become, and he will brave the worst horrors of the galaxy, and the Eye of Terror itself, to obtain the knowledge to achieve it. For to bring about salvation, Ahriman must risk his own further damnation and the wrath of his primarch.

Shadowsword


Guy Haley - 2016
    and thrown into a battle for the fate of entire star systems.READ IT BECAUSEGuy Haley returns to tank action in a new tale of Honoured Lieutenant Bannick and his crew, weaving a tight and twisty tale as they face not only cunning enemies, but their own doubts about mankinds place in the galaxy.THE STORYArriving in the Geratomro warzone, Honoured Lieutenant Bannick and the crew of the Baneblade Cortein’s Honour are assigned as close support to a company of Shadowsword Titan hunters as they find themselves thrust into a deadly battle for the fate of three star systems. New and deadly allies throw into doubt all that Bannick has been told of the Imperium, while threatening not only his life, but also his soul...

Warden of the Blade


David Annandale - 2016
    For the first time, discover the origins of this dread task and why only Crowe can be the one to carry it out.Castellan Crowe, Brotherhood Champion of the Purifier order of the Grey Knights, bears a heavy burden – to be the warden of the dread Blade of Antwyr. Its malevolent voice is forever in his head, trying to crack his resolve, urging him to unleash a power he must never use. The toll is terrible, and how long before the incorruptible Crowe is at last defeated? His harrowing task first began at Sandava II… Under the command of Castellan Gavallan, Crowe and his brother Purifiers bring purging flame to a daemonic incursion that threatens to consume the world. What awaits them is more insidious and more powerful than they imagine, and they must reckon too with the machinations of the Blade, as it seeks to destroy its guardian and drown the galaxy in blood.It's a fascinating look at a compelling character, showcasing the duality of the purest of souls as he contends with the corrupting power of an artefact that could damn him and all he holds dear to utter ruination.

The Horus Heresy: Volume One


Dan Abnett - 2015
    The Emperor's chosen son Horus, recently honoured with the title of Warmaster, is corrupted by the forces of Chaos. Spreading dissent among his primarch brothers, Horus throws the Space Marine Legions into battle against one another in the distant Isstvan System, as he prepares to march on Terra itself...Read it becauseThe greatest story in the galaxy begins here! Horus' tragic fall to Chaos and betrayal of the Emperor are recounted in the excellent Horus Rising, False Gods, and Galaxy in Flames. Flight of the Eisenstein brings us a little hope, while Fulgrim tells the story of the titular primarch's corruption through personal failing. Volume One is a great way to get your teeth into treachery.

Invocations


David AnnandaleJake Ozga - 2019
    From the whispering corridors of abandoned hospitals to the shrieking dungeons of ghostly castles, this collection of sinister stories further explores the unspeakable evil at large in the Warhammer worlds. Contains the following stories; Lora Gray - He Feasts Forever Ray Cluley - Flesh and Blood Richard Strachan - The Growing Seasons David Annandale - The Hunt Steven Sheil - The Healer Nick Kyme - Stitches Peter McLean - Blood Sacrifice Jake Ozga - Supplication David Annandale - The Summons of Shadows C. L. Werner - A Sending from the Grave David Annandale - From the Halls, the Silence Justin D. Hill - The Confession of Convict Kline

Malediction


C.Z. Dunn - 2012
    But when his old comrade, Master Tigrane of the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter, arrives to join the festivities and asks to hear the glorious tale told once more, Antigone seems flustered. With the details of his account cast under close scrutiny and with the judgement of the Imperium hanging over him, will his noble reputation remain intact?

Cult of the Spiral Dawn


Peter Fehervari - 2018
    But what they find there puts all they believe into question…READ IT BECAUSEIt's a typically thoughtful and bizarre tale from Peter Fehervari that exposes just how insidious and devastating Genestealer Cults can be.THE STORYThe galaxy is vast, and worship of the God-Emperor by His faithful takes many forms. The Spiral Dawn is one of the countless sanctioned sects of the Imperial Cult. As a gathering of Spiralytes make their holy pilgrimage to Redemption, the sect's world of origin and a shrine world of the Imperium, they find not a haven of enlightenment and introspection, but a soot-choked hellhole where their order's founders and an unorthodox regiment of Astra Militarum maintain an uneasy coexistence. As tensions between the serene congregation and the superstitious Guardsmen mount, the new arrivals begin to unravel the dark secrets concealed at the heart of their faith.This novel was previously available under the title Legends of the Dark Millennium: Genestealer Cults. This edition also includes the additional short story 'Casts a Hungry Shadow'.