This is both a classic Horus Heresy short story and classic Nick Kyme, in all the best and, not worst, but not best ways. Like so many of the Heresy shorts and audio dramas I've been listening to recently I felt all sorts of different things about the story and the quality of writing over its telling. It's interesting to see just how many anthologies and collections have contained this story, four according to Lexicanum.

As with many HH short stories, Immortal Duty is a story within a story with a member of the Iron Hands' Immortals, the Iron 10th's own Suicide Squad, facing execution and recounting the story of their squad's attempt to break a blockade over everyone's favourite holiday destination, Isstvan V, Istvaan if you're feeling spicy, as the third edition second edition (Yup!) Chaos Space Marines codex apparently was. The Immortals being where Iron Hands who have been shamed or brought shame upon the Legion are shoved off to with a breaching shield in their hand and potentially one last bum pat as they are hurled into boarding actions to gitterdun or die trying -- In the books and stories I've read so far, individual Iron Hands are as lovely as indoctrinated and abused adolescents manufactured into weapons of mass destruction can be, but the legion itself and ole Iron Mannus himself seem unbelievably awful. I know I have so much sympathy for two Primarchs whose legions are responsible for more deaths and terror between them that the rest of the traitor extremis, but fuck Ferrus, I'm glad he lost his head, and he's much more fun dead or otherwise anyway. The fact that Immortals lose all name, rank, clan, everything is so brutal with the detail of the squad sergeant having conspicuous gaps in his armour where a servo arm should be, as a former Iron Father Techpriest is wonderful, awful, but wonderful.

The Immortals were tasked with taking out a World Eater ship that was apparently the lynchpin of the blockade. Our protagonist feels all sorts of ways about their situation and what went down, and a lot of it is very clangy, jammy, and on the nose. Frontloading with big emotional reflection is not necessarily playing to Kyme's strengths, but soon we are away in the action, which is where they shine (I just realised I've been confusing and amalgamating Nick Kyme and Nik Vincent in my head for so long). The action throughout is cinematic and...I don't really know how to describe it beyond it really feels like you are seeing everything take place in a way that feels real, without feeling overly cartoon and bolter porn. It's tough because World Eaters are mighty grumpy and powerful and things go awry.

We get some reflections on what got out guy whacked with the shame hammer, including a brief but interesting reflection of another alien culture not seen in Warhammer 40K, which is something I always enjoy. No spoilers for it, but I will say the cause of shame is utter bullshit and cements my dislike of the X Legion, if not its actual Astartes, especially not my precious shattered legion babies who get a nod at the end.

All in all, this is a good war is hell and many actions by and strictures of the legions are pointless and cruel, but isn't cool actions and sad times fun and cathartic? kinda story. And you know what, I wholeheartedly agree. If not for some cheesy lines and hitting my punishing uncanny valley of almost spectacular, I would be tempted to give this 5/5.

Horus Heresy Language check: We get two "actinics" and an impressive variation on a classic with a "charnal breath". ( )