Book Review 175 // Blood Drinker (Warhammer Horror Week 2021 #4) by James Brogden

Following last week's Warhammer Horror Short comes another title from the series. This time we jump from the Age of Sigmar into the Galaxy spanning warzones of Warhammer 40,000.

Title: Blood Drinker (Warhammer Horror Week 2021 #4)

Author: James Brogden

Commercial Fluff: Lost to the Black Rage, an Adeptus Astartes warrior of the Blood Drinkers Chapter runs rampant on a drifting spacecraft. An unlikely duo team up to subdue the soldier by attempting to help him tackle the visions that have driven him mad.

Want a copy? Black Library Link

Format: ebook, 36 pages

Review

Once more, we have an exciting and intriguing location. Set on a spacecraft that has been beset by the warp and now drifts through space. This setting is by far the best part of the novel as it seems the ship has gone from horizontal to vertical, and the corridors and hallways have become giant chasms and pits. No one alive seems to remember what has happened on the ship, and as the generations have passed, the knowledge has become folklore. A great example is the worshiping of Saint Gellar, who saved them from destruction, which would mean their Gellar Field saved them from some disaster.

The survivors seem to be living in the upper decks, while the lower sections have succumbed to a warp breach that has corrupted the crew, who through breeding has become a mutated variant called Creepers. This was an absolute highlight for me, such a unique local to play host to a story.

Unfortunately, the monster/villain of the piece was a letdown. It was basically a Blood Drinker Space Marine who had succumbed to the Red Thirst, making him super aggressive and craving human blood. Once this is explained, the short becomes a bit flat for me. I enjoyed the start and middle, which makes it a worthwhile read. Will definitely be looking for more titles by James Brogden.

Let me know your thoughts on this title or what I should be reading?