Black Library Advent Calendar 2014 Books

As Horus grinds the Imperium beneath his boot, emissaries from the XVIth Legion return to worlds sworn to the Warmaster during the Great Crusade to have them renew their fealty. With the Sons of Horus already at battle readiness over Sixty-Three Fourteen, a grim decision must be made... Read it because Witness the brutal methods of re-conquest enacted by the Warmaster and the Traitor Legions as the war for humanity wages on. This Quick Read is a fascinating look at the changes the war has wrought in Horus and the way he is viewed by the Imperium’s defenders.

The Brazen Claws' long penitent crusade in the Eye of Terror saw them face all manner of foes, both mortal and daemonic. As the crew of the Cold Roads battle the servants of Slaanesh, Techmarine Llir is forced to make a decision that could save the crew of the beleaguered vessel' or damn them all. Read it because Any tale set in the Eye of Terror is sure to be full of sanity-bending twists and revelations, and Cold Roads is no exception. This Quick Read gives an insight into the horror faced by one particular band of haunted crusaders.

As Hive Fleet Leviathan spreads across the galaxy, the eldar of Iyanden enact a desperate plan to stop a splinter of the fleet that could spell doom for the already-ravaged craftworld. Iyanna Arienal leads an armada of sinister wraithfighters and other deadly spacecraft to aid a human fleet in battling the tyranids - but her true motives may be far more sinister. Read it because Buckle up and prepare for supersonic combat as the wraith fighters of Iyanden take on a tyranid horde. This tale follows on from Guy Haley's Valedor novel, not essential reading beforehand, but awesome if you have.

After returning from Calth and the Underworld War, Sergeant Aeonid Thiel is summoned before his primarch Roboute Guilliman. Read it because One of the great things about the Horus Heresy series is learning about the characters and events that shaped the 41st millennium, and few heroes are more pivotal than these two: Sergeant Aeonid Thiel and Rouboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines. As well as these iconic heroes, in this audio, we also see the beginnings of what will become one of the most important books in the galaxy.

Returning to his master after secondment to the Armageddon 252nd regiment on Mistral, the young Commissar Sebastian Yarrick is drawn into a Chaos plot on Aighe Mortis. Contagion is spreading throughout the populace and the Inquisition require someone with experience of fighting the archenemy. After the horrors he has faced, can Yarrick find the source of the danger and destroy it? Read it because It's always great to see the origins of a character that will grow to become a legendary figure. Here, we see Commissar Yarrick years before he would grow to become the Hero of Armageddon, up against the foul machinations of Chaos. Action, intrigue, inquisitors, and heroics - this story has it all.

Marakitedes, berserker of the traitorous World Eaters, fights on the hull of an Imperial starship. Battling the vessel's beleaguered crew and the warriors of the Ultramarines, he is fighting not just for the thrill of combat or to feed the Butcher's Nails, but to honour his fallen brother, Enyalius, and send him to Khorne with a mighty host of skulls. Read it because Even crazed Khorne Berzerkers honour their dead, they just do it in... unconventional ways.Like all rituals of the Blood God, it mostly involves death bloodshed, and decapitations.

Brother Helias of the Blood Angels, newly ascended to the Second Company, faces harsh trials as he faces traitorous Chaos Space Marines and the darkness that lurks within his own soul. Can he defeat the enemy without and the enemy within, or will he be consumed by the twin curses of his bloodline? Read it because This book shines light on the twin battle that all Blood Angels must fight - one against the foes of man, and a far more dangerous one against their own inner darkness.

Captain Froer of the Astra Militarum and his men receive a new ally in their attempts to push into enemy territory - a Space Marine of the Blood Angels Chapter. But as Brother Gammarael wages war with a monstrous foe, Froer gets a glimpse of the eternal darkness that lurks at the heart of the sons of the Angel. Read it because See the Blood Angels in battle against a truly formidable adversary, and get a glimpse into the darkness that hides behind their noble countenance.

A squad of Blood Angels, commanded by Brother-Sergeant Rafen, face off against a group of Space Marines from the Knights of Blood, sons of Sanguinius declared renegade by the Imperium. The traitors offer a gift to their parent Chapter, but can the Blood Angels trust anything that they provide? Read it because The Blood Angels face former brothers, declared heretics. Is this a glimpse at the fate of all sons of Sanguinius?

