The Greater Evil

The Greater Evil by Peter Fehervari. A Tau short story, originally published by The Black Library, November 207. Approx. 52 pages.

As you all know, I've been keeping my Warhammer 40K reviews going up at my new blog; however, a new Peter Fehervari short is such a momentous occasion that I had to take a few minutes and post it here as well! Thanks as always for stopping by!

There are few greater causes for celebration than the release of new material from personal favorite author Peter Fehervari; so this week began on a blissful note. On Monday; The Black Library released Fehervari's newest short story, The Greater Evil, which is a Tau-centric tale that weighs in at a whopping 52 pages (nearly twice the length of the average short story; so you're definitely getting more bang for your five bucks).

Now, I will tell you right up front; this story is spectacular. I am seeing a lot of comments within the Facebook groups I frequent that cite The Greater Evil as Fehervari's best short story to date. In all honesty; I am somewhat inclined to agree. I'm pretty sure, as well, that if you read my past reviews of his works, you will see similar sentiments being expressed. This speaks to his overall evolution as an author; certain tales of his have been more dark than others; some more complex with his endless puzzles and riddles. Others are more character driven; while others come up as more accessible to the general palate. The Greater Evil, on the other hand, combines the best of all of these qualities. This is a wonderful, dark, vivid tale that serves as a testimonial that Fehervari has established himself as the best author for writing certain factions.

Now; a note before I continue: there were be a lot of commenting on the merits of the writing here; rather than on the story as a whole. The reason for this is that the blurb for The Greater Evil deliberately leaves the 'bad guys' (well, the faction the Tau is fighting here; 'bad guys' has a lot to do with geography and what side of the fence you are standing on) in the shadows. So, before I go on, here are the details from BL's website, so you have an idea of the basic premise:

A T'au Empire story

An expedition to discover the fate of a long lost Water Caste ambassador and bring an Imperial world into the T'au Empire faces grave peril…

READ IT BECAUSE
Peter Fehervari continues to build his little corner of the Warhammer 40,000 universe in a tale of mystery and danger that will leave you guessing right to the very end.

THE STORY
In the far reaches of the Damocles Gulf, an expedition of the T'au Empire heads for the system known to the Imperium as Yuxa, there to bring the influence of the Greater Good to humanity – and investigate the reappearance of a Water Caste ambassador thought lost years before. Joined by a mysterious Ethereal and defended by gue'vesa auxiliaries – soldiers once of mankind's Imperium, now devoted to the Greater Good – the expedition's leader expects a trap/ But what he finds may just change his perceptions of the galaxy. 

That being said; let's dissect this fantastic story.

Characters:

PF is a meticulous, thoughtful, and insightful author; and his characters directly benefit from this, all of them becoming imbued with true gravitas and authenticity. In any Fehervari work; almost any one of the characters could arguably carry a solid novel on their own, and this is certainly the case in The Greater Evil.

In The Greater Evil, we have a trinity of characters at the fore. First off is Voyle, a former Guardsman currently serving as a Gue'vesa auxiliary. He is a formidable warrior; and has subscribed fully to the philosophy of the Tau. However, like most of the leads in Fehervari's stories; Voyle is a man with a burden hanging around his neck like an albatross. In this case; it is the events that led up to his becoming stranded upon a derelict ship. He carries the guilt of allowing his comrades to die; as well as a festering rage against the Imperium for abandoning him. But, Voyle is also plagued by voices. Voices that keep dragging him into the past....into those pivotal moment. Are these murmurings voices from the past; or the future?

In this short, Fehervari also gives us a new type of Ethereal, known as a "Seeker", here represented by the intriguing character of Kyuhai. Personally, I like the concept of Seekers; who are more Shao Lin monks in comparison to the traditional wizened Confucian sage types that Ethereals are normally portrayed as. Granted; this might prompt some discontent among Tau purists; but I believe the logic underpinning the concept is sound enough to not only justify, but also validate its inclusion. And, Kyuhai is an interesting character. He has the wisdom; as well as the bottom-line pragmatism necessary for his position; but his martial skill allows him more front-line, hands-on involvement.

Also, another nice touch to the concept of the Seeker is that Kyuhai eschews a traditional Honour Guard; opting instead for the assistance of two exceptional kroot warriors. Anyone who has read any of Fehervari's works knows how he excels at writing for these avian conscripts of the Tau Empire - from the skrab infected horrors of Fire Caste, to the determined shaper of Fire & Ice.

