Audio Review 70 // Artefacts by Nick Kyme

Continuing the War Without End book series. This time we get a Nick Kyme Salamander story titled Artefacts.

Artefacts is a short story by Nick Kyme originally included in Sedition's Gate, released exclusively at Horus Heresy Weekender in 2014. It was later sold as an individual e-book in 2015 and then collected as part of War Without End published in January 2016.

Title: Artefacts.

Author: Nick Kyme

Format: Audio drama

Fluff: The story takes place before the Dropsite Massacre and describes Salamanders Primarch Vulkan's review of his powerful weapons and his fear that they could fall into the hands of traitors.

Before the massacre on Isstvan V, the Primarch Vulkan returns to his forge on Nocturne to prepare for war against the traitors. However, in light of recent conflicts with his wayward brother Konrad Curze, he looks upon his personal armoury with a startling new clarity. If the wrath of the supposedly loyal Night Lords can be unleashed upon their own home world in a moment of unchecked rage, is it wise for any Legion to have access to such devastating devices as the Engine of Woes, the Unbound Flame or the Song of Entropy?

Review

A rare Primarch Vulkan story. We join the Salamanders Primarch prior to him heading to the Isstvan system. During a conversation with Forgemaster T’kell, Vulkan remembers how he had worked alongside the Warmaster Horus in an attempt to “correct” Konrad Kurze’s flaws. Flaws that handled to the Extermination of the Nightlords homeworld Nostromo.

This story then leads us into the story's focal point, Vulkan’s weapons. Vulcan is assigning T’kell the painful task of destroying his artefacts. He correctly reasons that in the wrong hands this arsenal of weapons could and would destroy empires. After a back and forth Vulkan agrees to save 7 relics and to destroy the rest. 

Overall a nice story. A good prequel to the events of the Dropsite Massacre and "Vulkan Lives" novel, even though you only get to read it after the fact. It also leads us into the 40k book series as the Salamanders seek out the lost relics. It is nice to have more Salamander tales in the series.