#36 Warhammer 40K The Greater Evil by Peter Fehervari

This is a story from Dark Coil, the sub-universe the author created to set his tales, while faithfully preserving the themes, style, and atmosphere of Warhammer 40K.

Before moving on, let me clarify a few things. This is my first encounter with this particular corner of Warhammer, with the author himself, and with his contribution to the wider lore, and I must say I am deeply impressed. In the omnibus I own, right after The Greater Evil comes Fire Caste, which is a novel, so there I will get a more complete picture of his work. For now, though, in the format of a short story or novella, thirty-five pages in the edition I have, everything works narratively like clockwork.

We find ourselves on the planet Scitalyss, which, as becomes clear, has a very serious problem. A team is assembled with a specific purpose: to locate Por’vre Fai’sahl (thankfully this isn’t a podcast, because I would never be able to pronounce that name, or the others that follow). He is a diplomat whose fate has been unknown for quite some time. The three main characters are Por’vre Adibh, another diplomat; Seeker Aun’el Kyuhai, a Tau; and the human Ulver Voyle, who is in many ways the central figure of The Greater Evil. Voyle suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, though that is hardly the extent of his burden. If only it were. The guilt he carries from his past is weighty enough, yet compared to what is truly happening to him (something I won’t spoil here), one could almost wish the problem were only rooted in memory, with consequences confined to the present.

Voyle’s flashbacks are one of the key elements explored. Another is the increasingly dire situation on the planet, along with the difficult decisions that must be made to see the mission through. Ideological and religious tensions, at least on the surface, corruption, and manipulation also dominate, all delivered with a literary ease and a compelling rhythm by Fehervari. I can’t help but wonder what he might have devised in his later works.

Until next time — be well, and keep reading.

It’s important!

Accompanying Notes:

https://nucleus.bandcamp.com/album/entity

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