Mark of Calth A Review

Mark of Calth edited by Laurie Goulding. A Horus Heresy Anthology. Originally published April 2013 by The Black Library.

I figured for my first review I would put up a review that I finished recently, for I have written many reviews but where to start? I did not know, so therefore I figured I would start by putting up a Horus Heresy review that I did the most recent. Without further a do here is Mark of Calth. Enjoy.

The Shards of Erebus by Guy Haley

The story starts with Erebus forging the ritual blades (seen and used in previous books) from the shards of the Anathame, a weapon so deadly that it nearly killed a Primarch. Here Guy tells the story in two parts, one part of the story tells how each of the commanders in charge of ambushing and destroying Calth as well as a select few others come to receive their shard otherwise known as a ritual dagger. Here the author takes the opportunity to show how divided and unwilling they are to work with each other, for they are more driven by their own ambitions and goals rather than working together.

Guy does an ok job here, however they lack a lot of weight and substance compared to how well some of them were presented though fleetingly in ‘Know No Fear’ by Dan Abnett for instead Guys version of the big bads comes across as a bit more petty and one dimensional. Though we see one character that he spends some of his time introducing one who was once an member of the now banned but not Librarius  programme unfortunately that’s all we get, an introduction and nothing else, which could mean that this character is scheduled for showing up in a future Horus Heresy iteration. The other big names being Erebus and Kor Phaeron are handled flawlessly, they are exactly as they have been depicted in other Horus Heresy books, and it’s just a shame that the same could not be said for the likes of Hol Beloth and Foedrell Fell.

The second part of the story is the highlight and saving grace of the story, for here we get to see how that crafty Erebus learnt the knowledge on how to be in very different places throughout the current Heresy when they are so very far apart. Guys answer to this riddle is both very good and quite terrifying, for one such as Erebus should not be allowed to wield such power, and how he obtains it I found to be very fulfilling, for Guy brings back a character that we have not seen since the opening trilogy.

4/5 - Overall a nice little short story that answers a question that many die hard Heresy fans have been asking for years, with an explanation that seems both clever and fitting for the series and once again getting to read a bit more Erebus is always a pleasure for he is one of my favourite villains to come out of Black Library publishing in years.

Calth that was by Graham Mcneil

Here Graham picks up soon after Dan’s ‘Know No Fear’ and he does so without skipping a beat. It’s pretty obvious very early that these two authors have worked together before because the transition between ‘Know No Fear’ and Calth That Was’ is so seamlessly pulled off you can barely notice the difference. Graham does a wonderful job of portraying the after effects of ‘Know No Fear’, for here we see the scale of destruction wrought by the surprise attack committed by the Word Bearers, whether that’s the severe disarray of communications, to radiation levels that are so dangerous even space marines can’t venture out on to the surface for very long periods of time, the scale that Graham puts across is both saddening and awesome to witness.

Of course being a 4^th company veteran writer Graham has focussed the story on two returning characters from ‘Know No Fear’ Captain Ventanus and captain Sydance both being memorable characters in the previous book. Here Graham sees them recovering from the after math of the surprise strike by the Word Bearers, trying to take back Calth through any means. For the war on Calth is now fought underground in the vast network of natural tunnels and cave systems that Calth is now famous for. Graham Mcneil doing Ultramarines was a risk for he is so famous for his 4ok iterations, however never fear for though they share similarities they do stand apart from there older 4ok cousins.

The main villains of the novella are two that I have been looking forward to since we heard a lot about them in ‘Know No Fear’ but we never got to see them and that’s Foedrell Fell and Hol Beloth. Graham handles both of these characters in very surprising and fitting ways that I won’t spoil for you; needless to say you will be surprised by the turn of events that transpire between the two. In fact Calth that was has many surprising twists and turns not just in terms of plot but also in characters, one such character seemed to bear no real relevance to the story until towards the end this character becomes a key figure to the plots progression.

It must be said that the pacing of the novella is really tight and the continuing narrative along with all the surprise plot and character twists I found to be a very compelling read, so much so that I finished it in one sitting. The key word for this story would be ‘war’ for this story has it in spades, for I have always said that Graham Mcneil is the Micheal Bay of Black Library for Graham knows how to craft action both in terms of scale as well as immense in scope and here he puts his characters into a war they have never fought before.

My only gripe is that the other returning characters that I was really looking forward to seeing only get a small bit of page time to shine and show their worth and that’s the Tetrarch Eikos Lamiad and the dreadnought Telemechrus, when Graham does show them they are truly as awesome as they were in Dans version of them, its just I would of liked to see more of them in terms of plot integration instead they just show up kick some ass then that’s them done, I really feel that there is a lot more story to be told from these characters.

5/5 –  Overall a perfect companion piece to go along side that of ‘Know no Fear’ for those wishing to see more for the battle of Calth then look no further for Graham has picked up that torch and dipped it into the primordial aether.

