"Aurelian" goes on sale at 18;00 (BST) on September 12th of September. Limited to 3,000 copies. Once they're gone, they're gone.
.. I guess a few might be held back/unsold and go on to be sold at GDs and the like, but I wouldn't count on it.
..Bet 3,000 copies was a ton of fun to sign. Would have hurt the wrist anyway.. and then his Missus winds up pregnant ? Go figure.
In other news, Chris Wraight -- author of the magnificent "Battle of the Fang" and the "Swords..." duology has handed in his first draft of his Luthor Huss novel, his next project being...
My next project is, of course, the Iron Hands. Wrath of Iron is another book in the Space Marine Battles series, this time featuring the Sons of Manus on the nightmare world of Shardenus. Unlike Fang, the established story behind this episode in the lore is fairly sparse, so I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about how the battle will play out. It’s a real opportunity to do the Iron Hands justice, so I’ll have plenty to ponder over the next few months…
and there's more good news from Mr. Kyme
I’ll be cracking on with ‘Feat of Iron’, which is the Ferrus Manus novella for The Primarchs (and, oh s!*t, you should see the cover for this book – looks awesome. I think Laurie almost did a little wee when Neil’s finished version came in).
I’m just over 10,000 words in and nearing the end of a significant act in the story. Very happy with how it’s going so far but progress is slower than usual – I wonder if that’s a characteristic of all writers as they start to hone and develop their craft? I was thinking about this only this morning and recognised similar traits in some of the other BL authors (particularly the newer guys that are starting to write for the bigger series like SMB and HH). Perhaps it’s a pressure thing or something, or maybe it’s the desire to best or at the very least equal what you’ve done previously?
I think with the last couple of short stories I’ve done, ‘City of Dead Jewels’ for Age of Legend and ‘Emperor’s Deliverance’ for the Games Day Anthology 2011/2012 ...
, I’m cracking on with ‘Feat of Iron’ today but I also have another HH project in the works and an audio drama (not HH, it’s 40K) and a Time of Legends novel that I’m currently plotting after that! Phew!
The HH piece is another novella called ‘Scorched Earth’. This idea has been bobbing around my shell-like for a while and now I’m finally going to get to realise it. This story is actually part of something bigger, which I kicked off with Promethean Sun (and, please, no more messages chocked with expletives about this; I appreciate your ire is not directed at me, for that I am thankful, but the decision is done, the book has been available at a bunch of places and will be again in its raw story form in an anthology – so, please, let it go now) and shall conclude in another project later next year (though a release isn’t likely for a year after that).
The audio drama is totally new, with brand new characters that I am going to feed into the next Salamanders trilogy. So, if you want some very early skinny on that project then check out Perfection when it comes out next year (at least that’s the plan at the time of writing this post).
Oh, and in other, long term news, Mr. McNeill has hinted that his next HH novel might well have an IW/Legio Mortis flavour to it.
"Feat of Iron" featuring Ferrus Manus? That is all kinds of terrible.
And it would be really nice if BL would stop with the limited novellas, audio books, and all that other non-book stuff, and get back to, you know, publishing books.
We'd had the pleasure of interviewing Graham once before so when we managed to get the opportunity to have another crack at this author we couldn't resist.
This month see's the David Gemmell Legend Award Winner (2010) releasing two, yep count them two, fantasy titles. As such we couldn't resist a word in his Triangle (well its not exactly a shell is it) Like and delved a little deeper. Heres what he had to tell us...
Falcata Times: Writing is said to be something that people are afflicted with rather than gifted and that it's something you have to do rather than want. What is your opinion of this statement and how true is it to you?
Graham McNeill: I know what they mean. I’ve loved telling stories for as long as I can remember and even when I finish a book or story and think to give myself some time off, I get itchy to get back behind the keyboard within a day or so. I honestly don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t write. I can’t even imagine doing something else, so I guess that’s a good thing.
FT: When did you realise that you wanted to be a writer?
GM: From an early age, I think. Apparently when I was a kid and was being strapped into the kid seat in the back of my parent’s car, I turned to my mum and said, “Mother…when I grow up I’m either going to become a writer or a binman.” And even in primary school as a young kid, I was writing stories about a giant octopus attacking a fishing boat, so I think the love of outlandish tales has always been with me.
FT: It is often said that if you can write a short story you can write anything. How true do you think this is and what have you written that either proves or disproves this POV?
GM: A short story has to be a very disciplined affair, with only a short amount of time and space available for you to tell the story, whereas you can waffle to an extent in a novel (though you shouldn’t!), with much more room to play around in. The confines of a short story forces you to be disciplined and really focus on what the tale is about; it’s key points and its theme. It’s easy to go on too long with a novel, but a short story allows you to say what you want more directly and that means you can tell it far more efficiently than in a novel. A short story I wrote recently, called The Last Church, is an example of that. Originally commissioned at fifteen thousand words, it came in quite a bit shorter than that, but I’d said all I needed to say and any more text would have robbed it of its succinctness.
T: If someone were to enter a bookshop, how would you persuade them to try your novel over someone else's and how would you define it?
GM: Sons of Ellyrion is proper high fantasy, with princes and kings deciding the fates of nations. It’s a book about one of the core races of the Warhammer World and has some of the biggest names in Elf history taking to the field of battle, fighting for the fate of Ulthuan and the rest of the world.
FT: How would you "sell" your book in 20 words or less?
GM: An eagerly-awaited finale to a novel of high adventure, glorious battles and noble sacrifice. And it’s got dragons in it!
FT: Who is a must have on your bookshelf and whose latest release will find you on the bookshops doorstep waiting for it to open?