Finally, we have a Water Caste ambassador named Adibh. She is yet another example of a well-realized, balanced female Tau character crafted by PF. Always seeking a proper balance in her approach to problem resolution; especially considering their position in being part of seeking a non-violent concordance with the gue'la.

Adibh has all of her personal feelings and values challenged when she is tasked with getting to the bottom of the issue regarding a face from the past - the 'lost' ambassador mentioned in the blurb - who also happens to be a longtime friend of hers; as well as a once-potential pairing mate.

And honorable mention goes to Akuryo; the thoughtful Fire Caste commander whom his loyal gue'vesa troops dub "Stormlight". He manages to steal every scene in which he appears; and acts, even in an inadvertent manner, as a major catalyst in the realization of Voyle's personal arc.

As with other Fehervari stories; there is always the chance of an 'old friend' coming for a visit. I was able to place one major character from a previous work; and there is another one whom I am guessing at, but am currently stuck.

Action:

Fehervari never disappoints in the action department. There is a nice setpiece that dominates the middle of the story (as well as a solid training sequence at the opener). It's always noteworthy how much thought he puts into the mechanics of weaponry; as well as the tactics, of all factions involved.

For me, however, there is one scene that really stole the show. In The Greater Evil, as well as in Fire Caste, there is a scene in which a Crisis Battlesuit is unleashed. And this, this is done masterfully. Also, this scene involves a more traditional, conservative Fire Caste warrior; one who is able to make the on the spot battlefield decision to prioritize saving battle drones over wounded gue'vesa troops; because the former have a greater net value than the latter. It is a perfect reminder that even though the Tau present a more 'humane' option than the cruel brutality of the Imperium; the efficiency upon which their house is built often takes emotion out of the equation.

Visuals:

As always; Fehervari brings his setpieces to life. He delivers vivid, unique imagery, time and again. His take on the gue'vesa troops is truly original, and somewhat bizarre - humans who, in their acceptance of Tau doctrine, have their skin stained blue and faces tattooed with concentric rings.

As mentioned, the setup and detailing of the deserted ship that serves as the theater for Voyle's backstory is a spacebound horror house for the records; more terrifying than the Nostromo or the colony on LV-426.

The hulk hovering above the planet Scitalyss - also known as the Unfolding Nexus - where the latter part of the story transpires; is another bastion of inherent 'wrongness' that keeps the reader looking over their shoulder at each turn.

Word Games:

Of course, the most to have with a new Fehervari release is to try and connect the dots between stories; and also find hidden meanings in names and word choices. As always; there is a lot to be found here.

I've been poring over The Greater Evil for close to a week now; and I'm sure I'm only scratching the surface on the hidden gems that PF has tucked away in here. As we all know, the Dark Coil of his tales snake along of their own accord.

Speaking of snakes, there is something of a serpentine theme going on here. This is evidenced in some of the names. The planet that the Unfolding Nexus hovers above is called Scitalyss. The system that Scitalyss is located in is known as the Yuxa system. This system is of particular interest to a celebrity Tau high ambassador named O'Seishin. If that name rings a bell; it is because he figured heavily in Fire Caste.

It also bears mentioning that aside from Scitalyss, there is only one other life-sustaining planet in the Yuxa System. A lovely little world known as Phaedra....

The name of our troubled gue'vesa soldier, Voyle, has a dead giveaway for one of the big story twists in it if you check it out on Wikipedia.

Also, the direct translation of the name of the aforementioned Fire Warrior commander, Akuryo, holds a significance in regards to Voyle as well.

If I am reading correctly, there is also a connection between Voyle's backstory and the ending of a recent Fehervari story.

Well, I'm sure I am missing plenty more. If you do spot any; feel free to mention them in the comments.

In Conclusion:

So, to reiterate, The Greater Evil is yet another fantastically written notch in Peter Fehervari's belt. The quality of his writing has evolved so profoundly; and he has shown without a doubt that he is the best author in the Black Library stable for writing Tau. Tau are so much more than angular; anime-inspired fighting suits. There is a pervading philosophy throughout their race which perhaps positions them as a more benevolent 'master' in the war-torn universe of the 41st millennium....but as with all philosophies, there are always dark corners.

And when you need to explore the dark corners of the universe, you can do no better than Peter Fehervari.

Now, I could possibly see some having issue with the ending of this story. While I feel that The Greater Evil offers a conclusive ending; it is obvious that it is the beginning of a larger story begging to be told. Just to reiterate; it is not an open-ended, ambiguous ending (although I never mind those if they are done right), nor is it a cliff-hanger that denies closure to the reader. Here's hoping that Black Library gives him the chance to add more to this excellent story.