The Blood Angels call for aid, and the Flesh Tearers answer, but Gabriel Seth's warriors are already engaged in battle against traitorous cultists on the dark world of Nekkaris. As Seth and Chaplain Appollus prepare to leave for the Cryptus system, Sergeant Eschiros and his Scout squad fight behind enemy lines, unaware of the almighty sacrifice they may soon have to make... Read it because The Flesh Tearers are thought of as savage butchers (and there's a bit of that in this book, admittedly) , but this story reveals a deep loyalty and nobility hidden beneath the mask of rage – a link back to their origins on ancient Baal.

As the dread forces of the Chaos-worshipping Anckorites spread from world to world, Cadian Shock Troop Whiteshields - new troopers tasting battle for the first time - are all that stand between the enemy and utter destruction. But when the famed general Ursakar E Creed enacts a dangerous battle plan to outmanoeuvre the foe, there may just be hope for survival, or even victory. Read it because The first Black Library story to feature the famed Cadian hero Ursakar E. Creed.See him in action doing what he does best - outwitting the foul forces of Chaos with tactical cunning and Cadian determination.

Ultramarines sergeants Sicarius and Numitor spearhead an assault on a tau-held world. As they clash with powerful tau battlesuits, the two sergeants discover that the Tau Empire and the Imperium of Man may have as many similarities and differences - but does that matter when the xenos threaten the Emperor's realm?

The Blood Angels and necrons, locked in a long and bitter war for the fate of the Gehenna system, are both endangered by the arrival of the monstrous tyranids. When the Silent King himself makes overtures of alliance, Commander Dante of the Blood Angels enacts a dangerous plan that could rid the Imperium of the Silent King forever - but when the two leaders meet at Devil's Crag, everything changes. Read it because One of Warhammer 40,000's great mysteries is explored. Why did The Blood Angels ally with the ancient evil of the necrons at Devil's Crag? And maybe more to the point, why didn't the tireless aliens turn on the Space Marines when the battle was won? This story may have the answers.

Crimson Fists Sergeant Galleas and his squad are assigned to aid an inquisitor who hunts a notorious renegade Space Marine. Setting out to entrap the traitor, the Crimson Fists soon find themselves surrounded and in danger - and their enemy may know them as well as they know themselves, as an ancient and deadly secret is revealed. Read it because The Crimson Fists have not had the best time of late - what with their home world near destroyed by an ork Waaagh! under mysterious circumstances. In this new story, their loyalty to the Imperium is pushed to breaking point as they come into contact with shadowy agents of the Inquisition...

Ahriman, sorcerer lord of the Thousand Sons, seeks the fabled Gates of Ruin, reportedly a safe way out of the Eye of Terror, far from the eyes of the Imperium. But when he finds the Gates of Ruin, he discovers that he has been drawn into a deadly trap. As daemons attack, Ahriman and his followers must draw on all their power and skill if they are to survive. Read it because Misunderstood seeker of knowledge or diabolical Lord of Chaos? A bit of both maybe.Fans of the Ahriman series won't want to miss this latest instalment, as the Sorcerer finds himself snared in a fiendish trap as he and his followers seek to escape the Eye of Terror.

Crowned as the new Emperor of Imperium Secundus, Sanguinius of the Blood Angels faces the very real threat of betrayal from within his new realm. As ever, it falls to his Sanguinary Guard to protect the primarch, and Commander Azkaellon must resort to the most dire of measures. Read it because Not only is this story a fascinating glimpse into the mind of the Blood Angels Primarch, it also shines light on the origins of another well known character in the history of the IX Legion...

One of the Fallen, the Dark Angels who betrayed their oaths and turned on their brothers, relives his past under the psychic interrogation of Chief Librarian Ezekiel. But with treachery in his nature, nothing the Fallen says can be trusted - does Ezekiel hold the key to unlocking the truth and discovering the warrior's role in the fall of Caliban?

A squad of Raven Guard Scouts on their first mission encounter the horror of the twisted flesh-shapers of the eldar, the sinister haemonculus covens. As they fight for their lives against the deadly aliens, Brother Jevel begins to realise that his destiny is more complicated than he ever imagined.

A shuttle returns to the Solar System bearing the sole survivor of a traitor attack – however, delirious and so close to death, his tale remains untold. Ison of the Knights Errant, formerly a Librarian of his Legion, delves into the mind of the warrior, and the truth of it will chill him to the core... Read it because The Space Wolves once fancied themselves guardians over all Legions. Find out what happened to those sent to watch over the Night Haunter. Suffice to say, the Lord of the VIII Legion does not take well to guard dogs...