GM: On my shelves, it’s David Gemmell and Clive Barker. Ordinarily, I’d be camped outside the bookshop for Gemmell’s latest book, but what with him being dead, that’s not likely to happen any time soon. I have the first two of Barker’s Abarat books and have managed to restrain myself from reading them, as I want to read the whole thing in one go. And when you’re a huge fan of Clive Barker’s work like I am, that’s a lot of restraint. At the moment, I’m getting back into the old masterworks, so I’m picking up a lot of Robert E. Howard, M. John Harrison and Gene Wolf.
FT: When you sit down and write do you know how the story will end or do you just let the pen take you? ie Do you develop character profiles and outlines for your novels before writing them or do you let your idea's develop as you write?
GM: A little bit of both. The Black Library will only commission a novel if they have an idea of what you plan to do with it, but my synopses these days tend to be pretty loose, mostly dealing with what the book will address in terms of its themes, where it’s set and what sort of things you can expect from it rather than a slavish recitation of each chapter’s contents. I always have an idea of the shape of the novel I want to write in mind, but it very much forms as I go along and the ideas crystallize during the writing. The best of my ideas only form in a novel once its structure begins to take shape and things start to emerge from the random scribbles on my pad or a line of dialogue that surprises me when I write it. Many of my favourite characters are ones I didn’t know about as the novel began, but who gradually came to life around me and demanded more screen time.
FT: What do you do to relax and what have you read recently?
GM: I relax by reading, going to the gym, watching TV and hanging out with my friends. Normal stuff, really. Though since we spoke last, I now have a young son named Evan, so opportunities to relax are few and far between. I’m reading a bunch of things just now, some work by friends that I’m helping with feedback, Empire magazine and two novels. One, by Roddy Doyle is called O, play that thing, the second in a trilogy of books about an Irishman, Henry Smart, from his days as an urchin on the streets of Dublin at the turn of the century to the streets of New York and Chicago in the early years of the Twenties.
FT: What is your guiltiest pleasure that few know about?
GM: That I go to a step class on Monday mornings, and am actually getting pretty good at it.
FT: Lots of writers tend to have pets. What do you have and what are their key traits (and do they appear in your novel in certain character attributes?)
GM: I don’t have a pet (unless you count the cardboard standee of Buffy in my living room), though plenty of the neighbourhood cats are welcome in my house. One of them is a really tenacious, three-legged cat who is a pal of mine, and he has more guts than animals twice his size. He’s called Findlay, and actually has a role in Courage and Honour.
FT: Which character within your latest book was the most fun to write and why?
GM: I’d have to say Caledor – even though he only has a small part in the story. Or Death, because he gets all the best lines.
FT: How similar to your principle protagonist are you?
GM: Being that Eldain is a graceful elf and I’m, well, neither elfy or graceful, I think we’re pretty different. Having said that, he’s a person who has made mistakes in his life and is now trying to put them right. Nowadays it seems like we live in a culture where no-one takes responsibility for their actions; it’s always someone else’s fault, someone else should pay for my mistake. Eldain has accepted he did something terrible, and though he tried to live with it for a while, he now wrestles with the notion of making it right again.
FT: What hobbies do you have and how do they influence your work?
GM: I roleplay each week with friends and that’s always fun and interesting to see how the characters interact. I don’t take anything from these sessions and transplant it to my novels, but watching the dynamic of character interaction is always amusing and helps with creating naturalistic dialogue in my books. Aside from that, I like getting out into the countryside when I can, wandering through forests or rugged terrain to get a feel for the sensations of what it’s like to travel over mountains, through woodland and so on – the sights, sounds, smells and feelings of being outdoors in fantastical terrain.
FT: Where do you get your idea's from?
GM: From all around me. I watch movies and TV, I read books and talk to people. All these things collide in random fashions in my head and often completely unrelated thoughts will string together in ways that suggest a story or a character or a theme. Sometimes it’s an item on the news that stimulates a thought, other times it’s something I’ll see or hear walking down the street, but mostly it’s all the sensory input I get from the world around me spinning around in my head and combining in ways I hope will be interesting, amusing or exciting. My little moleskin notebook is never far from my side, as an idea will just evaporate if I don’t write it down when I have it.
FT: Do you ever encounter writers block and if so how do you overcome it?
GM: Thankfully, I’ve not encountered it as people traditionally imagine it, though I’ve had novels that have fought me until I’ve gone back to first principles and re-examined what it is I’m trying to say. I remind myself of my goals at the beginning of the project, whose story it is, what aspect of the story is most important and how that can be told most economically and entertainingly. I find taking a break helps when you need ideas to flow. The more you force them, the less likely they are to take shape. Though it goes against what you think you ought to be doing, sometimes walking away from your work is the best way to get it back on track.
FT: Certain authors are renowned for writing at what many would call uncivilised times. When do you write and how do the others in your household feel about it?
GM: I try and structure my working day to be like a day at the office, but since the arrival of our son, that’s taken a beating. I have an office space I rent, and I go there and work most of the day before heading to the gym at around 4pm. So I’m out of the house most days – which does wonders for my productivity. So I essentially keep traditional office hours, so I guess the rest of the household take it in their stride. I like to keep things within a structure that’s flexible enough to accommodate slow days, lazy days and times when I need to actually do stuff that’s not related to writing at all.
FT: Sometimes pieces of music seem to influence certain scenes within novels, do you have a soundtrack for your tale or is it a case of writing in silence with perhaps the odd musical break in-between scenes?
GM: I normally write with movie soundtracks on in the background, as I sometimes end up typing lyrics if I hear them too clearly. Sons of Ellyrion was largely written to the music of Hans Zimmer (Inception and Gladiator) and John Debney (Predators), though I’ll dig out specific pieces if I want to evoke a particular emotion while I write. For example, when I was writing the waking of Orion in Guardians of the Forest, I had Danny Elfman’s Sleepy Hollow soundtrack on – specifically, a piece called The Chase – that really gave that urgency to the writing.
FT: What misconceptions, if any, did you have about the writing and publishing field when you were first getting started?