Oh, I must also mention; The Greater Evil both opens and closes with two of the greatest lines that I have read in any 40K fiction. The opening line; an exordium of sorts (is it any coincidence that Voyle's guard unit was the "Exordio" Void Breachers?), prepares the audience for the kind of twisting narrative which Fehervari is famous for. And then, the final line bludgeons the reader mercilessly over the head with a cold truth; a cold truth that reveals itself at a point far past any hope of a remedy.

As always, I simply cannot recommend this story highly enough. Get it now, get it here.

Fire And Ice

Fire and Ice by Peter Fehervari. A Warhammer 40,000 Tau novella, originally appearing in the Legends of the Dark Millenium Shas'o anthology. Originally published October, 2015. Approx. 79 pages.

I've been champing at the bit for the chance to tear into this novella since it popped up in last month's (Oc-Tau-ber) Shas'o anthology (which has received a hardback release as well, allowing readers to finally get the exceptional shorts Out Caste and A Sanctuary of Wyrms in print format). The promise of a new story by personal Black Library favorite Peter Fehervari generated a lot of excitement, to say the least. As I'm sure I've mentioned many times before, in my opinion no other author in the Black Library stable puts forward stories with the kind of twisted potential and depth that this created universe allows for. They are brutal, honest, puzzling, twisting, and unapologetically raw.

Fire and Ice takes that standard to a new high.

As a forewarning, I can only say so much regarding the structure and storyline of this tale, since that would compromise some of the wonderful and mind-boggling twists. Let me just say that it is no coincidence that the name of one of the central figures of the story, an assassinated Inquisitor, happens to be Escher. This will give you a good idea of how the narrative of Fire and Ice unfolds.

Set amidst the turmoil of the Damocles Gulf Crusade, Fire and Ice focuses on a meek Inquisitorial Interrogator named Haniel Mordaine. Mordaine is a man that truly finds himself wedged between a rock and a hard place; he is being pursued by the Inquisition's Grand Conclave for his part in allowing Escher to be assassinated, and he is still trying to do his duty by attempting to uproot the Tau influence in the sector. Along this precarious path, he is ushered and guarded by a shadowy man named Kreeger, who, along with providing safety, is preparing Mordaine for a rendezvous with his "contact", a shadowy figure known as the Calavera, who will hopefully provide some insight on quelling the blueskin menace.

His efforts reach a climax on the frozen world of Oblazt, where the Tau-engineered "Unity" revolution is born. As the hive of Vyshodd falls to the newly-minted human subscribers to the Greater Good, Mordaine beats a hasty egress aboard a maglev train (superb technological concept here) on a journey to.....well, let's just say fate.

That summary really does no justice to the the story; and, mind you, the real story begins once all the players are on that fateful train. Here, while convalescing from wounds suffered during the riot, Mordaine will work with the mysterious Calavera (obviously an Adeptus Astartes, but also obviously so much more), and he will attempt to fill the void of the fallen Escher's shoes by interviewing "the prisoner"; a Tau warrior who may or may not be the legendary Commander Farsight.

If you need a straight-forward, linear Tau story, with clearly defined actions and arcs, please refer to my last review, for Phil Kelly's Farsight (no insult there, it is a really good novella). Also, if you are looking for seeing cadres of Fire Warriors lined up, with Crisis Suits soaring overhead, go with Farsight. But if you want a representation of what it would mostly be like to deal with the confluence of Tau socialism, Inquisition dogmatic totalitarianism, and Warp-infused Chaos, then read this novella. If you want a psychological power play, and the formation of grand-scale chess match (both figuratively and literally), then read Fire and Ice. Everything is offered in carefully calculated contradiction. Everything is everything and nothing at once.

There are no easy reveals here. Like all of Fehervari's other works, the reader finds themselves sorting through tangled webs in a house of smoke and mirrors. You will be asking yourself throughout, what is the ultimate point? Why is this character being chosen for these grand trials and responsibilities? And when an answer, of sorts, posits itself, revealing its truly ugly face, it is a true shock (and a nice little nod to one of my favorite movies of all time. But like I said, no spoilers from me).

Assessing the individual parts that make the whole, Fire and Ice is, like all of Fehervari's other works, very strong. If you were to strip away each outer layer, its core fundamentals are still strong. Take away the 40K universe, and it is still strong sci-fi. Take those concepts away, and it is still a strong character piece. Peel that back, and see the dark recesses of the mind. Claw through that, and fall into the blackest valleys of the soul.

