40K Review: Audio Drama: The Madness Within by Steve Lyons
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Oct 27 2011
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Frost here to tell you about The Madness Within, a Black Library audio drama written by Steve Lyons.
The story pits a small team of Crimson Fists Space Marines against a foul, warp-spawned daemon. With half their brothers dead, and the sanity of the remainder slowly eroding, the few Crimson Fists left standing must overcome their doubts about themselves, each other, and the very nature of the power granted a Space Marine psyker, lest the daemon consume them body and soul.
What I liked about this audio drama in particular was the atmosphere it created with its use of sound effect and masterful voice acting. You can hear the Space Marines’ power armor as its servo-assists react to the wearer’s every move and the roar of bolters looking for purchase in the daemon’s flesh, while at the same time not being distracted from the dialogue and narration.
Not only was the production very well executed, but the story was also pretty solid. The daemon is mysterious, not fitting the typical “4 powers” template, and truly reflects the chaotic nature of the warp and its denizens. The buildup to the end is steady and keeps you hooked until the very last moment. Despite the relatively short 67 minutes of the drama, it never felt to me like the story was being rushed. In that respect, the story was very appropriate to the time allowed it.
Overall, I would recommend this to avid listeners of Black Library’s audio dramas and, in particular, fans of the Crimson Fists. So get a copy, give it a listen, and hear the taint grow……
That’s it! Please leave any comments and/or questions.
Author: Mike Travis
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