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Black Library Advent Calendar 2019 #24
Morningstar
A Primarchs audio drama
Ahriman and Magnus the Red return to the ruins of Tizca in search of power – but to find it, long-buried truths must be brought to light…
The Thousand Sons have thrown in their lot with the traitor Horus, and Terra awaits them. Their appointed task shall be to break the psychic defences around the Imperial Palace – but not even Magnus the Red has the magical might to defy the Emperor's will so brazenly. He needs a weapon. Amidst the ruins of the city of Tizca lies what he needs, the legacy of a world long dead and a war that brings shame to the Crimson King. Now, he and his favoured son Ahriman seek that weapon – and Ahriman will also have answers to questions he didn't even know need asked...
Written by Graham McNeill. Running time 24 minutes. Performed by Sean Connolly, Richard Reed & Claire Wyatt.
Ahriman and Magnus the Red return to the ruins of Tizca in search of power – but to find it, long-buried truths must be brought to light…
The Thousand Sons have thrown in their lot with the traitor Horus, and Terra awaits them. Their appointed task shall be to break the psychic defences around the Imperial Palace – but not even Magnus the Red has the magical might to defy the Emperor's will so brazenly. He needs a weapon. Amidst the ruins of the city of Tizca lies what he needs, the legacy of a world long dead and a war that brings shame to the Crimson King. Now, he and his favoured son Ahriman seek that weapon – and Ahriman will also have answers to questions he didn't even know need asked...
Written by Graham McNeill. Running time 24 minutes. Performed by Sean Connolly, Richard Reed & Claire Wyatt.
Audiobook
First published December 24, 2019
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105 people want to read
About the author
Graham McNeill
343 books940 followersHailing from Scotland, Graham McNeill narrowly escaped a career in surveying to work for Games Workshop as a games designer. He has a strong following with his novels Nightbringer, Warriors of Ultramar, Dead Sky, Black Sun and Storm of Iron.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 10, 2024
February 2024 Review as part of story of Horus Heresy Omnibus Project reading guide Omnibus III: The Burning of Prospero
(https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the series.
So, I stand by the below review in content, if not as enthusiastic as I was before, which I'm surprised about because my initial listening was of knowing nothing of Magnus and his Thousand Sons between the end of Prospero Burns (or maybe Thief of Revelations) and being they become the dusty blue and gold inferno bolt bois of the Dark Millennium, beyond some lore, which meant I had absolutely no context for this, making even the mentioning of Morningstar a revelation.
Now, I'm coming right off the back of finishing Magnus The Red: Master of Prospero by Graham McNeill, which is both all about Morningstar and Shai-Tan, and absolutely bloody brilliant, I'm honestly more confused.
Having read a lot more Horus Heresy in the almost a month between listens because I first heard it randomly and now part of doing the whole, like an embarrassing amount, thing in storylines, I've dropped the grading on a curve I usually do for Warhammer stories because this series opens so unbelievably strongly and still hits those heady heights, despite the quality vacillating along the way, so it deserves a more honest scoring a critique. This also had the effect of me enjoying this a lot less because of the it's vagueness, which I'll talk about more below after the spoiler warning, and having a wildly different tone and characterisation of Magnus and Ahriman than strongly established in previous works.
Ultimately, it's an interesting tidbit that both feels over dramatised and undeveloped with the actual important elements almost glossed over. It is what it is and that is incredibly Black Library Advent Calendar coded.
***Spoilers for Thousand Sons and Magnus The Red: Master of Prospero - I would advise you to not read further or listen to this audio drama without reading those two first, but you do you***
After puzzling for longer than I would like to admit I think I am less confused about one thing, maybe. So, Shai-Tan is the Terran colony ship discovered on Morningstar that Magnus buried under his pyramid before it was destroyed and then both the ship and pyramid were transported to the Planet of the Sorcerers when Magnus bamfed the survivors and a some big ole chunks of Prosperon architecture at the end of the Battle of Prospero. This is what Magnus is is showing Ahriman in this audio drama, as he reminds his Favoured Son of Morningstar. But Shai-Tan is also the name of warp entity created from the tortured psyche's of the people on the ship who got Mrs Coulter and the Obltation Boarded. The malevolence that began the destruction of Morningstar, which the Thousand Sons and Iron Warriors finished.