There is real strength in the words employed. Every line has structural and philosophical importance. And, like in Fehervari's other stories, there are puzzles and riddles abound. Names are a central motif here; the meanings of them, the importance of them, and the grave missteps of addressing someone by the wrong name.

World building and scenery is excellent too. The technology of the anchor hive pulses with legitimacy, as does the maglev train which serves as the vessel for a trip to Hell. The partisan politics of those who would embrace the Tau'va over Holy Terra is especially poignant given the socio-political overtones so prevalent in today's society. Indeed, there is nothing so tragically comedic as low-information consumers rebelling and fighting for the opportunity to be another regime's disposable assets.

Of course, the most important aspect of such a story as this is characters. We have a fantastic dramatis personae here. Mordaine is an well-portrayed in his role; frayed, emotionally crumbling, and yet capable of an inner strength (bolstered, perhaps, by the inner voices which plague him). His guardian, Kreeger, is also a standout character. He embodies the physical characteristics and nihilism of Fire Caste's Holt Iverson, and yet, I find it hard to believe that they are one and the same....

The real puzzles, of course, are the shadowy pupeeters: the Calavera and the traveler. Their true motives are as well-hidden as their true identities, and even when there are some reveals, their ultimate goals are still out of sight.

Fehervari also shows that he can still craft well-conceived, if somewhat unconventional Imperial Guard regiments. Here we have the Iwujii Sharks, brutal, efficient, and unabashedly more gang-like than regimental. They give us some truly memorable personalities, especially the priestess La Mal Kalfu.

There is also a very nicely done minor arc involving an outcast kroot shaper. Here, as in some of his previous stories, Fehervari has shown a real flair for portraying this alien race. He truly gets their physiology, their bearing, and their base warrior instincts.

The dialogue here is beyond amazing. Sometimes I list a favorite quote from a story, one that resonates with something deep within with its poignancy. Here, almost every line fits that bill. So, for my favorite quote, I will choose these three simple words, which come from the most welcome character in the novella:

"It's a lie."

Fans of Fire Caste will be happy to know that there are some references in Fire and Ice to that classic piece. They are not as obvious, or as directly connected as the ones in stories like The Crown of Thorns or Vanguard (which acts more of an epilogue to Fire Caste than a separate work). It is just another cold reminder of the great story cycle that might have been if the Black Library had given Fehervari another book or two to tell a story that really deserved to be heard.

I'll put forward Fire and Ice as what I believe to be required reading for Warhammer 40,000 fans. This story shows the true potential for a created universe. These stories don't need to be constrained to the depictions of the battles acted out by tabletop miniatures. What makes those stories possible are the schemes and machinations of greater forces, and that is what you get in Fire & Ice. Like Fire Caste, this story might polarize some fans, and isolate those who prefer more clear cut tales. But it is the kind of story that a legend like Farsight deserves - complex, full of deception and obfuscation, calculated and calculating, brutal, and merciless.

Here's what it is:
Alas, how terrible is wisdom when it beings no profit to the wise.

Final Score:

10/10

Cover Score:

Another Crisis Suit Codex grab, I presume. You won't be seeing it in this story. But this isn't the only story in the anthology. Not a bad pic.

Cover Final Score:

6.5/10

Farsight

Farsight by Phil Kelly. A Warhammer 40,000 Legends of the Dark Millennium novella, originally published by The Black Library, October 2015. Approx. 108 pages.

The nice folks over at The Black Library decided to make last month into Oc-Tau-ber, with a month of Greater Goodies, some old and some new. Two offerings definitely piqued my interest; the first is this nifty novella, focusing on the iconic Tau badass (bit of an oxymoron there, no?) Commander Farsight. The other is Fire & Ice, a new short story by blog favorite author Peter Fehervari which appears in the Shas'O collection. I will be reading and reviewing that very soon.

Farsight is an action-packed novella which centers on the actions of Farsight during the Arkunasha War. Before I get into further detail, let me say this: I know that most 40K readers are read-up on the canon and lore, but if you are like me, and only have a cursory knowledge, read up on Farshight's wiki entry first. He is a very intriguing character. The big question then becomes: does the story do justice to the legend? Well, I have to say that I really, really like this novella. But it falls more firmly into the mold of actioner than character study. And I think that was the best choice here; you can't help but get sucked into and thoroughly enjoy this tale.

The Tau bio-habs of Arkunasha are under siege by the monstrous Waaagh! of Dok Toofjaw. The sheer size of the ork assaults, and the placement of the habs is starving each individual location out, as supply lines have been broken, with little hope of re-establishing. To make dread matters even more hopeless, there is a matter of a strange phenomena on the planet: deadly, violent rust storms which seemingly have a mind of their own (and which inflict rather peculiar injuries on those caught in them).

