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A review by ratgrrrl
Malcador: First Lord of the Imperium by L.J. Goulding
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
CW: This is really, really sad.
A few things I want to point out before I say anything else:
- This was originally a Black Library Advent Calendar audio drama
- It's only 25 minutes long
- It's only £3.99 for the MP3 on the Black Library website right now
Warhammer 40K [and the preceeding millennia] is a grimdark setting where everything on a macro scale is awful and it is only on a micro scale and within the context of being trapped in this galaxy and the nightmare situations and systems everyone is stuck in. The Imperium are not the goodies. They are a satire of authoritarianism and empire, specifically the British Empire and the extreme conservatism and ruthlessness of the Tories, particularly embodied by Margaret Thatcher. Much of the sci-fi and comics of the time shared in this, as with 2000AD.
I make a point of this because it's something everyone, including Games Workshop and Black Library at times, need to be reminded of and I've had a total reevaluation and new reading of Malcador and the Emperor recently with some of the Horus Heresy stories providing insight and context. None of this changes the fact that they are cause harm and disregard human lives, even as they labour to save them. They are two people that if they existed in the real world I would oppose them with every fibre of my being. But they don't exist in the real world and they are still both unbelievably awful, inexcusable, undefendable monsters in the views they hold and actions they take. In fiction we can explore the motivations and reasons that explain why a character is they way they are and feel empathy... What I'm trying to say is bad man bad, but make me feel sad.
This. Audio. Drama. Broke. Me.
I've been using silly names for the Sigillite in previous reviews, Bad Gandalf, Evil Elminster, Malcolm Dumbledore, etc. because until I listened to The Sigillite by Chris Wraight, he was just an annoying, scheming, psyker prick. He's utterly insufferable in all the Knights Errant stories. Wraight humanised him and gave his life and values and work weight and meaning without excusing tie atrocities he is party to. In Malcador: First Lord of the Imperium, L J Goulding takes the lay up from Wraight and leaps from Isstvan III, slamdunking it into the basket on Terra directly into my face and heart.
Malcador's personal Astropath, an old friend and someone who has kept more of his secrets than anyone, is on her deathbed. The Sigillite visits with his confidante and is with her in her last moments opening up and speaking freely with her.
I don't know if it's where I'm at in my hormonal cycle, having therapy earlier, being exhausted or what, but this audio drama got its hooks in me from almost the first moment. From then on I was openly weeping or sobbing throughout and after listening to this. Goulding's writing is magnificent and the performances of John Banks, Beth Chalmers, Jenny Funnell, Jonathan Keeble and Toby Longworth are next fucking level, especially Chambers' portrayal of Sybil. The emotion and realness in this little story for a novelty advent calendar promotion to sell these little stories set in the world of a nerdy tabletop wargame is utterly phenomenal.
There is something about seeing Malcador in such an unguarded, familiar, and tragically relatable situation that truly got to me. The centuries of working together and friendship are so very clear. The affection and grief on display is truly touching.
The things Malcador shares are mind-blowing, as is the ultimate qualification that is given. I don't want to spoil anything, but I gasped and exclaimed while listening.
I wish I had more to say, but this absolutely melted my brain and destroyed my heart. Don't forget, all of this is done expertly within 25 minutes!
I truly cannot say enough about the quality of the writing, which I was genuinely worried about due to not being familiar with Goulding and just how terrible the cover is (No shade to the artist, it's a sick picture but isolated as the cover it's very weird and does not say anything like what is going on in here). This is absolutely some of the best writing in the Black Library and beyond. This is one of the most moving and heartfelt things I've ever heard. I'm absolutely gobsmacked. This is almost certainly my favourite Black Library and/ or Warhammer story from any millenia, system, world, or realm.
I cannot recommend this enough. BUT, this is one where some knowledge of 40K, the Horus Heresy, Malcador, while not essential, will significantly affect the impact this has. At the very least, I would recommend listening to The Sigillite by Chris Wraight, preferably within the 24 leading up to listen if to this.
I'm so unbelievably excited, moved, energised, and utterly drained and exhausted from listening, weeping, thinking, sobbing and writing about glorious audio drama!
