Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 25 November 2022)

Series: Warhammer 40,000/Astra Militarum

Length: nine hours and 33 minutes

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 Stars

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Fresh Warhammer 40,000 fiction author Steven B Fischer presents Witchbringer, a compelling and particularly intense novel that dives into the complex life of an Imperial sanctioned psyker.

I have been having a lot of fun with Warhammer 40,000 fiction this year, and one of the more interesting Warhammer books that I have recently enjoyed is the awesome debut novel from Steven B Fischer, Witchbringer.  I have been meaning to review Witchbringer for a while, especially as it had a fantastic plot synopsis behind it.  As I am currently in the middle of Fischer’s latest book, Broken Crusade, I thought that this was the perfect time to highlight Witchbringer on my blog, especially as it was a clever and memorable addition to the franchise.

Plot Synopsis:

An Astra Militarum Novel

After a reunion she never expected – or wanted – Aerand finds herself mired in a vicious campaign on the psychically active world of Visage, where the shallow seas and endless fogs are rumoured to swallow the souls of the dead. Haunted by growing suspicions of her new commander and the manifestations of the sinister relic, Aerand must trust in her new-found abilities to keep her former comrades alive, and confront an ancient threat that could consume Visage entirely.

Witchbringer proved to be an outstanding and particularly powerful Warhammer 40,000 novel that combines compelling insights into a unique class of human soldier with a great plot centred around damaged characters.

This cool Warhammer 40,000 book primarily focuses on Glavia Aerand, former soldier and newly sanctioned primaris psyker.  A trained and authorised witch who uses her unnatural powers to fight for the Imperium of Man, Aerand is an outcast amongst her fellow humans, who view her gifts as tainted and borderline heretical.  Starting off with a dark sequence in the Scholastica Pyskana, a gothic school aimed at training and controlling powerful psykers, the story soon moves on to the main plot when the protagonist receives a vision warning that her old regiment is in danger.  Journeying to Visage, a war-torn swamp world, Aerand finds her regiment in shambles, her former friends no longer trust her, and nobody capable of remembering the previous pysker lord assigned to them.  What follows is an exciting and intense narrative as Aerand simultaneously fights against the rebels and their native witches, while also trying to regain the trust of her comrades.  At the same time, Aerand must unravel both the dark conspiracy engulfing the planet and the secrets her commanders are hiding.

I felt that Fischer produced a compelling and exciting Warhammer 40,000 narrative that really dragged me with its intense storytelling.  The author got the right balance of unique grim Warhammer elements, complex character development, and dark intrigue, all of which melded well with the typical military fiction story fans of the franchise have come to expect.  Fischer does a brilliant job increasing the threat of his story, and the desolate swamp setting of Visage takes on a real life of its own, especially when it comes to grizzly fights against swamp witches and disturbed spirits.  At the same time, the focus on the protagonist’s isolation from her old comrades, who distrust her due to her tainted abilities, adds a great emotional heart to Witchbringer that cleverly works into the larger secrets of the main narrative.  Fischer does a great job bringing the dark plot of Witchbringer together for an exciting conclusion, and readers will appreciate the inevitable carnage that follows.  This is an overall impressive and well-written story that I had an amazing time listening to.

Witchbringer was an interesting addition to the Warhammer 40,000 canon, especially as it was part of the Astra Militarum series that seeks to follow adventures of the various human soldiers fighting in the bleak future.  As such, Fischer expertly explores the sanctioned psykers of the Astra Militarum, including their training, their unique role in combat, and the way that the common trooper views them.  While I do think that Fischer overpowered his protagonist, for the most part this proved to be very fascinating novel about sanctioned psykers, and I enjoyed how the author highlighted the protagonist’s human side.  As such this is a great read for established fans of the franchise, and I am sure most Warhammer 40,000 players and fiction readers will appreciate Fischer’s excellent debut to the genre.  Fischer also ensured that there was enough context and explanation of the more complex universe elements for newer readers to follow along and anyone can probably come in and enjoy Witchbringer, especially if they love a distinctive science fiction thriller.

As with most Warhammer fiction, I chose to enjoy Witchbringer on audiobook, which is easily the best way to appreciate the franchise.  The grim dark setting and intense action of any Warhammer 40,000 novel is deeply enhanced when read out to you and I love the array of talented narrators that work to bring these amazing stories to life.  In Witchbringer’s case, it was narrated by Amy Rockson, who is relatively new to the franchise.  Rockson had a pretty good take on the unique flow of a Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, and I felt she inhabited the various characters extremely well.  The more supernatural elements of Witchbringer’s plot really came to life when read out by Rockson, and I enjoyed how much passion she injected into the various fight scenes.  With a run time of around nine and a half hours, Witchbringer proved to be an easy audiobook to get through quickly, and I had a wonderful time listening to this amazing piece of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.

Overall, Warhammer 40,000: Witchbringer proved to be an amazing book, and I really enjoyed checking out Steven B Fischer’s debut novel.  Featuring a captivating tale of mystery, mayhem and moving character moments, Witchbringer was a great addition to the Warhammer 40,000 canon, and it proved hard not to become addicted to its impressive story.  This is a powerful and excellent read from an author who looks set to be a fantastic feature of the franchise’s fiction going forward.

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