Audio Review 108 // Ghosts Speak Not & Patience by James Swallow

Wow, I am all over the place with these Horus Heresy short stories. I'm not even sure where I am in the timeline anymore. This week we head into the world of Nathaniel Garro (I thought I had completed his adventures), and try to land feet-first back onto the timeline.

Title: Ghosts Speak Not & Patience

Author: James Swallow

Kindle Link

Blurb:

Two tales from the Horus Heresy

A former Sister of Silence and a Legionary once of the Death Guard embark on a vital mission for the Sigillite... one that will lead the former XIV Legion warrior back into battle alongside his old captain, Nathaniel Garro...

It's a look at the Death Guard who were imprisoned after their Legion's betrayal, and at how service to Malcador changes those who fight for the Sigillite... for better or worse.

When Nathaniel Garro carried word of the Warmaster’s treachery to Terra, he also brought with him seventy loyal sons of the XIV Legion. Distrusted by their kinsmen, they languished in seclusion on Luna... until now. Amendera Kendel, once a Sister of Silence but more recently in service to the Sigillite, gives Helig Gallor of the Death Guard a new purpose, and a new duty – one that will ultimately see him reunited with his former battle captain on the field of war.

Review

Let's keep things simple and split this in two.

Title: Ghosts Speak Not

This was a very impressive short. We get a reintroduction to Amendera Kendel, formally a Sister of Silence, and a catch-up with the surviving Death Guard Marines from the Flight of Garro (Book 4). This was a needed follow-up adventure for the Deathguard, who had basically been written out of the series for 30+ books. We get interesting characters among them, and I hope we see more of them soon. But of course, Kendel is the star. Having broken vows with her Sisterhood and joining the Sigillite, is almost treated with as much distrust as the Deathguard. Her character is masterfully written and she will become a very interesting character for sure.

The plot was well executed and I'm very much enjoying being back in the Knight Errant arc again.

Title: Patience

Now the reason these two tales come back to back is that Patience is the sequel to Ghosts Speak Not. And is extremely short. One character from the above Deathguard called Gellor finally gets a run at a novel. Set on a ruined planet, that had sided with the Warmaster it shows what happens to those fallen from the Imperium's grace.

In a rare glimpse, we actually get to see how the war is changing the Imperium and those who hope to survive with it. It is a bit melancholic as we finally truly see how the Space Marines are coming to terms with the end of the era and the fact that they can never go back to the old way. One way or another the galaxy has changed and become a much darker unforgiving place.

Paired together these two tales make for a great listen, it is so interesting to see the Errants growing outside of what we knew of Garro. It was also nice to have other characters leading the way, as for such a big galaxy we seem to keep following a core group of "Heroes", well worth listening to.