Audio Review // Wolf Hunt by Graham McNeill

Let's go! The cover alone had me excited about this one. It looks like a massive brute, possibly an unarmoured Space Marine? Going up against a Samurai. What on earth am I about to listen to?

Turns out, quite a lot.

The Details

Title: Wolf Hunt
Author: Graham McNeill
Format: Horus Heresy Audio Drama

The Blurb

A fugitive stalks the shadows of the Petitioner’s City.

Though his fellow Outcast Dead are no more, the lone wolf Severian still intends to escape from Terra by any means possible. But the enigmatic hunter Yasu Nagasena is in pursuit.

As news of the massacre on Isstvan V continues to spread and Severian's trail doubles back to the place where it all began, both men must face some uncomfortable truths — and an even more uncertain future.

The Review

Okay, let's be clear. This is a sequel to The Outcast Dead. It took me a hot minute to realise that. I remembered the earlier story and knew there were some loose ends, but I'd honestly reached the point where I assumed we'd probably never get a follow-up. Then along comes Wolf Hunt.

And bloody hell, I'm glad it did. This story gives us some much-needed closure to The Outcast Dead while also taking these characters in a very different direction.

The Wolf and the Hunter

At the centre of the story are two fantastic characters. First, we have Severian. He's an ex-Luna Wolf, cunning, dangerous and very much aware that everyone around him is potentially a threat. He's not simply trying to survive; he's trying to escape Terra. Then there's Yasu Nagasena, and I really enjoyed Nagasena. He's an interesting contrast to Severian because he comes across as wise and almost gentle. He's not some constantly angry killing machine. But when the time comes…He is bloody lethal.

Putting these two characters against each other makes for a really enjoyable story. You have Severian trying to stay one step ahead while Nagasena patiently tracks him down, and then you've got Terra itself sitting in the background.

The setting is another big part of why this works. We're seeing Terra during the Horus Heresy, with news of the massacre on Isstvan V spreading and everything beginning to feel increasingly uncertain. There's something I really enjoy about stories that explore Terra during this period. We're so used to seeing Space Marines smashing through things that it's refreshing to watch Severian actually having to hide, he's a Space Marine, he's incredibly dangerous, and strong. But that doesn't mean he can just walk down the street punching everyone in the face. He has to use stealth, he has to think, and he has to stay ahead of someone who is actively hunting him. And I really enjoyed that change of pace.

A Great Pairing

Ultimately, I think what makes Wolf Hunt work so well is the pairing of Severian and Nagasena. They're very different characters, but they complement each other brilliantly. One is cunning and dangerous. The other is calm, wise and seemingly almost peaceful until it's time to unleash the violence. Watching those two move through the shadows of Terra makes for a bloody good Horus Heresy adventure. There's also a nice sense that neither character is quite what the other expects. Which brings us to the ending.

I'm not going to spoil it (hahaha). But the ending drops a rather massive hint towards the new organisation being created by the Sigillite. You know the one, the galaxy's worst-kept secret at this point. Considering where we know things are eventually heading, it's a fun little piece of foreshadowing and a great way to bring this particular story to a close.

Final Thoughts

I absolutely loved Wolf Hunt. It surprised me because I wasn't expecting it to be a direct follow-up to The Outcast Dead, and that made the whole experience even better. Severian is a fantastic lead, Nagasena is a brilliant counterpoint to him, and putting the pair into the shadows of Terra makes for something a little different from the usual Horus Heresy fare. I really liked seeing a Space Marine have to rely on stealth and cunning rather than simply reaching for a bolter and punching his way through the problem.

If you enjoyed The Outcast Dead, I'd say this is absolutely worth checking out. For me, though, there's one other thing I'm taking away from it.

Sector 102 needs a duo like this. One character who appears wise, calm and almost harmless until things go very, very wrong, and another who is cunning, unpredictable and bloody dangerous. Put those two together and throw them into the streets, the Spillways or the Cursed Earth...Yeah. I think I've just found another Sector 102 idea.