Descending into this seemingly hopeless quandary is the celebrated Farsight and his team. The would-be savior enacts some pragmatic, sneaky, fast-strike attack plans, crafted around existing knowledge of ork behavior. Unfortunately, things do not work out so well. Facing censure from his colleagues, he must re-evaluate his tactics, study the bestial xenos further, and deduce the cause of the mysterious "ghost storms", if there is to be any hope of saving the Tau citizenry.

There are many things that Phil Kelly packs into Farsight to make it a solid read. Let's look at some of them:

Characters: This might actually be the weakest category in the novella. Farsight does not sell the character, but it sells his greatness. This is satisfactory in and of itself, though. There is very little fleshing out of the characters here. Farsight himself is an enjoyable protagonist; although there is little done to make the readers feel as though they have slipped into the skin of a socialist alien. He could just as easily be human. I understand the challenge of writing for a xenos mentality; the onus is to maintain the authenticity of the alien psychology, while still weaving in some characteristics that the end-user can sympathize with. The secondary characters are pretty thin too; Commander Brightsword is a highlight, but mostly he "out-cools" the "cool" lead. Other members of the Tau hierarchy run the gamut of helpful to somewhat underhanded and conniving. There is also a side story focusing on a mentor in one of the habs that sadly goes nowhere. I don't know if the meat of that story got gutted in the editing room to make more space for action, or what.
The tau dialogue is somewhere on the level of Shao-lin philosophy via Kung Fu:The Series, punctuated with expressive hand gestures. It's kind of fun, to be honest. The story is also peppered with quotes from The Art of War, um, I mean the Tau'va. You have to love these moments of Fortune Cookie Philosophy:

Lottery numbers on rear.

Creatures: The orks, on the other hand, are masterful here. These are classic, brutal and comical greenskins. Better yet, Kelly is not just writing for Tau legends here. In Farsight, we get to see some Ork heavyweight bosses as well. Toofjaw makes a fine antagonist, way smarter than the average ork. All in all, I enjoyed this story much more for the orks than for the Tau.

Action: There is tons of action in this novella. It is, by and far, the best selling point. Kelly presents the lore here very well: we really get great representations of the weaponry and vehicles. Some of the best moments are those which involve battlesuits. Here, Kelly alternates between the exhilarating action taking place outside with the split-second decisions being made within the piloting cocoons on the command suites. This "back and forth" technique worked so successfully in the Iron Man movies, and allows the reader a nice sense of immersion.
Kelly also makes sure to incorporate a wide spectrum of unit types in the story, and he makes them pop off the page as well with vivid descriptions. I really cannot give him enough credit on that front.

Other Factors: The pacing in Farsight is nice and brisk. The story does not lag in any parts, or rush matters. There are even some well-placed, clever parts as well. Some of my personal favorite scenes are a Tau-Ork parley (which goes exactly as expected), and a Tau autopsy of an ork cadaver (which goes exactly as expected). Even in these scenes, where the outcome is never in doubt, the ride is just too enjoyable to resist.

In closing, don't pick up Farsight expecting to see the finer nuances of the psychology of the Tau's greatest warrior to be explored. Read it to experience first-hand just how consummate he is in battle, and enjoy each page of this blistering actioner.

Final Score:

8.5/10


Cover Score:

A close up of a picture of Farsight in his custom XV8 Crisis Battlesuit. I'm pretty sure the original pic is from the Codex. They should've just used the whole original pic, instead of this odd crop job.

Cover Final Score:

6.5/10

Out Caste

Out Caste by Peter Fehervari. Originally published by The Black Library (as part of their 2012 Advent Calendar Compilation), December 2012. Approx. 6 pages.

Without a doubt, the Black Library book that I enjoyed the most this year was Peter Fehervari's Fire Caste. His detailed, atmospheric writing truly brought that imaginative tale of Imperial Guardsmen vs. the Tau Collective in the bowels of warp-twisted space to life. Yet, as mentioned in my review of Fire Caste, the only issue I had with the book was that it did not feature enough of the Tau warrior Jhi'kaara, Commissar Holt Iverson's shattered mirror image. Luckily, Fehervari had penned a backstory for her that appeared in 2012's Advent Calendar series. Ah yes, love or hate those Black Library micro-shorts, checking the site each morning in December is like opening one of those German chocolate-filled Advent Calendars.

