On the battlefields of the far future, only an insane man wouldn’t be. Seventeen years old and still new to the Imperial Guard, he is thrust straight into his first war and must face horrors that his sheltered upbringing could never prepare him for.READ IT BECAUSEIt's a sharp, incisive look at the first hours of war for a new Guardsman, and at all the terrors attendant with that…THE STORYArvin Larn is terrified. On the battlefields of the far future, only an insane man wouldn't be. Seventeen years old and still new to the Imperial Guard, he is thrust straight into his first war and must face horrors that his sheltered upbringing could never prepare him for. The trenches of the 41st millennium are filled with worse things than rats and trenchrot. For one, the world they fight for is being contested by the monstrous barbarian orks. The orks live for battle and know no fear, so it's no wonder that the average life-span of an Imperial Guardsman on this forsaken world is only fifteen hours.

    Penned by debut and current Black Library authors, its tales range from the back streets of the world-that was to a shrouded inn in the Mortal Realms, while in the brutal galaxy of the Dark Imperium, the Ultramarines and others deliver the Emperor's fury to their many foes, and in the depths of Necromunda's underhive, gangers clash in brutal combat.CONTENTSThe Unsung War by David AnnandaleNo Hero by Peter McLeanThe Path to Glory by Evan DickenA Common Ground by Mike BrooksThe Emperor's Wrath by Steven B FischerWaking the Dragon by Josh ReynoldsThe Enemy of My Enemy by Nate CrowleyHow Vido Learned the Trick by Josh ReynoldsThe Firstborn Daughter by Filip WiltgrenMercy by Danie WareAt the Sign of the Brazen Claw by Guy Haley

    But when an ancient relic of the Chapter is misappropriated, the Soul Drinkers face a terrible dilemma - betray the Imperium, or lose their honour? Their final choice, and its consequences, form the theme of this classic trilogy of SF stories set in the nightmare world of the 41st millennium.

    Argus Brond, berserker champion of the old World Eaters Legion, has called upon his old comrade Kharn for assistance – surely, this legendary warrior will break the deadlock and secure victory for him? But Kharn, known with good reason as ‘the Betrayer’, is far more than just a crazed killer, and his own agenda will always come first...

    All that stands between them and their reward is a horde of feral orks…READ IT BECAUSEIt's a compelling story of a force on the verge of collapse, the promised reward that keeps them going, and an enemy that would see them fall – and if you want to know how orks reproduce, you'll find your answers here.THE STORYTired and broken by war, the men of the Brimlock Eleventh Imperial Guard are a force on the verge of collapse. Having been stretched across the galaxy by their loyalty to the Emperor, they are presented with one final battle that will allow them reward they all seek: to colonise the distant world of Voor and live out the rest of their days in peace. All that stands in their way is a force of savages – a plague of feral orks that has spread across the planet. But can the Brimlock's battered bodies and minds hold up to this greenskin invasion?

    Desperate for a chance to redeem himself, he grasps at any hope for peace. But in the Dark Millennium, the Gods offer nothing but horror.... Listen to it because: It's dark, atmospheric, utterly terrifying and a perfect audio horror experience, compellingly written and thunderingly performed. The story: The wind screams. The dark night is freezing. Vossk, a Vostroyan Firstborn, shrinks into a rock against a howl of memories. Having disgraced himself by deserting his post during a terrifying encounter, Vossk had resigned himself to penal servitude, though he's yearned for the chance to redeem himself. But in the 41st Millennium, such dreams are hollow when a man's reality has been shaken to his core. Found in the shadows of a pitiless cave, Vossk relives his tale to his rescuer. But trauma stalks the weary, and in the face of an even greater horror, it grins at those whose courage has failed them once before....

    GotoThe Prisoner by Graham McNeillThe Invitation by Dan AbnettA Balance of Faith by Darren-Jon AshmoreGate of Souls by Mike LeeFate's Masters, Destiny's ServantsTears of Blood by C.S. Goto

    Into this maelstrom come the Raven Guard 4th Company, the warzone perfectly suited to their lightning-strike methods of combat. Led by Veteran Sergeant Grayvus, their mission is simple - to rescue the planet's last survivors. But in the midst of this nightmare, they receive new orders to locate and destroy a power station. The station is built upon a fault line, and the resulting quake would swallow thousands of tyranids and turn the war in the Imperium's favour. Grayvus and his company must fight their way through genestealers, acid spore mines and a deadly biomorph if they are to succeed and reclaim Idos for the Imperium.