The Shai-Tan gestalt went into the Book of Magnus and seemed to get on surprisingly well with Magnus like a less cruel reflection of the whole Fulgrim/ Mirror Fulgrim situation. Both the novel and this indicate that Shai-Tan didn't stay in the book and this talks about not being able to isolate corruption, so where was Shai-Tan? Magnus vowed to never open the ship, despite collecting it, presumably in reference to the nightmare contraption within, and the ship was sealed. The Shai-Tan entity foretold that Ahriman would be the one to unseal it, so why is Magnus showing it to him? It really feels like a plot device so Ahriman knows about it again and where it is, I'm guessing so he can use the nasty tech inside as a part of the eventual Rubric kerfuffle.
So many questions!
Where has Shai-Tan been since being in the Book? Did Magnus seal them in the ship? Was this before or after he vowed to not open it again. Why is he showing Ahriman? Why is he telling Ahriman about Morningstar and then just continuing to fucking lie right to his fucking face in the next breath? Is Shai-Tan the weapon to use at the Siege or the psychic castrator?
These are less the interesting things to ponder, but genuinely being baffled by what even the point of the story of this audio drama is? I'm truly perplexed and rather frustrated as I was so excited to return to this with context, but that did not help lmfao.
I will say that I am low on brainpower and high on pain right now, so maybe I'm missing some really obvious stuff that makes me look very silly. If that's the case, I'll wear it. I absolutely get things wrong and confused sometimes, and I'm happy to hold my hands up.
I'm just a bit bummed out that I had a much worse time, but onwards and upwards to Leman Russ: The Great Wolf and Prospero Burns!
***SPOILERS END - ORIGINAL SPOILER FREE REVIEW BELOW***
***
First Listen Review 5/5
Absolute banger audio drama alert!
Magnus and Ahriman walk amongst the ruin and detritus of their world. The Crimson King makes a shocking confession that almost breaks the heart of his chief Librarian, telling a tragic tale and revealing an immense dark power he intends to draw from for use in the coming Siege of Terra.
I think this might be my first time seeing Magnus post burning of Prospero, but before he got even more horny and red, which was fun for me.
There are few things I enjoy more than seeing the 'Traitors' humanised by the tragedies their service to the Imperium forced upon them, as well as the endlessly frustrating hubris on display and getting beaten up by dramatic irony. The post humans in these stories are tragic monsters and sometimes broken heroes within their nightmare context with tales worthy of the muses. When they are portrayed as Avengers in Power Armour, literal Hulkbuster Terminators, everything is cheapened and the poing of the and the various Dark Millenia is missed entirely. Thankfully, McNeil and Morningstar understood the assignment!
The confession is truly awful and heartbreaking in a couple of different ways that perfectly capture the oppressive horror and impossible choices forced up those in this grimdark galaxy, as well as the atrocities and trespasses enacted out of duty, necessity, and compassion. *chef's kiss*
The revelations are absolutely wild and there is some top level, if not understanding, at least immense power of magic front the Warp wielded by Magnus. It also raises some questions as to how we got to this moment and how we get to where we get to.
Magnus (and Ahriman after him) is such classical tragic figure and another son damned and corrupted by unwillingness of his father actually talking to him like an adult about the Warp and magic. Not to mention the true tragedy befalling him and his ultimately being their doom from actions enacted in the best intentions.
This is absolutely my shit. Hell. Yeah.
(https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the series.