Dark heart by Anthony Reynolds

Here is a story that kind of showcases just how far the word bearers legion (those sent to Calth) have truly fallen, for here Anthony goes to some length of showing how there is a severe lack of brotherhood within the ranks of word bearers sent to Calth for here is half a legion hell bent on one thing revenge and the quest for power. Power is the keyword for this story for here we follow Marduk, a Word Bearer Acolyte who is learning in the ways of chaos however, here is a character who is really driven by the need to learn more as well as acquire more power. But the question the author puts to the reader is, what’s the price for such power? To answer that question we get to witness an individual who has acquired power in a very real and manifested way and that character is Aurelian’s adopted father Kor Phaeron, here is a man who has acquired power through devotion and a fanatical worship of chaos, but what is the cost of such zeal? And doe’s the end’s justify the means, a dark heart filled with corruption?

Anthony tells this story as though Marduk is telling it and his story picks up during the events of ‘Know No Fear’ for here Marduk tells of how he was sent to learn from an individual who according to him is inferior, for he is not as touched in chaos than he is, needless to say it does not end well, this master and student relationship. The pacing of this story is not too bad for Anthony does a good job of blending action with equal amounts of character driven story lines, and those wishing to get a better look at Kor Phaeron then you are gonna be in for a treat here for Anthony’s version of Kor Phaeron is just as good as that depicted by Dan Abnett in ‘Know No Fear’.

But what I really liked about Anthony’s story is that we see a key confrontation between two epic characters that we saw in ‘Know No Fear’ but from a different perspective. For this Anthony deserves credit for his version of the same confrontation blends seamlessly into Dan’s version of the same event brilliantly. The only gripe I had with this story is that Anthony’s word bearers do come across as being a bit too similar to those of his 40k iterations, however this may have been the point for Marduk is the same Marduk from Anthony’s other series set in 40k otherwise known as the ‘Word Bearers trilogy’ a great set of books focussing on this characters rise through the ranks.

4/5 - Overall a great short story that shows just how divided the Word Bearers were when they were sent to Calth, as well as showing that there are those within the legion that crave power above all else, the question that comes to mind is, should space marines crave such base selfish desires?

The Traveller by David Annandale

A very interesting little story, that is really well conceived and pulled off. The character Jassiq Blanchett is the main character of the story for we follow the whole narrative from his perspective. By doing this David gets to delve into the characters psyche, which is fundamental to the story. The fleeting images at the edge of his vision, the whispers in his head is pulled off quite uniquely for David has opted to put in these little snippets of chaotic whispers and quite terrifying imagery in between sentences. This not only makes the sentences to read uncomfortable and difficult to gather your head around but it also conveys the notion that something is interrupting your thought processes and how uncomfortable it can be to have more than one voice in your head.

The fall into Anarchy and down rite massacre was handled in a really well believable way, for the fall into chaos can either be very sudden (those would be the lucky ones) or the fall can be along way down, and for those a very special kind of hell awaits. When I first read this story i was done with it and had moved on to another, however I would be thinking of this short story days after I had read it for it left quite a lasting impression on me, for I have always wondered (this is the curious, downright weird part of me) what it would be like to have something inhabiting your body and David did such a very real impression of that exceedingly well. Also by the end David leaves a very nice little twist that I found to be quite interesting and yet scary, for it shows just how carefully the Primordial Annihilator has planned events to unfold.

4/5 – Overall a great insight into how a normal person who is not some superhuman space marine, can fall just as far as anyone else, and that chaos does not always go for the big fish.................

A Deeper Darkness by Rob Sanders

The Word Bearers weapons stretch beyond the veil into the immaterium for the Primordial Annihilator has allied itself with the Bearers of the Word however, what if the Word Bearers try to bring something from the other side that bites back? It’s this question that Rob brings to the reader to discovery that there are somethings that should never be allowed to cross from the other side.

This story is told from the perspective of an Ultramarine who is no more distinguishable from the rest; however he is driven like all others of his legion to find and destroy the Word Bearers that have taken and nearly destroyed Calth. Its during his quest to find and kill a renowned Priest of the Word Bearers that leads him to the ‘Pereputinal’ a vast network of naturally formed caverns that run deep into the bedrock of the planet, a place where only darkness thrives. Darkness is the keyword for this story but also horror for Rob has crafted a horror story that is so fitting for this time in the Heresy. For now, the Ultramarines and even the rest of the Imperium of Man now face creatures, horrors and daemons from the other side that they had no idea existed until they were attacked by them. Rob also goes someway to show that though they have taken a vicious blow, the Ultramarines will not falter for long for they will soon lead the attack against such horrors.

Robs characters Pelion is a fine example of how heroic Ultramarines need to be in order to overcome such monsters of the dark, the reason I say this is that whilst i was reading Pelions quest into the darkness, I clung onto his character for reassurance and safety for his utter belief in himself that he will face this creature no matter what and show ‘know fear’ in the utter conviction that he will overcome and destroy it. ‘It’ is the best way I can describe the creature that the Word Bearers foolishly unleashed in the dark, for Rob lets the reader do all the hard work for him, think of the most unimaginable, scary and terrifying creature you can imagine and that’s what you will witness Pelion fighting in the darkness.....brilliant. By the end of the story Rob asks both Pelion and the reader a very relevant question, what are we prepared to do to fight such creatures and become victorious.