    His name is whispered and cursed across both time and space, a peerless blademaster who even death cannot threaten. He is Lucius the Eternal, blessed by Slaanesh and the greatest swordsman of all the fell Legions imprisoned within the Eye of Terror. With his armies exhausted by unending war and consumed by their own twisted iniquities, Lucius turns to an erstwhile brother of the Emperor's Children to rebuild his strength. Faced with betrayal from without and even from within his own flesh, will Lucius discover something that even one who cannot know death should fear?

    Meanwhile, on the surface, one of their advanced landing party is being hunted!READ IT BECAUSEThe full horror of the Night Lords Chaos Space Marines is revealed in this pulse-pounding SF thriller from author Simon Spurrier.THE STORYYoung Interrogator Mita Ashyn struggles to prove herself worthy to her master despite her growing feelings of unease at the hypocrisy within the Inquisition. When they visit the remote and sunless hive-world of Equixus, she suspects nothing more than minor corruption and heresy.Night Lords Commander Sahaal has been in exile for ten thousand years, plotting to defeat his treacherous rival Acerbus and once again rule over his dark army. To do this he must find an ancient artefact that was stolen from him, and nothing - not even the Inquisition - will stand in his way.

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    A must-have for all fans of Horus HeresyCanticle by David GuymerCrash-landed upon a world of perpetual gloom, a young Ferrus Manus is forced to fight for his survival. Upon discovering a strange vessel, he investigates the ship but quickly finds himself battling monstrosities he is ill-prepared for.The Verdict of the Scythe by David AnnandaleHeavily criticised by his brothers over the brutal campaign at Galaspar, Mortarion attempts a new approach during the compliance of Absyrtus. However, discovering treachery at every turn, the Lord of Death must accept an unavoidable truth.A Game of Opposites by Guy HaleyJaghatai Khan makes a virtue of being unknowable, yet Warsmith Xyrokles has studied the Warhawk’s teachings. Choosing to step into the trap laid for him, the Khan of Khans teaches the traitors just how deadly their ignorance truly is.Better Angels by Ian St. MartinArt and war stand fist in glove where it concerns the warriors of the IX Legion. Wending a path through their turbulent history, during the days of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy, a Blood Angels neophyte then legionary tries to capture the essence of beauty and art to present to his primarch, Sanguinius.The Conqueror’s Truth by Gav ThorpeBrought aboard the Nightfall, the remembrancer Ares desires to witness the glory of the Great Crusade. The primarch of the Night Lords, Konrad Curze, grants her request, sending her as a witness to a compliance of his Legion first hand, but in so doing reveals a dark and inconvenient truth.The Sinew of War by Darius HinksAfter having crushed a rebellion in Illyria, a young Roboute Guilliman returns to the capital of Macragge City to be reunited with his father, Konor, only to discover insurrection and unrest running rampant.The Chamber at the End of Memory by James SwallowAs the Siege of Terra nears, Rogal Dorn uncovers a series of bizarre deaths within the inner walls of the Palace. To find the truth, and faced with no other choice, the primarch must defy the edict of Nikaea and return his Librarius to service, but what he discovers will shake him to his very core.First Legion by Chris WraightLocked in the midst of the Rangdan Xenocides, the Dark Angels of the First Legion are contacted by a mysterious warship under the command of Alpharius. When the stranger begins to ask questions about the campaign, he is summoned to the presence of the Lion himself for judgement.

    Here are a dozen action stories from this dark and brooding universe.Contents"Salvation" by Jonathan Green"Into the Maelstrom" by Chris Pramas"Emperor's Grace" by Alex Hammond"The Raven's Claw" by Jonathan Curran"Children of the Emperor" by Barrington J. Bayley"The Black Pearl" by Chris Pramas""Acceptable Losses" by Gav Thorpe"Tenebrae" by Mark Brendan"Ancient Lances" by Alex Hammond"Hell in a Bottle" by Simon Jowett"Unthinking Justice" by Andras Millward"In the Belly of the Beast" by William King

    With stories from some of the The Black Library's favourite authors as well as some hot new talent this anthology will appeal to all Warhammer 40,000 fans.

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