So, I stand by the below review in content, if not as enthusiastic as I was before, which I'm surprised about because my initial listening was of knowing nothing of Magnus and his Thousand Sons between the end of Prospero Burns (or maybe Thief of Revelations) and being they become the dusty blue and gold inferno bolt bois of the Dark Millennium, beyond some lore, which meant I had absolutely no context for this, making even the mentioning of Morningstar a revelation.
Now, I'm coming right off the back of finishing Magnus The Red: Master of Prospero by Graham McNeill, which is both all about Morningstar and Shai-Tan, and absolutely bloody brilliant, I'm honestly more confused.
Having read a lot more Horus Heresy in the almost a month between listens because I first heard it randomly and now part of doing the whole, like an embarrassing amount, thing in storylines, I've dropped the grading on a curve I usually do for Warhammer stories because this series opens so unbelievably strongly and still hits those heady heights, despite the quality vacillating along the way, so it deserves a more honest scoring a critique. This also had the effect of me enjoying this a lot less because of the it's vagueness, which I'll talk about more below after the spoiler warning, and having a wildly different tone and characterisation of Magnus and Ahriman than strongly established in previous works.
Ultimately, it's an interesting tidbit that both feels over dramatised and undeveloped with the actual important elements almost glossed over. It is what it is and that is incredibly Black Library Advent Calendar coded.
***Spoilers for Thousand Sons and Magnus The Red: Master of Prospero - I would advise you to not read further or listen to this audio drama without reading those two first, but you do you***
After puzzling for longer than I would like to admit I think I am less confused about one thing, maybe. So, Shai-Tan is the Terran colony ship discovered on Morningstar that Magnus buried under his pyramid before it was destroyed and then both the ship and pyramid were transported to the Planet of the Sorcerers when Magnus bamfed the survivors and a some big ole chunks of Prosperon architecture at the end of the Battle of Prospero. This is what Magnus is is showing Ahriman in this audio drama, as he reminds his Favoured Son of Morningstar. But Shai-Tan is also the name of warp entity created from the tortured psyche's of the people on the ship who got Mrs Coulter and the Obltation Boarded. The malevolence that began the destruction of Morningstar, which the Thousand Sons and Iron Warriors finished.
The Shai-Tan gestalt went into the Book of Magnus and seemed to get on surprisingly well with Magnus like a less cruel reflection of the whole Fulgrim/ Mirror Fulgrim situation. Both the novel and this indicate that Shai-Tan didn't stay in the book and this talks about not being able to isolate corruption, so where was Shai-Tan? Magnus vowed to never open the ship, despite collecting it, presumably in reference to the nightmare contraption within, and the ship was sealed. The Shai-Tan entity foretold that Ahriman would be the one to unseal it, so why is Magnus showing it to him? It really feels like a plot device so Ahriman knows about it again and where it is, I'm guessing so he can use the nasty tech inside as a part of the eventual Rubric kerfuffle.
So many questions!
Where has Shai-Tan been since being in the Book? Did Magnus seal them in the ship? Was this before or after he vowed to not open it again. Why is he showing Ahriman? Why is he telling Ahriman about Morningstar and then just continuing to fucking lie right to his fucking face in the next breath? Is Shai-Tan the weapon to use at the Siege or the psychic castrator?
These are less the interesting things to ponder, but genuinely being baffled by what even the point of the story of this audio drama is? I'm truly perplexed and rather frustrated as I was so excited to return to this with context, but that did not help lmfao.
I will say that I am low on brainpower and high on pain right now, so maybe I'm missing some really obvious stuff that makes me look very silly. If that's the case, I'll wear it. I absolutely get things wrong and confused sometimes, and I'm happy to hold my hands up.
I'm just a bit bummed out that I had a much worse time, but onwards and upwards to Leman Russ: The Great Wolf and Prospero Burns!
***SPOILERS END - ORIGINAL SPOILER FREE REVIEW BELOW***
***
First Listen Review 5/5
Absolute banger audio drama alert!
