"The Mark of Calth"

The Mark of Calth (edited by Laurie Goulding)

This is a short story collection following on from Know No Fear. Where Know No Fear was a pleasant surprise, this book is more of a letdown; despite contributions from some of the better Black Library authors, it's kind of a muddle. The book is brought down by the fact that a few of the stories don't really go anywhere. The first story is interesting enough but doesn't seem to really have a point or ending, and ADB's contribution (spoiler alert) is just a dream, which renders it completely pointless. Beyond this, the book also runs with Ultramarine fanboyism (at one point they kill 600 Word Bearers without a single casualty), and lavishes more attention on THE PERPETUALS, a weird new concept in W40K about people who are immortal because (loud cough) that doesn't seem particularly interesting or well thought out. The best short story is about a magic knife and is interesting both because it spans thousands of years and uses a weirdly refreshing second-person style where the narrator is telling you, the knife, about your own life. Otherwise, I'd recommend a pass on this; it's not the worst Horus Heresy novel out there, but it's not very entertaining.

Grade: C-