Lieutenant Kallisto Rytsar did not set out to be a hero. Crucible of Fire (Hardback) (Anglais) is a 288-page Warhammer 40,000 novel by Tom R Pike, where a handful of Imperial defenders stand between an ork warband and a crucial Imperial asset.

When Rytsar’s company is decimated, he must lead a ragtag group of surviving Astra Militarum tanks and their crews to a manufactorum crucial to the war effort. Their plan is simple: hold out until reinforcements arrive. However, a massive ork warband led by a kunnin’ and ambitious big boss has decided that this very manufactorum is ripe for looting.

Suddenly assaulted from all sides, the desperate defenders must fight for every corridor and every forge. As the ork threat grows and the xenos close in, Rytsar is forced to arm the workers and the wounded in a frantic attempt to repel the attacks. Will such desperate measures be enough to save the manufactorum and the lives of those sheltering within?

Tom R Pike delivers a tense siege story full of roaring engines, improvised tactics and brutal close-quarters fighting. The novel celebrates the courage of ordinary soldiers and tank crews who refuse to give up. It is an ideal read for Astra Militarum collectors, tank enthusiasts and anyone who loves a good last stand against the greenskin horde.

Beyond the action, the novel shows how an ordinary officer can become a leader when everything falls apart. Rytsar has to make hard choices, earn the trust of exhausted crews and civilians, and find creative ways to turn a factory into a fortress. Every chapter raises the stakes as the orks grow bolder and the defenders run out of time.

Book specifications:

• Title: Crucible of Fire
• Author: Tom R Pike
• Format: Hardback, 288 pages
• Language: English
• Publisher: Black Library
• Setting: Warhammer 40,000
• Factions: Astra Militarum, Orks

Order Crucible of Fire (Hardback) (Anglais) today and hold the line with Lieutenant Rytsar and his crews.