The Silent War (37) (The Horus Heresy) Paperback – December 6, 2016

Love the many short stories format in between longer books! Always enjoyable to learn more about the Knights Errant and Malcador

A collection of short stories which introduced readers to the forming of Knight Errants, or Sigillite's Chosens, and some background to the other Legion which fights for Horus. Tied in really well and explained many questions between each Horus Heresy novels. Even my kid is read it and couldn't put it down!

Review first posted on Amazon.co.uk on 20 November 2016This is a good collection of some fourteen short (and not so short!) stories around the theme of organising the defence of Terra and the mustering of all possible forces to this effect. A number of interesting features stand out.One is the appearance of Malcador the Sigillite, the Emperor’s (human) right hand and his key role in organising this defence alongside Dorn, Primarch of the Imperial Fists, who focuses on the system’s and Palace’s fortifications.Another feature is the several glimpses of the Palace’s transformation into a formidable, somewhat ugly but not impregnable fortress, despite all efforts.A third interesting streak is the methods used by the Sigillite in his war effort to counter subversion and muster all available resources. A number of the short stories are in fact continuations of previous volumes, for instance the Outcast Dead continued by Wolf Hunt, where the Luna Wolf Severian gets hunted down by Nagasana, the human assassin, throughout the imperial palace complex.This allows the various authors to bring about a fourth feature with a number of characters present in previous Horus Heresy volumes reappearing. This is the case of the old warrior Iacton Qruze, veteran of the Unification Wars, and of Loken, both formerly of the Luna Wolves, prominent in the first three volumes of the Horus Heresy, and now serving the Sigillite as his envoys and/or spies.Some of the stories also show how Malcador desperately seeks to recruit far and wide just about anyone with special talents. This includes psykers and despite the Emperor’s former interdiction and their former belonging to Legions that have betrayed, such a Fel Zharost of the Night Lords who remembers his rather atrocious childhood (Child of Night). It also includes approaching the Night Lords themselves and their highly erratic (not to say murderously mad) Primarch Konrad Curze with envoys made up of a squad of Wolves from Fenris (the Watcher).Also re-appearing in a couple of stories is Garro of the Death Guard, who also refused to follow his Primarch and turn against his brothers at Isstvan V and was the main character of “The Flight of the Eisenstein”. He has now one of the Sigillite’s “Knight Errant” fighting daemons from Chaos and a precursor of the Grey Knights.Another nice touch is the presence of some stories focusing on the impact that the horrific civil war across the galaxy has on individual super-human Legionaries. One is about Loken who readers will discover suffering from some kind of PTSD in Luna Mendax. Another is the very short (4 pages) Army of One and the retribution that is brought years after to a Planet Governor who has sided with Horus.All in all, there were no weak stories even if I might have appreciated some more than others. I did have one issue however and this is that six of the stories published in this collection have already been issued either as novella (such as “the Purge”) or as audio drama (Grey Angel, the Sigillite, Wold Hunt, Templar, the Watcher). Accordingly, only eight of the stories are really original. Four stars.

Great collection of short stories. Continued the stories of some and introduced brand new characters. I wish they had more details on the founding of the Grey Knights but still fantastic!

Another great Warhammer 40K book. Super collection of short stories for the Warhammer enthusiast! Provided backstories and additional information to the world of Warhammer.

Awesome. Love this series!

Great. Tons of interesting short stories.A top 10 in the hh books.

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