Audio Drama // The Sigillite by Chris Wraight

Looks like we are finishing up The Silent War. We have had a surprisingly good run of audio dramas here, with the main problem being they are too short, which, let’s be honest, is a great problem.

For this one, we're heading back into the 30K era with The Sigillite by Chris Wraight.

The Details

Title: The Sigillite
Author: Chris Wraight
Format: Audio Drama
Setting: The Horus Heresy

The Blurb

Black Library presents The Horus Heresy: The Sigillite

Horus has plunged the Imperium into a bloody civil war, but while his armies prepare for battle, the Emperor remains strangely absent.

In his place stands Malcador – the legendary Sigillite, First Lord of Terra and regent to the Golden Throne. With the Emperor gone, Malcador is arguably the most powerful man in the galaxy.

Imperial Army officer Hasani Sabbyat is seconded to Malcador's command for a secret mission into the wastelands of Gyptus. Along the way, he begins to discover the truth behind the Heresy… and perhaps learns more than he ever wanted to know about mankind's destiny.

But where do Malcador's true loyalties lie?

The Review

The real draw here is obviously Malcador. He's one of those characters who sits in the background of so much of the Horus Heresy. We know he's important. We know he's powerful. We know he's been pulling strings behind the scenes for a very long time. But spending so much time inside his world was fantastic. For the most part, we see the current state of the Heresy through Malcador's eyes, or at least as close as we'll ever get. He's dealing with the civil war, the Emperor's absence and the increasingly desperate situation facing the Imperium.

And, more importantly, we get lore.

Lots of lovely, juicy lore. Malcador talks about his past, his present and his thoughts about the future, and those little glimpses into the wider history of the setting were probably my favourite parts of the whole drama. It's one of those stories where you're listening along and suddenly think:

“Hang on… did he just reveal THAT?”

That's exactly the sort of thing I want from a Horus Heresy story.

Malcador's World

I particularly enjoyed getting a better feel for Malcador himself. He's not simply sitting on Terra giving orders while everyone else gets to have the fun. There's a much bigger game being played, and this story gives us a glimpse behind the curtain. We also get some insight into what the Emperor is doing during this period. Admittedly, if you've been around the Horus Heresy for a while, some of this won't exactly be a massive revelation. We know where things are heading. But that doesn't really matter. There's something very satisfying about seeing these events from another perspective and getting another little piece of the massive Heresy puzzle.

My only real criticism is that Hasani Sabbyat, our other major character, felt a little flat to me. I understand why he's there. We need someone through whose eyes we can experience Malcador and the events surrounding him. Having an ordinary Imperial Army officer thrown into this world also helps give us a perspective outside the usual Space Marine or Primarch viewpoint. But compared to Malcador? Yeah…Sorry, Hasani. You seem too flat. Malcador is simply far more interesting.

Brutal and Bloody

When the action does arrive, it doesn't hang around. It's brutal, quick and very much Warhammer (cue rock music). I actually found myself wanting more, which I always think is a good sign. The story gives you enough action to keep things moving, but it never feels like the action is the reason you're here. The real attraction is the lore and the characters, and let's be honest, when you're getting a story centred around Malcador the Sigillite, that's exactly where I want the focus.

Final Thoughts

Overall, The Sigillite was a great Horus Heresy audio drama. It's packed with interesting lore, gives us a much closer look at one of the most mysterious figures in the setting, and offers some fascinating insight into the state of the Imperium during the civil war. Hasani didn't quite grab me in the same way, but Malcador more than made up for it.

If you've never tried a Black Library audio drama before, I'd definitely recommend giving one a go. There's something bloody enjoyable about having the Horus Heresy playing in your ears while you're working away. Now, let's see what the next book has in store.

Cheers for reading, and I'll see you on the next adventure!