A childhood filled with these was a childhood filled with awesome.

Out Caste is told in a bifurcated narrative; we get a first person POV of the newly minted shas'la J'kaara ('the mirror'), as well as musings on the history of the scarred Jhi'kaara ('the broken mirror').

What I think works best about Out Caste is that it ties so nicely into the themes presented in Fire Caste. Between the Tau and the Imperium, there seem to be more similarities than differences; in fact, to very loosely paraphrase Fire Caste, it comes down to "one evil empire against the other". The Tau have the collective notions of the Greater Good, and the Imperium stresses the harsh dogmatic regime of the God-Emperor, but in the end, it all comes down to control, top to bottom.

The reason I mention this is because it all plays into Jhi'kaara, and the meaning of her name. She is originally named J'kaara because she can "read the hearts of her comrades". Therefore, should anyone be so surprised that she can find respect and nobility in a race that shares more parallels than divergences with her own? This might be the real reason behind the broken mirror moniker; more of a tribute to her ability to read her enemy as well as her own kind than a badge of shame, resulting from the kiss of a chainsword when she stopped questioning the natural deadliness of the gue'la (humans) for a moment.

But of course she bears it as a mark of shame. A reminder that she is no longer the shining phenom that went out, full of confidence, on her first mission. A reminder that life is fractured, hard to look at face on, and never yields a clear answer.

One other thing to mention, beyond the thematic elements, is the prose. The writing in Out Caste is full of juicy, bloody descriptions, especially the savage, avian motions of the Kroot warriors. The philosophies and tactics of the Tau are properly laid out, and the scene with the commissar is a wonderfully gory scene.

And lastly, very clever wordplay with the title. Outcast, indeed.

This is a great micro-short, and further proof the Jhi'kaara is a character that can carry a full novel. Why not? people bitched that there wasn't enough Tau in Fire Caste (although I disagree, but that's me), so why not let Fehervari do a full-on Tau novel?

Here's what it is:

Appreciated backstory on a very good character from an excellent novel. Well worth picking up, even if you don't particularly like these micro-shorts.

Final Score:

9.5 out of 10

Cover Score:

Tough call here. I feel cheap for slamming the cover, it is what it is. These Advent Calender shorts basically take some iconic symbol or logo from the species featured and dot the cover with it. Here, it is a take on a Tau helmet. Looks cute enough, but the color reminds me of cheap dijon mustard. But for $1.25, you aren't getting much more.

Cover Final Score:

1 out of 10. I'm not rating this on a scale of 1 to 100.

Fire Caste

Fire Caste by Peter Fehervari. A Warhammer 40,000 Imperial Guard/Tau novel. Originally published by The Black Library in March 2013. Approx. 305 pages.

A mad commissar. A doomed company of Guardsmen. An invisible enemy led by a legendary ghost. Visitations of Warp horrors. And a hellish planet, alive and hateful. The debut novel from Peter Fehervari (author of a few Black Library shorts) throws a lot of tasty ingredients into the pot, so how enticing was the finished dish?

Actually it was a pretty succulent meal, although the description on the menu did it no justice. Let's start with the official blurb, and expand from there:

"In the jungles of the Dolorosa Coil, a coalition of alien tau and human deserters have waged war upon the Imperium for countless years. Fresh Imperial Guard forces from the Arkhan Confederates are sent in to break the stalemate and annihilate the xenos. But greater forces are at work, and the Confederates soon find themselves broken and scattered. As they fight a desperate guerrilla war, their only hope may lie in the hands of a disgraced commissar, hell-bent on revenge."

Commissar Holt Iverson has been mired in the nightmarish jungle world of Phaedra for longer than he can remember. His tenure has obviously exceeded his sanity. The Guard unit he is attached to turns traitor, opting to subscribe to the "Greater Good" of the Tau Collective, headed up on Phaedra by the phantom (yet extremely influential) Commander Wintertide. After a battle with his blue-skinned enemies leaves him battered and broken, he is shipped back to high command, presumably to be put to the bolter for his transgressions and drug use. However, he has one thing on his mind: revenge. To kill Wintertide. And it is his hope that he will be allowed a chance to commit to this undertaking.

More bodies are heading to the meat-grinder on Phaedra. The 19th Arkan Confederates have been dispatched from their home planet of Providence. But it is not so simple as that; the Confederates are plagued by creatures from the Warp; not just random horrors, but ones that are trailing them, ones that remember the events of the small town known as Trinity.

