Book Review // Horus Heresy: A Safe and Shadowed Place by Guy Haley

This last Horus Heresy audio drama of the week is a good one, shining the spotlight on the Night Lords. This Legion remains one of my favourites in the series, and I’m always a little disappointed by how few full-length stories they receive during this era. At least the short fiction keeps them from vanishing entirely into the shadows.

A Safe and Shadowed Place (The Horus Heresy – Audio Drama)

Author: Guy Haley

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Official Fluff:
Seeking refuge, the remnants of the Night Lords’ fleet stumble upon Imperium Secundus.

Last seen scattered and leaderless after the disaster of the Thramas Crusade, a sizeable portion of the VIII Legion is drawn to a mysterious beacon on the far side of the galaxy. The Night Lords are back in the fight — and that is never good news for the loyalists.

The Review

Set shortly after Prince of Crows, this story finds the Night Lords fragmented and feral. Their fleet is scattered, leadership is contested, and the Legion has degenerated into little more than rival warbands clawing for dominance. We follow a group of survivors sheltering at a hidden staging ground in deep space, desperately attempting to repair their ships. Unbeknownst to them, they are perilously close to Sotha, the keystone world of Imperium Secundus and the beacon holding Ultramar together. And, inevitably, they are about to make things much worse.

This is a strong character-driven piece that captures exactly what makes the Night Lords so compelling: internal betrayal, brutal hierarchy, and a complete absence of honour even among their own. It’s also an excellent look at how the Legion functions when left to its own devices; and I can safely say, I never want to experience life aboard a Night Lords vessel.

While I still long for more long-form Night Lords novels, this is a satisfying and atmospheric short that adds real depth to the Legion’s role in the Heresy.

Highly recommended.