GM: That it would be easy and that after my first novel, I’d be a millionaire! I’m still clinging onto that one. Even now.
FT: If music be the food of love, what do you think writing is and please explain your answer?
GM: Writing is a chance to let your imagination fly, to let the crazy, horrific, wonderful, inspirational things that knock about in your head out into the world, because if you didn’t…well, who knows what might happen.
FT: What can you tell us about the next novel?
GM: It’s called The Outcast Dead, and is my latest Horus Heresy novel. It’s set largely on Terra, and deals with the Astropaths of the City of Sight, and what happens when one of them gets a vision of something truly apocalyptic that could change the course of the Heresy. Rather than getting his brains scooped out, he tries to escape in the company of some rather…unusual allies.
FT: What are the last five internet sites that you've visited?
GM: The latest Order of the Stick cartoon, Fantasy Flight Games, Mark Newton’s blog, Zero Punctuation, and the BBC website.
FT: Did you ever take any writing classes or specific instructions to learn the craft? If so please let us know which ones.
GM: Nope, not a one. Everything I learned about writing I learned at school and from reading lots and lots and lots of books to see how the various writers had done things. I wrote a lot and when I saw it wasn’t as good as the writers I loved, I kept at it, plugging away at my words and studying the books of my favourite authors to try and unlock how they did things. When I went to work at Games Workshop, I learned how little I knew and began my real training as a writer under the tutelage of various bosses and peers, which made for a steep, but necessary, learning curve. Writing for the GW Design Studio means you have to learn fast or you don’t survive, which is exactly how it should be. Fortunately, I think I learned enough to stand me in good stead for the novels, but I know there’s always something more to learn and ways to improve. After all, any writer who thinks he can’t get any better and that he’s learned everything he needs to know is on a slippery slope.
FT: How did you get past the initial barriers of criticism and rejection?
GM: One of the first things anyone teaches you about the writing game is that you are going to get rejected more than you get accepted. Hearing that and dealing with it are often two different things and it’s never easy hearing that something you’ve put your heart and soul into is judged unworthy by someone else. Writing is so personal that it’s sometimes hard to hear that, but you have to remember that it’s just an opinion, not necessarily fact (though if you hear is a hundred times, maybe it’s time to really look at what you’re producing…). Lots of books that have gone on to do really well have been rejected many times before finally finding the right publisher for them. Taking criticism is often hard, as it can feel like an attack and you want to get defensive with your work, but you have to get past that and see that it’s nothing to do with you, but everything to do with the words. It’s an art form in itself giving and receiving criticism. Done right, it’s invaluable and the lifeblood of any author’s work. Done wrong it can crush your confidence and rob you of your impetus to carry on.
FT: In your opinion, what are the best and worst aspects of writing for a living?
GM: When a story takes flight and the characters are really responding in new and unexpected ways, that’s what makes it all worthwhile, the ‘tipping point’ when the hard work put in early on in the process pays off and the novel feels like its going downhill. I love the freedom of days I have, where I can organise my time as I see fit. I know the work I have to do and the time I have to do it. How I work within that timeframe is up to me and I love that I can take a day here and there just to relax, meet friends or whatever else I fancy without having to worry about it, since I know I’ll have days where I make up the balance of words later. As to the worst…well, I miss the company of friends I had at work and there’s obviously no such things as sick days or holiday pay…days like that are just days where money flows from your bank and doesn’t get replaced. It’s hard, hard work, but the rewards of what I do far outweigh the negative aspects. Frankly, there’s no other job in the world I’d rather have than this one.
Phalanx, the great star fort of the Imperial Fists, is playing host to Space Marines from half a dozen Chapters, alongside Inquisitors, Sisters of Battle and agents of the Adeptus Mechanicus. They have come together to witness the end of a Space Marine Chapter, as the once-noble Soul Drinkers, now Chaos-tainted renegades and heretics, are put on trial for their crimes against the Imperium. But dark forces are stirring and even this gathering of might may not be enough to guard against the evil that is about to be unleashed...
The epic Soul Drinkers series concludes in this action-packed novel from the acclaimed author of Galaxy in Flames.
Atlas Infernal is still on my pile. Along with Sword of Vengeance, Battle of the Fang, Bloodborn, Bloodforged, Sigvald, Broken Honour, a Massacre in Marienburg, Grey Seer, Curse of the Necrarch, Rynn's World, Fall of Damnos, Soul Drinkers omnibus and Imperial Glory.
Gah, you'd think having a two-week vacation would help catch up on the reading front.
I did enjoy the first Storm of Magic novella by Darius Hinks, working my way through the second one by Chris Wraight right now and saving my favourite Fantasy author, C.L. Werner for last.
BrookM wrote:Atlas Infernal is still on my pile. Along with Sword of Vengeance, Battle of the Fang, Bloodborn, Bloodforged, Sigvald, Broken Honour, a Massacre in Marienburg, Grey Seer, Curse of the Necrarch, Rynn's World, Fall of Damnos, Soul Drinkers omnibus and Imperial Glory.
Gah, you'd think having a two-week vacation would help catch up on the reading front.
I did enjoy the first Storm of Magic novella by Darius Hinks, working my way through the second one by Chris Wraight right now and saving my favourite Fantasy author, C.L. Werner for last.
!SPOILER ALERT ABOUT THE FALL OF DAMNOS!
Spoiler:
The Fall of Damnos is almost like the Fall of Damnos described in the Codex Space Marines.
As war spreads across the sector, Imperial and Chaos forces clash on the mortuary world of Kasharat. Far from the front lines, Space Marines of the Brazen Minotaurs infiltrate an ancient temple-tomb, seeking an artefact sacred to their Chapter... one that could turn the tide of battle in the Imperium’s favour. But they are not the first to enter the tomb – as the Space Marines race to seize their prize, they are watched from the shadows. Are the mysterious Raven Guard there to help the Brazen Minotaurs, or to destroy them?
lasgunpacker wrote:And it would be really nice if BL would stop with the limited novellas, audio books, and all that other non-book stuff, and get back to, you know, publishing books.
