A new Warhammer 40K book pits Farsight against the Tyranid menace

The Warhammer 40,000 setting is vast, and while most of Games Workshop’s attention is focused on the Imperium of Man and its vast armies of Imperial Guard and Space Marines, there are still tons of fascinating factions and alien societies to explore. Among these are the T’au Empire, a seemingly utopian society, and the rebellious Farsight Enclaves. On Tuesday, Warhammer Community announced a new Black Library novel by Phil Kelly that’s coming out, starring the T’au hero Commander Farsight and his fight against the Tyranid menace. The book, called Farsight: Blade of Truth, is part of a larger series about this hero and his defection from the greater Empire.

In Warhammer 40K, the Aeldari Empire has long since crumbled and nears extinction, and the Imperium of Man is in the middle of a long decline. But, the T’au Empire is growing in power, influence, and technology. The T’au are blue, bipedal with hooves, and part of a strictly class-based society. The Water, Fire, Earth, and Air castes each serve a crucial role, and they are ruled over by the benevolent Ethereals.

Commander Farsight is a T’au who happens to think these Ethereals aren’t as kind as they appear. He defected from the greater faction, building the Farsight Enclaves. He uses a giant mecha-suit in battle that makes him an imposing figure, along with a sword that may be cursed by the blood god Khorne. Farsight had his own entry in the Arks of Omen campaign series, which showed the Farsight Enclaves grappling with a technologically-advanced Ork army.

After the novel Empire of Lies, Farsight surrendered his mech suit and dawn blade, and retired on the isolated world of Vior’los. Unfortunately for Farsight, that planet is in the path of the Tyranid advance. The voracious and unstoppable Tyranids are a major foe in the 10th edition, serving as an antagonist in Space Marine 2 and the novel Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward.

There is no release date for Farsight: Blade of Truth as of yet but fans who want to learn more about the T’au can check out the recently released Elemental Council by Noah Van Nguyen, a book that pits the advancing T’au Empire against a planetary insurrection led by a brutal Space Marine.