Teaser

When a force of Astra Militarum personnel are cut off from the main force, it falls to the pilots of Vagabond Squadron to render assistance. but their seemingly simple mission is complicated by feuds, secret orders, and thousands of approaching orks . . .

Review

The last few years have been great for Warhammer readers who like their action to be airborne. We’ve had Denny Flowers’ Outgunned and Above and Beyond, the long awaited Interceptor City from Dan Abnett, and now Vagabond Squadron. It’s a far cry from there being nothing for aeronautica fans beyond Abnett’s Double Eagle and the anthology On Wings of Blood. As someone whose first exposure to military SF was the X-Wing novels of Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston, I have been craving some squadron-based action for decades, and I am glad to find Black Library supplying the goods. 2025 has been a great year for Black Library in general, and Vagabond Squadron is right up there with the very best.

This is the first MacNiven book I’ve read, but I was instantly struck by how well he drops us right into the middle of an ingoing battlefront, with a bunch of new characters to meet, but never leaves us confused. The members of the titular squadron are all big and bold characters, and if some of them conform to the usual pilot stereotypes, then that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We all love our mavericks and their quirks. Beyond the Vagabonds, there’s an entire command structure that isn’t just there as background or an obstacle, but as a living, breathing and central part of the narrative. Some people in the Astra Militarum might be unpleasant to deal with, but they’re all trying to do what they think best. There is no black or white here (though there is a whole lot of green once the orks turn up), and even when it seems we’re falling into some familiar tropes, MacNiven pulls back the curtain to reveal that everything is a lot more complex than it first appeared.

This being a Warhammer book, you know that the action is going to be good. Lasguns fire, grenades explode, and orks get stabbed (a lot) over the course of this novel. But all that action is nothing without consequences. Vagabond Squadron are not John Wick. They don’t mow down their opponents and emerge unscathed. When the book opens, they’re recovering from recent losses. But as the book goes on, those losses are added to. Not just nameless faces and side characters, but main characters too. This is a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat with the simple acknowledgement that in war, people die. Even the ones we might think are safe.

At present, Vagabond Squadron is a standalone. Black Library being what it is, there’s every chance we’ll get a sequel somewhere along the way. But if this one solitary flight is all we get, then it’s a journey worth making.

Book Stats

• A Standalone Novel
• Published by Black Library
• Published in 2025
• 314 Pages