Dear Lasgunpacker,
I regret to inform you that we must terminate your employment with GW Marketing due to your inability to maximize profit.
lasgunpacker wrote:And it would be really nice if BL would stop with the limited novellas, audio books, and all that other non-book stuff, and get back to, you know, publishing books.
This. This!!!
Seriously, Black Library is kind of losing it's focus, I feel. I love their pulp, but there's no way I'm spending $50+ to read it.
*sigh
As war spreads across the sector, Imperial and Chaos forces clash on the mortuary world of Kasharat. Far from the front lines, Space Marines of the Brazen Minotaurs infiltrate an ancient temple-tomb, seeking an artefact sacred to their Chapter... one that could turn the tide of battle in the Imperium’s favour. But they are not the first to enter the tomb – as the Space Marines race to seize their prize, they are watched from the shadows. Are the mysterious Raven Guard there to help the Brazen Minotaurs, or to destroy them?
Am I missing something obvious about the Brazen Minotaurs (some sort of Chaos taint?) - otherwise, why would the Raven Guard be there to destroy them?
I suppose it could have something to do with "The Artifact", but then the RG aren't that type of Legion/Chapter either!
So here's some news, first time I've posted 'news' and I'm nearly certain that I shouldn't post all of this, so I put it in spoilers to mask my shame if I got it wrong.
Full cover art for Aurelian
Spoiler:
And the actual cover
Spoiler:
Yeah, who is the wimp now?
Also, Arron Dembski Bowden answered a few questions on Void Stalker. Some relevant, some not so relevant.
Spoiler:
Arron Dembski-Bowden's blog wrote:]Yeah, yeah, I know what you’re thinking. ”These aren’t all of the Void Stalker Questions.” Well, I don’t care. But I did it, damn you. I freaking answered most of the freaking things. Time is a factor, you know.
I’ll try to get to the others at a later date.
Jonathan Ward asked: “What’s the part of it you’ve most enjoyed writing so far?” Good question, guy. Probably the evacuation of Tsagualsa, when it comes under attack by the Primogenitor Chapters. Alec McQuay asked: “What does the Void Stalker wear under his armour?” I’m not sure. Also, the Void Stalker is a she. Chris Buck asked: “Will the relationship between Septimus and Octavia go on?” Yes. The conclusion may or may not be a happy one, depending on your point of view. Jonathon Ward (what, again?) asked: “Does Talos stop at any point and say ‘I’ve been a bit of a dick, haven’t I?’” Sort of. The novel is primarily about Talos realising his view of the Legion is a little theatrical and melodramatic, viewed through rose-tinted lenses to save his own sanity. The narrative spine is about how he comes to terms with it, and what he decides to do about it. Remember, the only actual non-biased information we have abou the Eighth Legion is their Index Astartes article, and it’s very clear on what the Legion is really like, now and in the past. David Michael Defries asked: “If Talos is the Soul Hunter and Huron Blackheart is the Blood Reaver, who is the Void Stalker and what is his favourite colour?” I’m not telling you who she is. But it’s probably black. Dale Jordan Parratt asked: “Will any further details from the Horus Heresy emerge?” Yeah. Well, quite a bit about the Scouring, and a little bit about the Heresy. Sevatar gets a few mentions and quotes, with several characters referencing his fate. That’s a touch of foreshadowing for him in the Horus Heresy. Sam Spiteri asked: “Any news regarding the aftermath of the Atramentar??” Firstly, I’m not sure both of those question marks are totally necessary. Oh, and… yes. I’ve mentioned before that they’re getting their own spinoff, Terminator Nights, where they chase girls and solve crimes. Or chase crimes and solve girls. I’m not sure which one I’ll go with. Alex “Buddy” Holly asked: “Is Void Stalker the conclusion or a continuation? These premonitions have me worried.” It’s the conclusion. Remember, the Night Haunter’s prophecies were mostly about how he died. Night Lord visions aren’t cool or hopeful things to have, when it comes to the crunch. Lianne O’Sullivan asked: “What was your inspiration for the pieces of dialogue written in Nostraman?” Words that sound dangerous when you whisper them. Vaguely Italian-sounding wordplay that’s reminiscent of mafia captains threatening each other. I have a lexicon of Nostraman, so I know certain words, and I know how to pluralize certain phrases, etc. It has grammar rules, but since there’s hardly any Nostraman spoken, there aren’t many yet. I think the lexicon is likely to go in the omnibus. Tom Williams asks: “Are we going to see lots of dead squishy space elves?” Maybe. And an equal number of dead space humans, too. Joe Scrim Till Deth asks: “will the series of night lords books go on as long as the ultramarines??? If so will the night lords reunite there entire legion by the end of it cause from what i have read they seem to be a very broken up legion!!?” Man, that’s a grotesque amount of punctuation. I think I hate you. Firstly, it might go on after a break, but this is the end of the trilogy for the near future, at least. And no, no one Night Lord would ever be able to unite the Legion. That’s just now how Chaos Marines work, as every edition of the Chaos Space Marine Codex has highlighted. Even the Legions that are still relatively ‘together’ through a time-mutable eternity of infighting and war within a realm of pure Hell are still warbands, led by individual champions and warlords, coming together largely for raiding and Black Crusades. Nikki Loftus asks: “Can I hug Cyrion?” You can, but be careful. You don’t know where he’s been. Joe Marsden asks: “Question for you sir: Did you ever consider real world criminal organisations (their cultures, codes etc) when thinking about the Night Lords? If so, which ones? And, last question; could any victory or achievement truly make the Night Lords of your novels ‘happy’ or fulfilled?” The Mafia. I’ve researched them pretty heavily in the past for writing projects, so I know quite a lot about them. And sure, some of the characters could be fulfilled. It depends on their drives and desires, really. Cyrion and Xarl are already fairly fulfilled – they just want to survive another day in a galaxy that hates them. Talos struggles, though. Part of that is because he knows he’s essentially hollow, an avatar of the Legion’s capacity for self-deceit. Despite being from Nostramo, he’s what the Night Lords were before all the Nostramans joined the ranks. And remember, he’s right to be unhappy about a lot of things: Curze annihilated their home planet to stop any more of them joining his Legion. That’s serious juju. That’s not the act of a primarch who thinks his Legion is a great bunch of guys. Sergio Nunez Cabrera asks: “What happened to the head and body of big bad Conrad Kurze? will we see more of Cyrion´s taint? Will we see flashbacks of Talos as an scout -do even NLs take scouts?