On Phaedra, the Arkans find problems at every turn. Imperial logistics are a joke; as a madman rules affairs planetside, and all is 'overseen' by a commander known only as the "Sky Marshall", who has spent the last few decades holed up in a dead ship in orbit.

After an altercation with the tainted Imperium command forces, the Arkans find themselves a rogue unit. Condemned as traitors, they still have to contend with the Tau and the workings of Phaedra herself.

Commissar Iverson is granted his reprieve, but not for his desired mission to kill Wintertide. His mission is to find and 'dispense the Emperor's Justice upon Ensor Cutler, the Colonel of the 'traitor' Confederates. Will Iverson be the doom of this proud group, or their last chance at redemption?

What we have is a very interesting framework. Yet this book goes beyond a simple bolter-porn war story. What makes this work astounding is the manner in which Fehervari conjures an experience that is so atmospheric and haunting. He utilizes literary, cinematic, and historical references to achieve this. It may come off as odd to some, or off-putting to others, but it is unarguably unique.

The main inspiration for Fire Caste is obviously Joseph Conrad's magnum opus "Heart of Darkness", as well as Darkness' cinematic adaptation "Apocalypse Now". There are some direct comparisons in narrative, as Iverson, in the Marlowe/Willard role, travels labyrinthine rivers in search of a traitorous colonel (Cutler/Brando's Kurtz), and also in pursuit of a mythical genius that holds the natives in a rapturous devotion (Wintertide/Conrad's Mr. Kurtz). Going deeper than that, though, is that they both share the same philosphy; that the jungle is a living, breathing, wild, unforgiving. thing. In Fire Caste, Phaedra has more ways to kill Guardsmen than either tainted brethren or the Tau (one of her more vicious weapons is a disease that allows a fungus to overtake a victim, a la the zombie ant).

To drive this point home, Fehervari carefully chooses his descriptive words when writing about the planet, from "arterial passages" to a "blue-veined sky". These terms perfectly reinforce the 'living planet' motif. In fact, all in all, I would rate Phaedra herself the greatest antagonist of the novel.

That is saying a lot, especially since there is quite a diverse Rogue's Gallery in Fire Caste. Firstly, of course, are the Tau. I've seen some complaints that there isn't enough of the Tau in this book, but I have to disagree (then again, they may be basing this on the fact that it was billed as a "Tau" novel, but more on that later). The presence of actual blue-skinned Tau is at a somewhat low level, but the myriad alien races utilized by the Tau get some love, and Fehervari writes for them very well. We get thrilling scenes with vespid, loxatl, and a very tense scene with some kroot. There are also the human charges that have gone to the blue team. Add to this mix the tainted Imperial forces under Captain Karjalan (suffering from the previously mentioned fungal plague) of the nightmarish ship, Puissance (more wordplay, as puissance means not only power, but it is also an equestrian event involving jumping over multiple obstacles). At his disposal are a brutal force of Lethean zealots led by mad Confessor Gordjief, an imposing and quite deadly figure. The Letheans are a truly frightening lot; there religious tendencies lean towards purification and penance through the rapture of pain and flagellation. Even their blessing is a warped take on a tradition: "The Emperor condemns." Finally, there are the indigenous natives of Phaedra, the Saathlaa, also known as the 'fish', due to their odd appearance. Fehervari makes an audacious move here; Conrad had penned the natives of Africa as "noble savages"; human yes, but undeniably different. Very capable in their own ways, but so strikingly apart from the ways of the Imperium (or Tau, and many have also joined Wintertide). There is no condescension either, as a Saathlaan scout attached to the Confederates becomes one of the more likable characters in the book. Also, the punchline is obviously that on Phaedra, the new guests are usually more impotent to adapt than the 'primitive' natives.

Now that we've talked about the villains, let's get into the treatment Fehervari gave to our Imperial friends. The Arkan Confederates are based on, well, the Civil War Confederate States of America soldiers. They have grey uniforms, they wear kepi caps, they have las-carbines with fixed bayonets. They have a saber-rattling, rawhide jacket wearing colonel. They despise their planet's Nordlanders (Northeners). The affluent ones own slaves. They speak in a manner that most of us associate with the Old West (be it accurate or not). Some people might think it's silly to have soldiers in Civil War uniforms in the 40th millenium; to them I say please remember that the Warhammer 40,000 world features units that resemble Cossacks, turban-wearing Middle Easterns, Zulu Conflict-era British uniforms, and the Ikari Warriors. The Confederates also have some unique units as well; Sentinels modified for para-jumps (these represent Confederate "Cavalry", while at the same time make a nod to the 1st Cavalry helicopter unit in Apocalypse Now), paratroopers with eagle-head helmets, and of course, the Thundersuits. The Thundersuits are steam-powered personal suits of armor, decked out with an array of heavy weaponry. Another vanity of the affluent, they are ungainly in the jungle climate, but make for superior heavy infantry units. They were a very cool addition.

