Bookworm Speaks!- Carcharodon's Red Tithe by Robbie MacNiven

Bookworm Speaks!

Cacharodons: Red Tithe 

By Robbie MacNiven

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Acquired: Blacklibrary.com

Series: Carcharodons (Book 1)

Publisher: Black Library and Games Workshop (July 25, 2017)

Hardcover: 400 pages

Language: English

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The Story: The most brutal of Space Marines, the Carcharodons Astra, battle the Night Lords for control of the prison world of Zartak.

On the prison world of Zartak, darkness has fallen on arbitrators and inmates alike. The Night Lords have come, and with them the shadow of fear and pain. But they are not the only ones with an interest in Zartak. From the void, running on silent, another fleet emerges. Its warriors are grey-clad and white-faced, and their eyes are as black as the Outer Dark – the savage Carcharodon Astra. As these two packs of ancient, merciless predators stalk the shadows of the prison colony, both seeking a single young inmate with unnatural talents, the corridors run red with blood, and both factions will have to fight tooth and claw to leave Zartak alive.

The Review: The Warhammer 40,000 universe is filled with mysteries. Not just in canon but in the fandom as well. In a series that has come to span nearly three decades, it is to be expected that there would be ideas and concepts that would fall between the cracks. One of the most tantalizing mysteries that has teased fans of the franchise has been the story of the Carcharodons Astra or the Space Sharks or simply Carcharodons. A mysterious and silent Chapter that rises from the deep to battle and disappear as mysteriously as they came. 

The Carcharodons are unlike any other Space Marine Chapter we have ever seen before. It has always been a point of fact that the Adeptus Astartes are separated from the common man in many fundamental ways but the Carcharodons take it a step further. For centuries, they have wandered the black and 

One of Bookworm favorites lines about the Carcharodons comes from the Warhammer wiki:

“Now, the very name of this Chapter is synonymous with the cold, dark depths of the void and the hungry predators that lurk within.”

Another praise that deserves mention is the culture of the chapter itself, how little of it we may see. It is based on Polynesian and Maori influences which is evinced by the decorations that adorn their bodies and armor. This is good step in the right direction for as much as he loves the Warhammer Universe, from an objective standpoint, he would be forced to give it a low score on the diversity scale. While certainly varied, the majority of characters and factions are based off of Caucasian culture and history. A little diversity is greatly appreciated and we desperately need more. 

On that note, the author deserves credit for not giving too much away. In fact, the reader is left with even more questions about the followers of the Void Father. It was little piece of the puzzle but there is a lot more puzzle left. The book is very much like the Space Marine Battles Series. All that we were really given was a day-in-the-life scenario. We know a little bit more about how the Space Sharks live, operate, and fight but that is pretty much it. It is interesting, make no mistake, but we are left with even more questions on where the Sharks came from, what their goals are and why are they roaming the stars in the manner that they are?

They really did leave as mysteriously as they came. 

Bookworm guesses that the Carcharodons are much like the sharks themselves, of whom they adorn themselves. There are not after anything particularly complicated. They exist solely to swim the stars, hunt, and feed. Their motivations for coming to Zartak are not complicated at all. Another way they are really are like the creatures who gave them their name is that they never really stop. A shark must keep swimming in order to pass water through their gills and breathe, the space sharks must really do the same thing: Move through the void, never stopping. Their water is supplies and raw materials and flesh that keeps the chapter alive. 

Its important to remember that these are the ones we are supposed to be rooting for! The villains in this story are the Night Lords, One of the traitor legions of Adeptus Astartes that have sworn fealty to the Gods of Chaos. That is also refreshing. In most Warhammer fiction, the Night Lords have proven elusive adversaries. It has mostly been Iron Warriors or Word Bearers that have traded blows with Emperor’s servants. The Night Lords are a very unique faction and are an ideal adversary for the Carcharodons. On the surface, they are both very similar. Savage predators who strike hard and fast leaving only fear in their wake. For all their viciousness in battle, the Carcharodons are actually quite serene when not fighting, much like their namesake. The Night Lords on the other hand are wild and well…chaotic! The author does a good job of making them interesting though. Not merely the monster of the week. There is a lot of history between and among these Astartes that leaves far more questions than answers. 

Final Verdict: Red Tithe is a stunning debut for the author and Bookworm eagerly awaits more adventures in the 41st millennium from his writing desk! Hopefully…a sequel too!

Four Chapter Icons out of Five.

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