Magnus and Ahriman walk amongst the ruin and detritus of their world. The Crimson King makes a shocking confession that almost breaks the heart of his chief Librarian, telling a tragic tale and revealing an immense dark power he intends to draw from for use in the coming Siege of Terra.
I think this might be my first time seeing Magnus post burning of Prospero, but before he got even more horny and red, which was fun for me.
There are few things I enjoy more than seeing the 'Traitors' humanised by the tragedies their service to the Imperium forced upon them, as well as the endlessly frustrating hubris on display and getting beaten up by dramatic irony. The post humans in these stories are tragic monsters and sometimes broken heroes within their nightmare context with tales worthy of the muses. When they are portrayed as Avengers in Power Armour, literal Hulkbuster Terminators, everything is cheapened and the poing of the and the various Dark Millenia is missed entirely. Thankfully, McNeil and Morningstar understood the assignment!
The confession is truly awful and heartbreaking in a couple of different ways that perfectly capture the oppressive horror and impossible choices forced up those in this grimdark galaxy, as well as the atrocities and trespasses enacted out of duty, necessity, and compassion. *chef's kiss*
The revelations are absolutely wild and there is some top level, if not understanding, at least immense power of magic front the Warp wielded by Magnus. It also raises some questions as to how we got to this moment and how we get to where we get to.
Magnus (and Ahriman after him) is such classical tragic figure and another son damned and corrupted by unwillingness of his father actually talking to him like an adult about the Warp and magic. Not to mention the true tragedy befalling him and his ultimately being their doom from actions enacted in the best intentions.
This is absolutely my shit. Hell. Yeah.
December 31, 2019
Magnus has always been a fascinating character, particularly regarding his tragic history which lead to him becoming a traitor and his unique Legion with its fair share of strong characters. This short audio drama focuses mainly on one of Magnus’s significant decisions and also features Ahriman, one of the most important and interesting members of the Thousand Sons Legion.
The story takes place in the remains of Tizca, which rather adds to the feeling of despair of the characters, while they ponder about the upcoming battle of Terra, as they reminisce on the tragedies that have fallen upon their Legion. While nothing much happens in the story, it was really fascinating to get into the minds of these characters and hear their voices.
The dialogue play between the Primarch and his chief librarian was pure joy to listen to, especially Magnus’s approach to try to teach his son some psychological aspect of the burden of sorcery and power while divulging a deep secret from their shared past. The brief cameo of one another interesting character from ‘Master of Prospero’ was also a pleasant surprise.
The story, while not particularly significant did cast a bit of light into the aftermath of the fate of Morningstar and the passionate performance by the narrators adds new dimensions into the drama of the Thousand Sons and Horus Heresy.
Rating – 8.5 out of 10.
Find other reviews and stuff for 'Black Library' fiction on my blog - https://theoctedpath.wordpress.com/
The story takes place in the remains of Tizca, which rather adds to the feeling of despair of the characters, while they ponder about the upcoming battle of Terra, as they reminisce on the tragedies that have fallen upon their Legion. While nothing much happens in the story, it was really fascinating to get into the minds of these characters and hear their voices.
The dialogue play between the Primarch and his chief librarian was pure joy to listen to, especially Magnus’s approach to try to teach his son some psychological aspect of the burden of sorcery and power while divulging a deep secret from their shared past. The brief cameo of one another interesting character from ‘Master of Prospero’ was also a pleasant surprise.
The story, while not particularly significant did cast a bit of light into the aftermath of the fate of Morningstar and the passionate performance by the narrators adds new dimensions into the drama of the Thousand Sons and Horus Heresy.
Rating – 8.5 out of 10.
Find other reviews and stuff for 'Black Library' fiction on my blog - https://theoctedpath.wordpress.com/
June 30, 2020
Story: After the team up with Perturabo and razing of prospero and gathering Magnus fragments, but before the siege of terra. Magnus and Ahriman decided to have a trip back at their burned home, for a reason.