-? will we see more of Halasker, of Lucoryphus prior to joining the Raptor cult?” In order… No one knows; Yes; No; Not exactly; Maybe; No. Stephen Forde asks: “Where did I leave my shoes?” That’s less random when you learn that I really do have a pair of his clogs at my house. Scott Anderson asks: “Who was Alpharius the whole time? “ but I won’t answer it because I hate smilies. Dale Jordan Parratt asks: “Cyrion is my favourite without a doubt.” and is promptly informed that that’s not a question. Kenneth Goddard asks: “Will we start to see the Night Lords start to recruit and replenish their numbers?” which makes me wonder if he’s read the end of Blood Reaver. James Nicolau asks: “Will Talos or any of 10th Company find Zso Sahaal and kick his ass for running off like a punkass?” Nope, because Sahaal resurfaces a decade or two after the series is set. I was careful about that. Really, with a Legion having done so much in ten thousand years, it’s unlikely Sahaal’s return would mean that much, and he’d (at best) be just one warlord among a Legion that didn’t like him very much. As much as some fans love him, they’re not looking at it from an in-universe perspective. All canonical Night Lords lore states that Sahaal’s viewpoint is incorrect. That means, well, that it’s incorrect. The subversive “But we were really betrayed” theme works great in BL’s annals a few years ago (and sells books like crazy, as fans love conspiracy theories, and villains who are wronged heroes out for revenge), but now we’re detailing all of those ancient eras more clearly, and according to the lore. This is part of the reason why, in the Night Lords series, he’s not as popular as some fans might have imagined, and why I avoided detailing too much about him. His story is done. He’s not as great as he said he was. He’s just as tarnished as Talos, Xarl, and all the other characters in the series. Arwen Fenton asks: “If we pray hard enough to the Chaos Gods, will that ensure a second trilogy featuring our favourite cowardly badasses? What music (if any) do you listen to whilst writing for the Night Lords?” Part of my reluctance to continue it is that I’m planning a Chaos series about a different faction of humans and Chaos Marines. I’m taking everything I’ve learned from the Night Lords Trilogy, and applying it to that, as well as delving into new territory. As for music, I pretty much always listen to 90s British Rock (Wildhearts, Therapy?, etc. not Oasis and co.), Industrial, Darkwave, 80s Metal, and some dance. Repetitive things with no lyrics are surprisingly helpful sometimes. Ragnar Karlsson, who works at Black Library, asks: “Is it going to be on time? “ Is it feth. Debi Marie Whitehouse asks: “It’s pretty obvious that Talos and the crew are currently single, but do they date and if so what kind of girls do they dig?!” That’s actually kind of an interesting question. They’d probably like really nice princess-types in secret, but they’d marry biker chicks. The problem is that they skin people when they get annoyed, so domestic violence on a Night Lords vessel would be slightly less amusing, and way more gross. Joe Lyons asks: “How did you get the Night Lords so.. human? At least, as human as ancient genetically-forged giant killers can be, but unlike so many other astartes in writing, they are properly individual characters that I care about. Was it a conscious thing to move away from the norm?” It was, actually. Everyone has a different opinion on exactly how Marines act. For me, humanity – as a concept and an expected ideal of behaviour – covers a broad spectrum. The Night Lords were human; human children, at least. They’ve got human foundations to their psychological makeup, but a lot of their development was stunted, manipulated, or otherwise altered by nature and nurture. They’ve each got aspects of humanity, and their origins do show easily enough. Whereas I tend to write loyalist Marines are more “autistic from the outside” and focused, driven by duty, Chaos Marines are largely driven by emotion – and usually negative ones. That matters. It’s a powerful slice of characterisation, too. Luke Temporal asks: “1. What kind of font will be used? 2. How thick will the paper be? 3. Will every page be numbered, or every other page?” 1. I write in Palatino Linotype, size 11. Everything else is barbarous. 2. I’m not involved in production. 3. Being in the family doesn’t spare me from hating you, man. Sarah Cawkwell asks: “If Nicky gets to hug Cyrion, can I borrow Uzas to deal with my List!” You can borrow him, but please bring him back soon, as I need him to fight things. Also, he’ll be covered in blood and twitch all the time, so I’m not sure he’ll be much use around the house. Sally Edwards asks: “Can you do a dictionary for Nostraman?” See above. Yeah, I’ve got one as a forever-open Word.doc on my second screen when I write, and I think it’ll be in the omnibus. Kalshiel, for example, is Nostraman for mating, but it implies mating ‘beneath your station’. As in, “Those kalshiel Bleeding Eyes.” Greg Smith asks: “1. Do you actually have a full Nostraman vocab worked out or are you just making it up? 2. Is Talos going to remain in command throughout VS? 3. Are the Atramentar really dead?” 1. Yes I do, but yes, I also make up new things to add to it. 2. Sort of. There’s a leadership issue, related to the end of Blood Reaver. 3. No. That would be awful writing. Dave Cox asks: “So. How are you?” Cyrion actually asks that in Void Stalker’s prologue. Dave Young asks: “Can we still do our Xarl spin off book together?” You know it. Xarl: the Jihad Years will be a winner beyond anything else. Wesley Weix: “How many times did you work on VS behind the Wifey’s back during the honeymoon? :p” Not many, actually. I did some of The Butcher’s Nails, and I read a lot of Steve Pressfield. I was mostly concerned with looking at Katie naked. Jamie Watson asks: “1. whats the first thing you will buy with the royalties? 2. whats the weirdest thing you have been distracted by when writing it? 3. did you steal any ideas that you used in the book thus far?” 1. Probably flowers for Katie, since it’ll be Royalties Day. 2. Planning a wedding, getting married and going on honeymoon. 3. Nope, but I always want to use “OKAY, I’M RELOADED!” from Carlito’s Way, especially since the Lonely
Newsletter from Black Library, introducing "Hive of the Dead"--the 'first ever Warhammer 40,000 gamebook'.