So far we have Civil War soldiers, and suits of armor (representing knights). Add to the mix another unit that has been hit hard on Phaedra (and lost many to Wintertide's army), based upon Spanish conquistadors. It's a nice, diverse mix of soldiers who obviously have no place in the jungle.

Fehervari also utilizes names of troops with colorful uniforms; for example, the Thundersuit units are referred to as "Zouaves", and there are groups of new soldiers termed "Janissaries". This might be a reference to how these bright troops stand out like a sore thumb, or it might even be a reference to the young Russian harlequin in "Darkness". Either way, it's just more fun with words.

Further examples? The ship Iverson rides to Commissar High Command? The Sisyphus. Iverson's name? Well, one of the three ghosts that plague him throughout the book is a young lady that serves as a reminder of his poor shot selection. Her nickname is Number 27, coincidentally the same as Allen Iverson's career PPG average.

I may be haunted by my shot selection, but I regret nothing.

Don't get me wrong. Fire Caste is not just a book of tributes and references, there is a very deep story here. It's a story of two races at a crossroads, and the quest to find the best way to "take the fork in the road", as Yogi Berra would say. Constant motifs reinforce these notions. Duality, bisecting, bifurcation, mirror images, etc. Also, there is the symbolism of the 'shattered mirror'. One tech-priest mentioned briefly has the visage of a shattered mirror, the Tau pathfinder who features heavily is named Jhi'kaara, Tau for 'broken mirror', and, most notably, Commissar Iverson's face is a lattice-work of scars, resembling a shattered mirror. This all supports the theme of shattered lives, broken souls, just the heart-crushing quandary most of the dramatis personae find themselves in.

The real question this novel asks is which race will inherit universal supremacy. Will it be the dogmatic dictatorship of the Imperium, or the benevolent communism of the Tau (remember, the Greater Good is not concerned with individual benefit)? Or, as Ensor Cutler succinctly puts it, "Our evil empire versus yours."

Fehervari writes with a passion and skill that makes it hard to believe that this is a freshman novel. He keeps you invested and engaged throughout the work, even when he completely juxtaposes narrative styles to fit the mood of the story arc. He has a flair for writing action, and the detail of violence rendered matches the tool utilized. Remember, he is writing for a variety of weapons from bows and arrows up to advanced Tau railgun weaponry. Each chapter begins with an excerpt from Iverson's personal journal, and it is intriguing to watch the progression (or deterioration) of his mental state from event to event.

If I were to list any complaint, it would be with the role of Jhi'kaara. She is initially introduced as a formidable counterpart to Iverson, his "mirror image" so to speak. However, she is given less and less page time as the book progresses, and her ultimate point in the narrative ends up in question. She is an interesting character and it would have been nice to see her explored more.

Controversy:
I have been seeing some complaining in reviews of this work saying that it is being falsely advertised, it is not a Tau novel. I didn't get it at first. If you go to the link for the book on the Black Library site: http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/fire-caste.html it even says "the Imperial Guard face off with the Tau". Well hey, that's accurate, so what's the prob?
Oh wait. There are two listings for Fire Caste on the BL site. Here's the other one: http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/fire-caste-ebook.html And there we go: "A brand new Tau novel". Now I understand how the Tau-heads could be pissed. Black Library, please fix the description. This is an excellent work, but it is not a "Tau" book.

Here's what it is:
An excellent debut work, that is atmospheric, brutal, and filled with fun puzzles to solve. A gripping tale of a man lost in his own "heart of darkness", and just trying to find his way home.

Final Score:

91/100


Cover Score:
Tough call here. This is an ok cover, but it is not very representative of the work. The man is obviously supposed to be Commissar Iverson, but Iverson should be emaciated, and a lot older, with long, gray hair, and much worse for wear. Also, that glowing eye; I don't know if that is how an antiquated augmetic should look. But it's a decent pic, with a nice, graphic novel feel. The composition is off; the forearm is way too elongated and his thighs are way too big. You get the feeling that the artist completed a face pic, and then was asked to do a full body shot.

The arrangement on the cover is nice too; the title splits the two sides (keep that motif going!), placing Imperial Guard on the left, Tau on the right. Nice work on the Tau suits.

Cover Final Score:

79/100