Abyssal

Black Library Advent Calendar 2018 #6

by David Annandale

Advent Calendar 2018: Day Six

Prisoner on a Black Ship, surrounded by dangerous psykers and the terrifying Sisters of Silence, Aveth Vairon is hopeful… because this is the moment he has been guided to. But what awaits him?

READ IT BECAUSE
It's a dark and horrific tale set in the depths of a Black Ship in the midst of battle and shows how destiny and death intertwine as Chaos grips the galaxy.

THE STORY
On one of the feared Black Ships, Aveth Vairon, a humble Administratum scribe cowers in a cell. Imprisoned by the Silent Sisters, cowed by their mind-numbing aura and terrified by their situation, he nevertheless feels hope. For Aveth was guided to where he is now by a greater power. For years, he has followed a twisting rune in his mind, guiding him to this moment… and to another prisoner, a faceless woman of great power who he knows will put him on the path to his destiny. But as the Black Ship comes under attack, will that destiny come to pass, or be thwarted by the whims of fate?

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, 40k

16 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2018

Reviews

[RatGrrrl · Rating 5 out of 5]

May 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order (https://www.heresyomnibus.com) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy series and extras - Now in Immaterium of everything outside the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project, before moving on to the last Omnibus XXI The Siege of Terra.

Annandale, Psykers, and nightmare fuel are a match made in the immaterium!

Vairon is not having a good day. He's a Psyker on a Black Ship, ripped from his old life and thrown in a cell with no idea where he is being taken. All around him the collective pain and fear of all manner of mutants echo and where they are hushed it is only be the suffocating presenting of the Silent Sisters and the various fields and effects to dampen and numb him and all the other prisoner's souls. But Vairon has seen a strange symbol that has followed him all his life and it's guidance just might keep him alive long enough to question if there are dates worse than death...

This is classic bizarre nightmare horror Annandale! This time their unsettling and glorious talents are set up describing the horrors of being a Psyker taken by the Black Ships.

The brutal details of the truly evil prison barge, along with the gnarly description of the various mutants and abilities is perverse poetry. There's a real, the prison riot from Guardians of the Galaxy meets Silent Hill vibe and I am here for.

This is one of those short and bittersweet flavour stories, more of an experiencial mood piece, rather than a grander narrative, though I don't know if we will see any characters in the future or whether this is a callback/ forward to some 40K shenanigans. Honestly, these vignettes are like little bonbons to me and, while I am looking forward to reading other things after finishing this series for good, things like this are little treats I'll always be happy to consume.

Maybe I'm just a fan girl of Annandale's funk, but I had a wonderful time, regardless of how non-essential and just fun bad vibes this is.

Through the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project and my own additions, I have currently read* all 54 Horus Heresy main series novels (+1 repeat), 25 novellas (+2 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, all 17 Primarchs novels, 3 Characters novels, and 155 short stories/ audio dramas across the Horus Heresy (inc. 10+ repeats). Plus, 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself.

I couldn't be more appreciative of the phenomenal work of the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project, which has made this ridiculous endeavour all the better and has inspired me to create and collate a collection of Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 documents and checklists (http://tiny.cc/im00yz). There are now too many items to list here, but there is a contents and explainer document here (http://tiny.cc/nj00yz).

*My tracking consistently proves shoddy, but I'm doing my best

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can we please have more stories involving the Sisters of Silence? These bitches are WAY more terrifying than the Sisters of Battle.

[Zare · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Warhammer 40k universe psykers are loosed guns - people tormented by gargantuan powers that if not controlled act as portals for horrors from the Immaterium.

Because of this unsanctioned psykers (those unable to control their powers) are collected by the infamous Imperial Black Ships to keep everyone safe - both psykers and people they live with.

Does it sound like a specially horrible asylum in space? It does. And being set in Warhammer 40k it is especially violent and without mercy. Lessons learned during the Long Night where uncontrolled witches and psykers tore entire populations asunder have brought very strict and ruthless rules into play.

What happens when single psyker prisoner tries to get free by following the sign that marked his entire life? Is he following path to the salvation or is his entire effort just a bloody joke, futile attempt organized by and for the amusement of creatures beyond the veil?

Very interesting short horror story. Recommended to all fans of Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40k in general.

[Michael Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aveth Vairon has lived his whole life driven and influenced by visions of a singular rune. Even after being taken from his home world and imprisoned within a Black Ship, he clings to his belief that the rune is guiding his path, and follows the route it lays out for him.

It’s a tale of fragile hope in dark places, although this is the Heresy so clinging to hope might not be the safest option. The title and cover are a little misleading, as while the Sisters of Silence are involved they’re not the focus, but Annandale taps into his fondness for darkness and horror to imbue proceedings with a tangible sense of fear.

Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/12/...

[Keith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pointless

I'm not sure what this was supposed to be about or achieve - it conveyed nothing of meaning or import around characters that were as flat as pancakes.

[T R Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short story is a basic but quite interesting look at the inside of one of the Black Ships that collect psykers from Imperial worlds, from the perspective of one of the inmates. The psyker characters are all quite interesting, as are the depictions of their powers and while the plot is quite predictable, the story still does just enough to keep you reading. One thing I would say about this story is that it is more a look at how the Horus Heresy affected the daily running of Imperial institutions (the Black Ships) than a major part of the narrative and is somewhat self-contained so readers with little knowledge of the series should be able to understand what is going on. It also wouldn’t take much rewriting to place the story in any other point in the Imperium’s post-Heresy timeline.

[Ross Cudmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given the cover I was hoping for a look into the Sisters of Silence, instead the story focuses on a psyker who has captured and dragged aboard a Black Ship. It is a relatively fun little horror story just not what I expected.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as part of Advent Calendar 2018.