Hive of the Dead is the first ever Warhammer 40,000 gamebook. Using rules reminiscent of those in the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game, albeit without models and terrain, with just this book, a six sided dice and a pencil, you can battle the zombie hordes from the comfort of your armchair.
To give you a taste of the action, we thought we would play through Hive of the Dead on the Black Library blog every day this week, letting you choose our route through the post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested ruins.
Follow the action at blacklibrary.com
I'm passing on this, but that artwork is hilarious.
When in an infected zone, remove your rebreather and smell the air!
BrookM wrote:Finished the last of the three Storm of Magic novellas this morning. It had an interesting ending to say the least.
The Guardian of the Forest is a..
Spoiler:
ZOAT
WAT THE GAK?
Err, yeah, how does that work?
In all three books there is an ancient power from the Warhammer world that puts the 'current' Storms of Magic into perspective as a cycle as opposed to a single event for this summer. I think the ending was a nod to how old models included in the Storm of Magic book (like the fenbeast or Fimir) may still be lurking in the Old World but aren't necessarily part of one of the armies as presented in the army books. They have also embraced the idea that not all forces are good / evil as opposed to order / destruction. For me the more controversial idea in the book is the necromancer, that's a wicked idea for a themed vampire counts (as) army.
I enjoy Aaron's work 9/10 times("First Heretic" was great, but I'm not so big on the Word Bearers mostly) but...it's Word Bearers and there's a dead Avatar...
.. this is being very well received on their facebook page, as you can imagine.
The main GW site is working for me... but the FW one is OOO still though.
.... it's a surprising tough business trying to give GW your hard earned money at times. I guess this does go some way towards explaining to our overseas/non UK brethren why socialism seems such an attractive option to us. Not going to be much worse is it now ?
Which is worth gak really. My previous super-duper order was delivered through regular postal services without track and trace or any of that other posh stuff you're supposed to pay for. I want my complementary crumpet!
Still, got to give them their due, this must be pretty close to what technology is like in the 41M. I sure am saying a whole lot of things to my computer, don't think they'd qualify as prayers as such but...
Hmm just spoke to someone who works with GW in Nottingham - it's only a short little novella and it will apparently be recieving a full release in the future. So bugger that, I'm going to stop pressing F5 and trying to order it and go to the pub instead. Pip pip.
It's even worse than last time. While pushing the hour of release to a later moment of the day is nice for our brethren across the pond, it isn't exactly helping much overall.
I see everyone else is hitting and hoping, so while you stare at the cover art try to imagine, in your mind Darth Vader saying "NOOOOOOOO!" And never look at the cover the same way again
.. still, one can always spend the £s on alcohol instead.
Thankfully, mainly due to the kindness of intenet buddies, I was able to score copies of Nocturne and The Outcast Dead t'other day, bit of luck they should be in my f5 imprinted mitts next week.
If you are trying to get on to buy ‘Aurelian’, there are still plenty of copies left.
We apologise for those of you experiencing problems, due to the volume of traffic on the site, the website is running very slowly.
see that working well eh ?
What they should do, of course, is ensure that influential people from popular wargaming forums get their copies first of all to..err.... provide inspiration.. yes, yes ! .. to the others.
Sigh, Guess I'm going to need to settle for the non limited edition copy then, physcially impossible to get onto black library right now because the servers are too busy
I currently have somewhere between 0 and 2 copies in my basket. However, the server has gone completely belly up so I have no idea whats happening. I am, however, slowly getting to the checkout. Theoretically.
Whether I get it or not though, sod going for the other two unless they look seriously awesome. I'll suck up the wait.
Smug bastards. God knows how long it's gonna take for me to get through. I'm more pissed off because this is my birthday present to myself, or at least it's meant to be.
Godsdammit! I got to checkout, but it had 2 copies and I can't afford that, so now I have to wait for it to get me to the basket so I can remove one. I don't understand why they can't hook their servers up with the GW ones... I mean, they're presumably somewhere nearby, right?
"Aurelian update - Hi all. Thanks for your patience. We are having problems with our server and as I'm sure you are aware it's killing load time on the site. Rest assured we still have plenty of copies left. If you have tried calling us, we are in the office and are trying to answer as many calls as we can. We'll update you again soon."
And nope, they are not taking orders over the phone.
Automatically Appended Next Post: feth it, I'll give it one more try tomorrow before I go to work. If that doesn't work then I'm €65,- richer again and I'll just PM one of the luckier members asking for a synopsis.
Automatically Appended Next Post: And to twist the knife a bit more:
"Hey guys, there really is nothing we can do about the servers in the short term (tonight). We know its not much, but to help ease your wait, we'll post an extract from Outcast Dead in the next few minutes."
I couldn't stand it when they did this with PROMETHEAN SON and I'm not happy with it now either.
It is arguably their most popular series and instead of just putting out an anthology book that would sell a ton of copies they are limiting quantities, they are charging an absolutely obscene amount for shipping, etc. etc.