Character
Magnus
Finally gathered for most of the fragments part, he's now on a trip with his son. Acting as a teacher, he explain many thing to his student, Ahriman. He also kept many things that probably as bad as allowing the razing itself.
Ahriman
In this audio drama Ahriman sounds like an old man, but being a role as a pupil. He's shown to be curios and being special among his brother, based on Magnus view. At some point he finally critize his father questionable decision.
Conclusion
It's a good audio drama, the whole story is an interaction between Magnus and Ahriman. As such, we saw many personalites from both characters. And we know that Magnus is not the wisest primarch after all.
Overall, it's an ejoyable short audio drama
Character
Magnus
Finally gathered for most of the fragments part, he's now on a trip with his son. Acting as a teacher, he explain many thing to his student, Ahriman. He also kept many things that probably as bad as allowing the razing itself.
Ahriman
In this audio drama Ahriman sounds like an old man, but being a role as a pupil. He's shown to be curios and being special among his brother, based on Magnus view. At some point he finally critize his father questionable decision.
Conclusion
It's a good audio drama, the whole story is an interaction between Magnus and Ahriman. As such, we saw many personalites from both characters. And we know that Magnus is not the wisest primarch after all.
Overall, it's an ejoyable short audio drama
January 4, 2020
As father and son explore the ruins of the City of Light, Ahriman questions their purpose in returning to the site of such pain, but Magnus – now largely restored – once more plays the role of teacher, and reveals an unexpected secret to his favoured son. The truth of Morningstar offers power to be wielded, but at a great cost to both Magnus and Ahriman. A quiet, melancholy story, it’s essentially a frank conversation between two characters who are deeply familiar with each other, sharing an engaging sense of warmth and comfort which is challenged as it becomes clear that this is a tale of grief, guilt and the inevitable development of the father-son bond.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/12/...
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/12/...
October 1, 2025
I actually kind of... really just love a lot of these shorter vignettes that Games Workshop does for their 40k Advent Calendars!! I actually remembered I needed to get to this one because I'm also in the middle of Pierce Brown's Light Bringer, which I suppose is more or less self explanatory haha!
XD
XD
December 27, 2019
Actions have unintended consequences.
January 29, 2022
Unnecessary fluff
January 18, 2024
There really is no end to Magnus' screw ups. Azhek is too good for him.
August 29, 2025
"It is the fate of fathers to one day disappoint their sons."
"And it is the duty of sons to one day outstrip their fathers."
This serves as a companion piece to the book Magnus: Master of Prospero. The events of Magnus: Master of Prospero take place during the Great Crusade but narratively this audio drama takes place after the events of "The Crimson King" and before the Siege of Terra.
This is a heart-to-heart conversation between Magnus and Ahriman, a Father and son. I can't help but draw comparisons between the Emperor and his sons.
The Emperor wiped his sons' memories on more than one occasion, but most significantly, when they lost two of their brothers. The Lost Primarchs are a big unknown in the Heresy.
In this story we discover that
A strong character focused audio drama. Great performances.
"And it is the duty of sons to one day outstrip their fathers."
This serves as a companion piece to the book Magnus: Master of Prospero. The events of Magnus: Master of Prospero take place during the Great Crusade but narratively this audio drama takes place after the events of "The Crimson King" and before the Siege of Terra.
This is a heart-to-heart conversation between Magnus and Ahriman, a Father and son. I can't help but draw comparisons between the Emperor and his sons.
The Emperor wiped his sons' memories on more than one occasion, but most significantly, when they lost two of their brothers. The Lost Primarchs are a big unknown in the Heresy.
In this story we discover that
A strong character focused audio drama. Great performances.
September 18, 2025
left at 18:30 mark. Why? I can't say.
Magnus saying, "you know nothing" is hilarious
Magnus saying, "you know nothing" is hilarious
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews