Showing results by narrator "John Banks" in All Categories

He is known by many names - Clonelord, Manflayer, Primogenitor. He is the epitome of deceit and perversion, and feared by man and monster alike. Once the Chief Apothecary of the Emperor's Children, the madman known as Fabius Bile possesses a knowledge of genetic manipulation second to none.

After decades of warfare, Malazan forces are poised to consolidate the Quon Tali mainland. Yet it is at this moment that Emperor Kellanved orders a new, some believe foolhardy campaign: the invasion of Falar that lies far to the north . . . And to fight on this new front, a rag-tag army raised from orphaned units and broken squads is been brought together under Fist Dujek, and joined by a similarly motley fleet under the command of the Emperor himself.

The paths of Roboute Guilliman and his fallen brother Mortarion bring them inexorably together on Iax. Once a jewel of the Imperium, the garden world is dying as the plans of the Lord of Death to use it as a fulcrum to drag the stellar realm of Ultramar into the warp come to deadly fruition. While Guilliman attempts to prevent the destruction of his kingdom, Mortarion schemes to bring his brother low with the Godblight, a disease created in the Cauldron of Nurgle itself, made with the power to destroy a son of the Emperor.

The Throneworld is in turmoil, wracked by the opening of the Great Rift and the failure of the Astronomican. Inquisitor Erasmus Crowl, his mind and body ravaged by what he has seen in the Hollow Mountain, is missing, taking with him the clues to the conspiracy that has come to obsess him. Luce Spinoza, his interrogator, must choose whether to seek him out or defend her diminished realm from the many forces that still seek to destroy it. As enemies circle, Interrogator Spinoza enters a race against time to find the evidence she needs.

Lieutenant Xedro Farren is a Primaris Marine, stronger and more adept than even the Space Marines his brotherhood is sent to fight alongside. As the Dark Angels and the Primaris Marines fight a trauma-scarred force of T’au hellbent on destroying their former allies, the true quarry becomes clear - the shadowy instigator of a psychic curse that could plunge a string of Imperial planets into madness. As worlds burn in the fires of battle, an unthinkable pact is struck, with the Primaris Marines peeling back layer after layer of deceit to find the appalling truth.

The return of the mercenary company, the Crimson Guard, could not have come at a worse time for a Malazan Empire exhausted by warfare and weakened by betrayals and rivalries. Indeed, there are those who wonder whether the Empress Laseen might not be losing her grip on power as she faces increasing unrest as conquered kingdoms and principalities sense freedom once more.

The kingdom of Norghana is about to go to war after what happened at the royal wedding. A war that will be awfully hard for all the kingdoms involved. The rangers will suffer a strong setback that will force their restructuring. The Immortal Dragon has already been seen and has done so in a lethal and secret way. He's planning something the Panthers don't know about and need to find out before it's too late. Enjoy family-friendly adventures full of action, adventure, magic, and romance!

Inquisitor Erasmus Crowl has discovered a terrible plot, its roots firmly planted in the very highest levels of Terra. Pursuing it is fraught with risk, but Crowl’s sense of duty compels him to persevere. He and his acolyte Spinoza run down their leads in secret, knowing that their every move invites danger, but even as they begin to reveal the truth, a greater peril is unfolding in the skies - the Great Rift is becoming manifest. During the madness that threatens to tear Terra asunder, Crowl’s Inquisitorial base of operations comes under attack and is badly ravaged.

In the western sky the bright emerald banner of the Visitor descends like a portent of annihilation. On the continent of Jacuruku, the Thaumaturgs have mounted yet another expedition to tame the neighboring wild jungle. Yet this is no normal wilderness. It is called Himatan, and it is said to be half of the spirit realm and half of the earth. And it is said to be ruled by a powerful entity whom some name the Queen of Witches, and some a goddess: the ancient Ardata.

War has broken out in the North. The Corrupt Lord of the Ice has invaded Norghana with a host from the Frozen Continent. Will the king and the Rangers manage to stop him, or will they die in the attempt?

Esslemont's all-new prequel trilogy takes readers deeper into the politics and intrigue of the New York Times bestselling Malazan Empire. Dancer's Lament focuses on the genesis of the empire, and features Dancer, the skilled assassin, who, alongside the mage Kellanved, would found the Malazan empire.

The Custodian Guard have stood watch over the Emperor's Palace on Terra since the foundation of the Imperium. Charged with protecting the Master of Mankind from all threats, within and without, their fearsome resolve is renowned throughout the galaxy, and their golden armour is the last thing that a would-be assassin or saboteur will ever see.

In six weeks in 1940, France was overrun by German troops and surrendered. One junior French general, refusing to accept defeat, made his way to England. On 18 June he spoke to his compatriots over the BBC, urging them to rally to him in London. At that moment, Charles de Gaulle entered into history. For the rest of the war, de Gaulle frequently bit the hand that fed him. He insisted on being treated as the true embodiment of France, and quarrelled violently with Churchill and Roosevelt. But he managed to have France recognised as one of the victorious Allies.

The Indomitus Crusade has brought the Emperor's vengeance to thousands of star systems. The fleets and armies under the leadership of Roboute Guilliman fight for the survival of humanity against the forces of the Chaos Gods. But the traitors and heretics are not the only foe looking to destroy the rule of Terra. Xenos prey on human worlds in numbers not seen for millennia. Worst amongst them are the rampaging orks, whose migration conquests threaten to reverse the many gains of Fleet Primus.

The Indomitus Crusade burns across the stars, while new threats emerge to challenge the Imperium's resurgence. As the Kingdom of Iron is secured and the Primarch Reborn's thoughts turn to future salients, the Arch-enemy strikes back against the Indomitus Crusade's forces. The shrine worlds of the Golden Chain are all but broken, and only Velua remains defiant. Canoness Irinya of the Order of Our Martyred Lady and Champion Gaheris of the Black Templars hold the line, fighting against the plague-ridden cultists reducing the planet to anarchy.

After decades of warfare, Malazan forces are now close to consolidating the Quon Talian mainland. Yet it is at this moment that Emperor Kellanved orders a new campaign far to the north: the invasion of Falar. Since the main Malazan armies are otherwise engaged in Quon Tali, a collection of orphaned units and broken squads has been brought together under Fist Dujek - himself recovering from the loss of an arm - to fight this new campaign. A somewhat rag-tag army, joined by a similarly motley fleet under the command of the Emperor himself.

On a misty cemetery world, three strangers are drawn together through mysterious circumstances. Each of them has a tale to tell of a narrow escape from death. Amid the toll of funerary bells and the creep and click of mortuary-servitors, the truth is confessed. But whose story can be trusted? Whose recollection is warped, even unto themselves?

As the War for the Realm of Life continues, Lord-Castellant Lorrus Grymn leads the battered remnants of the Steel Souls warrior chamber against the sargasso-citadels of the Verdant Bay. The Hallowed Knights claim victory, but at a terrible cost - Grymn is lost to Realm of Chaos. Now Gardus, newly reforged and fresh from the destruction of the Scabrous Sprawl, must lead his warriors into the foetid heart of Nurgle's realm in search of the Lord-Castellant, where they must once more brave the horrors of the Realm of Decay....

As cities rise across the Mortal Realms, Lord-Celestant Gardus Steel Soul leads his Hallowed Knights into darkest Shyish, hoping to gain a foothold for the forces of Azyr. But as the foundations of a new citadel are laid, the Hallowed Knights find themselves beset by enemies both living and dead. Now, Gardus must lead his warriors into the very heart of darkness to save the soul of a warrior long thought lost.

Can a handful of Rangers decide the fate of a kingdom? Lasgol and his companions are immersed in their missions as Specialist Rangers. The situations and problems they will face are much greater than they imagined. The civil war in Norghana intensifies. King Thoran, with the support of the eastern nobles and an army of mercenaries paid with the gold of the crown, wants to put an end to the rebellion. He wants to end the King of the West and his League by any means necessary.