And on top of that, they didn't at least learn enough about their own system the last time around to adequately prepare for this time.
Yeah, I'll wait for the in-print version, be it two years down the road or whatever.
According to FW's Facebook page(where for some reason people were raging at them for this debacle...) the Black Library guys were as of the first few minutes of preorders going live on the phone trying to get more server space from the hosting company they use.
Black Library wrote:Aurelian - off sale
by Black Library on Monday, 12 September 2011 at 23:40
Hi all. We hoped that the server situation would improve. Obviously it hasn't. We are now going to take Aurelian off sale until we can fix the issue with our servers. We will provide more information tomorrow but the book will be off sale for at least 72 hours. We will ensure that when it returns to sale, the book can be bought quickly and easily with no technical problems. We really appreciate your patience over the last six hours, and will find a way to make it up to you.Those of you who have managed to pay for a copy will likely not have received a confirmation email. Don't worry, we will email you tomorrow. Thanks again for sticking with us.
Damn...they were there till 11:40pm GMT, at least.
Last night our latest limited edition, Horus Heresy novella Aurelian went on sale. The response to Aurelian was phenomenal, far in excess of our expectations, with thousands of you trying to connect every second - testament to the popularity of the Horus Heresy series and Aaron’s writing. Unfortunately, our website couldn’t cope with such an extremely high level of demand and crashed.
We’re grateful to all of you, our fans, for your patience last night and the feedback you took the time to give us. Among all the phone calls, emails and messages we received there were two recurring points – make blacklibrary.com run faster and print more copies of each limited edition. We’ve been busy today so that we can fulfil both of those requests.
Our technical support team are currently in the process of updating our website to make sure that even during our most busy periods your experience is never again affected.
Aurelian will be back on sale on Monday 17th October. And, in response to your feedback, there will be 6,000 copies (double the original amount) available to buy. We appreciate that some of you are more interested in reading the story than owning a signed copy. To that end, we are splitting the 6,000 copies into two distinct editions. The existing edition of 3,000, the Gold Edition, will cost £30, has gold foiling and is still limited to 3,000 copies. Every copy is signed, numbered and contains internal art. In addition we will release a Silver Edition which will retail at £20, this has silver foiling and is also limited to 3,000 copies. The Silver Edition will be neither signed nor numbered, and won’t feature the colour internal art. It will however be the same format A5 hardback, contain the full Aurelian novella and feature Neil Robert’s fantastic artwork on its cover. As is standard with our limited edition novellas, we will not be releasing Aurelian in any other English language format for at least two years.
If you set your reminder for either of these two products, you will receive an email reminding you before Aurelian goes on sale again.
As an added bonus we’re also going to give you free UPS shipping on your copy of Aurelian and anything else you order at the same time. What’s more, we’re going to ease your wait by offering free standard shipping on everything you order from midday (BST) Friday 16th of September, until midday on Tuesday the 18th of October – so you’ll have something to read in the meantime.
FFP to them, that's a good and swift response indeed.
azreal13 wrote:Just announced, Aurelian will be back on sale next month, extra 3000 Silver Edition copies (not signed, plus few other differences) for £20.
Plus FREE UPS shipping on both Gold (original, signed, etc) and Silver Editions.
Well done BL!!
Well good to see we can get a copy for a reasonable price, at least more so than the $90 gold edition.
Hang on, won't this be rather unfair to those who already ordered the gold edition? This seems like a pretty dirty marketing technique on BLs part... Tell your consumers that there will only be 3000 copies wordwide for at least two years, charge an insane price for it, and once the orders have been made proceed to announce that now they are selling another 3000 copies for less than half the price as a silver edition? I have just the smallest suspicion that the BL just tried to cheat some of us for our money...
EDIT: May have had a bit of a rage there; Aussie pricing is actually $70, and having properly read BLs announcement it's clear that this was an aciton of good customer service, I apologise to any antagonism toward BL... And thanks for the info azrael!
Free shipping and two new eBooks
Starting today, we are offering free standard shipping on all our products, to all customers anywhere in the world (unfortunately, the Ramilies star fort pictured in the banner above will not be used to deliver your order).
Free shipping will run until the 18th of October, and is a great opportunity for you to pick up some web-excusive books, not available in stores, on which you would normally have to pay postage. Our new Warhammer 40,000 gamebook, Hive of the Dead, would be a good choice, or the award-winning graphic novel Daemonifuge, or perhaps the collectable artbook Inquis Exterminatus. Free shipping applies to all our products, whether it’s a Horus Heresy poster or a preorder for Salvation’s Reach.
As usual, Friday is new eBook day, and today we have two brand new Ben Counter titles up for preorder.
Endeavour of Will is the first ever Space Marine Battles novella, and sees everyone’s favourite yellow-clad, hammer-wielding superhuman – Captain Darnath Lysander of the Imperial Fists – battling to save not one, but two Ramilies star forts from the devious machinations of the Iron Warriors. There are three more novellas to come over the next few months, by Sarah Cawkwell, John French and Darius Hinks, which will be collected next year in the Architect of Fate paperback, but will all be exclusively available as eBook downloads first, only from blacklibrary.com.
Phalanx is the action-packed finale to the Soul Drinkers series, where the tainted Space Marine Chapter stands trial for their heresies. Phalanx will be available exclusively as an eBook for four months before it is released as a paperback novel.
Though I suspect most of you attending Gamesday were planning on picking a copy up anyway, I can strongly recommend getting The Gildar Rift. Just finished reading the copy I managed to get my grubby hands on and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Endeavour of Will, the new eBook by Ben Counter, is now available for preorder. This is something a bit new from Black Library: the first novella in the Space Marines Battles miniseries, Architect of Fate. These novellas will be released as eBooks over the next few months and then collected together in a paperback anthology early next year.
