‘Dark Disciple’ – Anthony Reynolds (Black Library)

In the dark universe of the forty first millennium, mankind is beset on all sides by alien hordes intent on rendering humanity extinct. You would have thought that there were more than enough planets to go around but apparently not…
If this wasn’t bad enough, mankind finds itself fighting not only the alien menace but a menace from within as well. The ruinous powers of the warp seek to possess anyone who can advance their purposes and of these traitors to humanity none are more deadly than the Space Marines who declared civil war during the Horus Heresy.
One thing that I’ve learnt from reading Warhammer 40K fiction is that everyone in this beleaguered universe has a story to tell. What better way to look into the dark heart of Chaos than to read the tale of one of mankind’s champions turned traitor?

Only one thing stands between Marduk (aspiring Dark Apostle of the Word Bearers Chaos Space Marine legion) and the ultimate power that he truly desires; an alien artefact that promises great power but is locked to all. His quest to unlock the artefact will take him and his horde into the middle of territory that is contested by both the Imperial Fleet and the alien Tyranids. Not only must Marduk negotiate his way through the two opposing forces but he must also deal with a third force that lies hidden on the very planet where his quest must end. This will be the Dark Apostle’s sternest test yet but the prize is worth the risk…

Any 40K fan looking for a book about Chaos Space Marines may be disappointed to start off with as although the Word Bearer Chapter are aligned to Chaos they are not aligned to a particular power; choosing instead to follow Chaos as a whole instead. This makes for deliciously evil moments (Marduk displays some interesting lateral thinking to say the least!) but can also dilute the impact of what the book is trying to portray. If it wasn’t for the direction in which the Word Bearer’s zeal is directed they would come across as just like any of the Emperor’s own forces. To be fair this can show how fine the line is that everyone in the 40K setting must walk…

Once you get past this though, and into the story itself, things do heat up and make for a story that is worth sticking with right until the end. Space Marines are practically invulnerable and, as such, can prove anti-climatic to write about, as there is nothing that they cannot achieve. Marduk’s horde do fall foul of this problem but Reynolds deftly steers them past this through a variety of methods…

Space Marines may be practically invulnerable but Reynolds tests this to its very limit by having them go up against creatures that are more than their match. Not only do you get confrontations that are suitably explosive but the uncertainty of the outcome is never diminished. Space Marines sworn to Chaos are also vulnerable to their own colleague’s personal ambitions and Reynolds goes all out to make this apparent in Marduk’s Horde. There is no such thing as a united front here, everyone has an agenda and will do anything to advance it.

Although ‘Dark Apostle’ is very much about Marduk, Reynolds’ makes a bold move by giving equal time to lesser characters and this approach gives readers a lot more to chew on than just Marines shooting everything. The Imperium of Mankind is an unforgiving place and this made more than clear in the case of characters like Admiral Augustine, Solon and Ikorus Baranov. While Marduk is certainly an interesting character to read about there’s not a lot to root for, Reynolds’ focusing on lesser characters gives the reader a chance to do just this as well as fleshing out the wider picture of an unforgiving universe. The ending is bleak yet fitting at the same time…

It got to a point where I could tell how ‘Dark Apostle’ was going to end but this was a case where making the journey was a lot more fun than the final destination. This book is the second in a series but reads very well as a stand-alone piece. I’d certainly read more to see where this series takes us…

Eight and a Quarter out of Ten