Throneworld: Guy Haley speaks19/04/16
The Beast Arises series continues apace. The new release, 'Throneworld', throws in new complications for the defenders of Terra as the eldar attack. Here to talk about what's going on in the novel's author, Guy Haley, direct from his Golden Throne:

BL: So, eldar on Terra – what on Earth (literally) are they up to?

GH: Um, I can’t really tell you that, because that would be a massive spoiler! They breach the Imperial Palace, that’s as far as I’ll go. Suffice it to say, it was both tricky and fun figuring out a realistic way in which they might get in and what their plan is, looking at what they actually want to achieve. That involved changing the story from how it was originally envisaged. There was lots of to-ing and fro-ing to sort it out. All thrilling editorial-level stuff!

BL: Will we be seeing more of the back-stabbing politics that we've come to enjoy from the series so far?

GH: Oh yes. This is my favourite part of the whole series, so I made sure to do plenty of that! Vangorich is the best character. There’s subterfuge, skulduggery, spying, infiltration, deceit, manipulation and powerful people fencing with powerful words. As bonus, you get all this on Mars and on Terra. I love writing that kind of material.

BL: What about the Imperial Fists? Last we saw of them they were reforming a force to rival the Legions of old –what are they doing in this novel?

GH: They’re not strictly the Imperial Fists, but a coalition of that Legion’s successor Chapters. And despite there being much talk of them rivalling the forces of the Horus Heresy, in reality even when a good chunk of the Sons of Dorn are together it’s barely a middling fraction of the VII Legion’s Heresy-era strength. So there’s a strand of vainglory and hubris, and a sense of what has been lost in there, and, of course, more politics between the Chapter Masters. But mostly they’re kicking greenskin behinds with extreme prejudice. However, there’s a war to win, not just a battle. We also get to see other Sons of Dorn in another theatre of war doing other… things. There’s a great character involved in that part that I can’t wait for you to meet.

BL: This won't be your last instalment with The Beast Arises. You're also the author of the final book in the series. Anything you can tell us about that novel yet? (Obviously without spoiler-ing anything...)

GH: Yeah! I get to write the finale, which I am preparing to begin work on now (as of this time, all the others are more or less finished). That’s the coolest job of the year. The clue to the content is in the name. ('The Beheading'.) I’ll get to cover a key event in Imperial history. There’ll be a ton of bitter politics and other such dubious, inter-agency shenanigans that make the Imperium such a difficult state to govern, even if the Emperor probably intended it to be that way to prevent any one man getting too big for his galactic boots; it’s all checks and balances you know, but balances can be broken. The willingness of men to perform acts of evil in the name of good, that’s what it will be about. I’m aiming to make the current US presidential election look positively mild by comparison.

BL: Thanks Guy!

You can find out just what Guy was referring to about the eldar and the other Sons of Dorn in 'Throneworld', which you can download right now in eBook and MP3 formats.

The Words of the Khan26/04/16
The Khan is back! The brand new Horus Heresy novel 'The Path of Heaven' catches us up with the White Scars. And we caught up with our very own Khan, Chris Wraight, to find out what's what with the V Legion.

BL: The last time we saw the White Scars, they had just discovered the Heresy that grips the galaxy, and chosen their side in the Imperium's new war. Where are they now?

CW: By the time we see the White Scars again, the time for doubt over their allegiance is long past. We're several years into the full-scale war now, and the entire Legion is spread out, taking on the advance of the Warmaster. The V Legion, of course, is badly outnumbered by the Traitor forces, especially as many of their potential allies are isolated on the far side of the galaxy by the Ruinstorm. As a result, the best they can hope for is a holding action, utilising the hit-and-run tactics that they're known for. But everyone is aware that this cannot last forever, and the cost in manpower is heavy. As the novel opens, the Legion is facing another choice: to hold the line in combat (something they instinctively long to do) or honour their vow to fall back to Terra before it's too late. Given the turbulence in the aether and the growing encirclement of enemy forces, this choice is far from easy to make.

BL: Who are the main characters we'll be following in the story?

CW: The main characters from the previous novel 'Scars' are all present – the Khan himself, Yesugei, Shiban, Torghun, Ravallion and the Thousand Sons sorcerer Arvida. There are some new names too, including some from the Navis Nobilite, the mysterious Navigator Houses that play such a crucial role in the Imperium.

BL: The White Scars obviously feature heavily in the novel, but what other Legions can we expect to make an appearance?

CW: The Death Guard have some unfinished business with the White Scars, so it won't be much of a surprise to see them in the story, though there's also a large role for the Emperor's Children. Writing these guys was a particular pleasure, as they're among the most extreme of the Traitor Legions, and one of the quickest to embrace corruption. They contrast very strongly with Mortarion's forces, who have yet to fully absorb the consequences of their betrayal, and so we see a little of the rifts between the various Traitor forces and their divergent philosophies on the warp and its gifts.

BL: We very much enjoyed the Khan's battle with the Death Lord in Scars. Will we see Jaghatai in action again in this novel?

CW: Of course, and the cover image gives something of a hint to what he'll end up fighting. But in many ways this novel is not really about the Khan, at least not solely. It's about his Legion, and the trials they go through before their most famous stand in the entire Heresy narrative. There are a whole series of character arcs in progress, one of which stretches back to my very first Heresy story (Rebirth). Also, the primarchs are naturally superlative warriors and duellists, but they're also generals, and in 'The Path of Heaven' we see a little more of this aspect of the Khan - marshalling his thousands of troops in massed actions to stave off annihilation and impose as high a cost as possible on to Horus's ongoing offensive.

BL: Finally, what's next for the V Legion?

CW: A little hard to answer this one without giving too much away! We know, of course, where they end up during the Siege of Terra, and this is their crowning moment in the entire saga. It's fair to say that the V Legion is not one of the most 'prestigious' of the Legions, but I'm often struck by the fact that they were there at the right moment (which is more than you can say for the Space Wolves, Dark Angels, Ultramarines and some other 'bigger' names). So when the Siege itself is written, the Scars will be up there as one of the most compelling factors, and the true consequences of the Khan's decisions will become apparent.

Thanks, Chris. We can't wait to start reading. And you, dear reader, don't have to wait, as you can download the eBook and MP3 audiobook editions of 'The Path of Heaven' now.