Warhammer 40K: 10 Essential Reads From The Black Library
6. Lords Of Silence By Chris Wraight
Few things are more disturbing in the 41st Millennium than the worshippers of the Plague Lord, Nurgle. He is the God of death and disease but on the other hand he is the god of rebirth. It is this juxtaposition that makes this book such an intriguing read.
The members of the Lords of Silence warband on the surface are a cadaverous horde of fallen Space Marines and a menagerie of rotten horrors of varying shapes and sizes. Yet Chris Wraight manages to imbue the cast with such rich personalities that you can’t help but root for them as they rampage across the galaxy.
In particular, there's a sub plot of a member of the Imperial Guard who becomes infected with Nurgle’s Rot. Through out the book you bear witness to his change from noble warrior who is repulsed by the rot begging for death, to a blissful Poxwalker revelling in the delights of Grandfather Nurgle.
All the while the driving plot of the narrative is the ever-encroaching reach of the Plague God as he ravages swathes of the Galaxy with his “gifts”. Even the mighty White Consuls, a decorated Space Marine Chapter, cannot withstand the stench of Nurgle’s reach.