5/5 – Overall a brilliant story that addresses the monsters of the dark that the enemies of man are allying themselves with, but it also addresses how heroes like Pelion are going to be needed more than ever in order to fight such monsters. Another thing I would like to point out is how much I enjoyed reading a more horror/thriller based story set during the Horus Heresy and that I would dearly love BL to release more stories like this.

The Underworld War by ADB

Here is a story that answers many unasked questions, how is a member of the Gal Vorbak selected? Why was half the Word Bearers legion sent to Calth? And why were those selected to go to Calth chosen? All these questions are answered here in this one short story. It must be said that out of all the stories within the mark of Calth Anthology, this one has the most questions asked as well as being very relevant to the continuing story of the Horus Heresy.

ADB focuses the story on a member of the Gal Vorbak, left fighting the underworld war on Calth, here ADB ploughs the reader through rugged terrain and once fought battlefields fought during the surprise attack dealt by Kor Phaeron Word Bearers and its here ADB excels in bringing such disaster to vivid detail, I’ve always like ADB’s descriptive writing for he portrays the world ever so clearly, making his works very easy to fall into and immerse one self into. The pacing of the story is handled well, pushing the reader questions and tantalising glimpses that are not fully understood or realised until the bitter end.

What I enjoyed about this story is that ADB has focussed on what being a Gal Vorbak means and feels like, both from the Physical and Psychological side of things, for to be Gal Vorbak is a very appealing thing, what space marine would not want to be given near unlimited power to rend his foes asunder, however to become Gal Vorbak one has to endure extreme physical and psychological trauma, as well as form a union with a creature made from chaos he question is; is it worth it?

5/5 – Overall a nice little short story that covers a lot of interesting subjects in so short space a time, it also reveals a big revelation in regards to the battle of Calth that I was not aware of, which was very exciting to read.

Athame by John French

Here is a story about the destiny of an old obsidian dagger forged when man first knew how to forge such things. John tells the story from the very beginning right up until the current owner of such an artefact many years after its creation. The story is told from the third person perspective, as though the dagger itself is telling the reader of its journey. This form of storytelling I found to be utterly refreshing considering the rest of the book is told from human, superhuman perspectives.

What I loved about this story is the weight of it; John really lays down the history in thick detail, painting a massive picture on an equally massive canvas. The scale and scope of this story I found to be quite staggering for the dagger passes through many owners hands, but not just owners but it is also present in the presence of monumental figures throughout the Imperium’s history.

 The pacing of the story was pivotal to how well this story could be told and for that reason the pacing of the story is perfect, for it builds up momentum as the story progresses until its final quite telling destination. The author keeps the dagger moving through the ages from places to owners, the story is always pushed ever forward. John’s descriptive writing should be applauded for his touch on detail and vast story telling in such a short story is commendable because by the end I felt as though I had read an entire novel. What more the author leaves the story with more questions than answers, one big question he leaves is this; what was this daggers intended destiny? Where will this daggers destiny end?

5/5 – Easily one of my favourite shorts in the Anthology, this is how shorts should be done from time to time for here is a story that I could read again and again and always see something new. Brilliant.

 

Unmarked by Dan Abnett

Dan continues the story of Oll Person a very interesting character from Know no Fear. Here Dan tells part of a journey that Ollianus and the other ‘pilgrims’ take, an adventure that will take them to many places and it’s at these places we get to see that Dan has really outdone himself with. For he takes us to many different, strange, and dangerous and down rite unbelievable locations that Ollianus and the rest travel together to. There are so many hints of things to come that I was just crying out with Ollinaus for answers, for the level of suspense that Dan creates in this story was terrific.

 Dan bring up a key word often for this story and that’s faith, a word that the Emperor has tried to admonish and erase its true meaning, however Oll champions such a word for the word of faith is such a powerful notion that has helped Oll throughout his many lives and experiences. The question is why would the emperor want such a powerful word erased? When such a powerful word such as faith can be used as a shield against the true enemies of mankind?

 Towards the end of the story I was hanging off every word, description and line, for the final scene of the story is so immense and intensifying I was cowering within the circle of pilgrims, hoping, praying, wondering how on earth they were going to survive such a foe, needless to say Dans interpretation of Daemons and the warp is exceptional and second to none.

5/5 – Exceptionally well pulled off suspenseful and insightful tale, that gives hints into where the Heresy is going as well as hints into the forces at work behind such a cataclysmic event.

End verdict - 5/5

Knowledge, War, Power, Possession, Darkness, Union, Destiny and Faith each one of these words represent each of the shorts and Novella found throughout the Anthology, whether its heroic tales of good triumphing evil or evil triumphing over the blind, each tale is a solid representation of not just the war on Calth but also the war that is going to be fought on many other planets and places throughout the Heresy. Laurie Goulding has done a remarkable job of organising and getting the stories conveyed enough in a sense that by the time you get to Dans Unmarked story you will see that some of the stories tie in well with each other.

 

As a whole ‘Mark of Calth’ is a brilliant introduction into where the Heresy is taking not just us the readers, but also the characters we have come to love and adore and the dangers and trails they are all going to have to face before this rebellion is over.