A few things I want to point out before I say anything else:
- This was originally a Black Library Advent Calendar audio drama
- It's only 25 minutes long
- It's only £3.99 for the MP3 on the Black Library website right now
Warhammer 40K [and the preceeding millennia] is a grimdark setting where everything on a macro scale is awful and it is only on a micro scale and within the context of being trapped in this galaxy and the nightmare situations and systems everyone is stuck in. The Imperium are not the goodies. They are a satire of authoritarianism and empire, specifically the British Empire and the extreme conservatism and ruthlessness of the Tories, particularly embodied by Margaret Thatcher. Much of the sci-fi and comics of the time shared in this, as with 2000AD.
I make a point of this because it's something everyone, including Games Workshop and Black Library at times, need to be reminded of and I've had a total reevaluation and new reading of Malcador and the Emperor recently with some of the Horus Heresy stories providing insight and context. None of this changes the fact that they are cause harm and disregard human lives, even as they labour to save them. They are two people that if they existed in the real world I would oppose them with every fibre of my being. But they don't exist in the real world and they are still both unbelievably awful, inexcusable, undefendable monsters in the views they hold and actions they take. In fiction we can explore the motivations and reasons that explain why a character is they way they are and feel empathy... What I'm trying to say is bad man bad, but make me feel sad.
This. Audio. Drama. Broke. Me.
I've been using silly names for the Sigillite in previous reviews, Bad Gandalf, Evil Elminster, Malcolm Dumbledore, etc. because until I listened to The Sigillite by Chris Wraight, he was just an annoying, scheming, psyker prick. He's utterly insufferable in all the Knights Errant stories. Wraight humanised him and gave his life and values and work weight and meaning without excusing tie atrocities he is party to. In Malcador: First Lord of the Imperium, L J Goulding takes the lay up from Wraight and leaps from Isstvan III, slamdunking it into the basket on Terra directly into my face and heart.
Malcador's personal Astropath, an old friend and someone who has kept more of his secrets than anyone, is on her deathbed. The Sigillite visits with his confidante and is with her in her last moments opening up and speaking freely with her.
I don't know if it's where I'm at in my hormonal cycle, having therapy earlier, being exhausted or what, but this audio drama got its hooks in me from almost the first moment. From then on I was openly weeping or sobbing throughout and after listening to this. Goulding's writing is magnificent and the performances of John Banks, Beth Chalmers, Jenny Funnell, Jonathan Keeble and Toby Longworth are next fucking level, especially Chambers' portrayal of Sybil. The emotion and realness in this little story for a novelty advent calendar promotion to sell these little stories set in the world of a nerdy tabletop wargame is utterly phenomenal.
There is something about seeing Malcador in such an unguarded, familiar, and tragically relatable situation that truly got to me. The centuries of working together and friendship are so very clear. The affection and grief on display is truly touching.
The things Malcador shares are mind-blowing, as is the ultimate qualification that is given. I don't want to spoil anything, but I gasped and exclaimed while listening.
I wish I had more to say, but this absolutely melted my brain and destroyed my heart. Don't forget, all of this is done expertly within 25 minutes!
I truly cannot say enough about the quality of the writing, which I was genuinely worried about due to not being familiar with Goulding and just how terrible the cover is (No shade to the artist, it's a sick picture but isolated as the cover it's very weird and does not say anything like what is going on in here). This is absolutely some of the best writing in the Black Library and beyond. This is one of the most moving and heartfelt things I've ever heard. I'm absolutely gobsmacked. This is almost certainly my favourite Black Library and/ or Warhammer story from any millenia, system, world, or realm.
I cannot recommend this enough. BUT, this is one where some knowledge of 40K, the Horus Heresy, Malcador, while not essential, will significantly affect the impact this has. At the very least, I would recommend listening to The Sigillite by Chris Wraight, preferably within the 24 leading up to listen if to this.
I'm so unbelievably excited, moved, energised, and utterly drained and exhausted from listening, weeping, thinking, sobbing and writing about glorious audio drama!