We caught up with two of the authors who have contributed to this great miniseries: Darius Hinks, who wrote ‘Sanctus’, and Sarah Cawkwell, writer of ‘Accursed Eternity’, to talk about what we can look forward to in the rest of the collection.
What’s your novella about?
Sarah: Accursed Eternity features two Space Marine Chapters, the Star Dragons and the Blood Swords, as they are called in by the Inquisition to investigate a daemon ship that has been sighted on the edges of the Eye of Terror. The ship was never going to be a nice place, but even the Space Marines aren't quite prepared for what occurs. Not to mention what the inquisitor comes to discover.
To all intents and purposes, it's a bit of a Warhammer 40,000 horror story. And it doesn't end prettily.
Darius: ‘Sanctus’ describes the final hours of a world named Ilissus, a charred ruin located right on the borders of the Eye of Terror. Various mysterious parties have an interest in this doomed world, but the novella focuses on a squad of Relictors Space Marines. They’re aware that the planet is beyond saving, but the future of their whole Chapter is hanging in the balance and this desperate mission could be their last chance to avoid being labelled as traitors. As the clock ticks towards Exterminatus, the Relictors land on Ilissus, but as the bombs start to fall they discover that they have even more enemies than they realised.
What was it like writing a novella as part of a wider Space Marine Battles storyline?
Darius: Working on the Architect of Fate project was mostly fun, but John, Sarah and Ben insisted that, as a newcomer to Space Marine fiction, I had to give them my lunch money every day and hold their laptops for them while they wrote. A bit harsh, I thought, but they assured me it’s quite normal.
Sarah: Writing something novella-length is actually an interesting challenge. I kept finding myself wishing I had more space to expand on some of the story!
It was a great exercise. My story and John French's, in particular, have a number of connective ties and it was a lot of fun to ‘back-and-forth’ at the early brainstorming stage with him, working out how we could maintain that continuity without it being too obvious. I think we achieved subtlety.
At no point were hot dogs involved. If you want further clarification, you'll have to ask him. I can't possibly comment.
Thanks guys.
The first novella in the Architect of Fate series is available to order now, and features the Imperial Fists and Iron Warriors, continuing their 10,000 year old game of ‘Who’s the King of the Castle’.
Your first chance to get your hands on Architect of Fate as a paperback anthology will be at Black Library Live! 2012 in Warhammer World. You’d better hurry though: there are less than one hundred tickets left and they are selling fast.
I thought that the Relictors had been practically destroyed in the background? There was a story in WD some years ago (during a feature on the army, there was an example of which by one of the studio guys) where their homebase was being overrun by the Inquisition..
Hammer & Bolter is Black Library’s monthly fiction magazine. Each issue is packed with all-new short stories, serialised novels, interviews, previews and more
This issue collects the entire first year of Hammer and Bolter, including 36 short stories from the worlds of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000, the serialised novel Phalanx plus extracts and interviews.
This is the largest eBook we have ever produced.
Order this compilation now and save 20% over buying each issue individually.
which seems good value to me.
They've also released some more details about what they'll be doing at GD : Uk this Sunday
I just got told by the Gw store that I am travelling with, that if I buy my books tomorrow from the store (not limitted edition books) and get the receipt, I can jump the queue to get my books autographed at Games Day...... happy days!!
Still gonna try to land a few books at Games Day though!!!
reds8n wrote: There's also a Relictor in Atlas Inferno, would indeed seem that they have taken a bit of a kicking as of "now" in the 40K setting.
There's still a few knocking around here and I reckon.
I did forget about that one - which is sad since I only recently finished ATLAS INFERNAL too!
So, it would seem that in the BL version of 40K, the Relictors are in serious trouble, and in the GW 5th Ed. version of 40K, they are being 'closely watched'...
the last i remembered hearing of the relictors is that they were under intense scrutiny by the Inquisition because of their penchant for using the weapons of Chaos to fight against Chaos. The Inquisistion fearing that they would become tainted were monitoring them.
The last I heard they were fighting the Orks on Armageddon near temple complexes erected around the 1st war of Armageddon. They seemed to be fighting accorsing to their own mission objectives and ignoring calls from other Imperium forces. Pee ing off a lot of people who wanted them held to account.
Rumour is they were looking for a Khornate artifact left by Angron.
Maybe that has been continued on and why they are in such deep doo-doo within recent BL literature.
Hammer & Bolter is Black Library’s monthly fiction magazine. Each issue is packed with all-new short stories, serialised novels, interviews, previews and more
This issue collects the entire first year of Hammer and Bolter, including 36 short stories from the worlds of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000, the serialised novel Phalanx plus extracts and interviews.
This is the largest eBook we have ever produced.
Order this compilation now and save 20% over buying each issue individually.
which seems good value to me.
They've also released some more details about what they'll be doing at GD : Uk this Sunday
Righto, despite BL, shockingly, letting their customers know what's coming out and generally interacting with their customers in a positive manner ( it'll never catch on ) there was still some news and rumours from GDUK
2 more Garro and Co. audio dramas to follow, 1 of which should show how he and Varren
Spoiler:
The World eater guy
met and "teamed up".
Carneus and Calgar audio book by Mamzel Cawkwell.
Kharn the Betrayer audio book as well. Can't wait for the sound effects for that one.
Gordon Rennie is to return and do..err. ... something with Blood Angels.
EDIT : elsewhere suggest this is an audiobook which ties into the old Bloodquest series !
More Ravenguard stuff planned as well.
Quick chat with Mr. Wraight has me very impatient for his Iron Hands novel, GW do seem to like giving him the unlike-able bastard characters to write. Victim of his own success here one would suggest.
His Huss book should be very good too, if the example/short story in the GD collector's book is any indication.
Mr. Dembski-Bowden's GK novel -- " The Emperor's Gift" -- will have a simultaneous audio format release. They seem keen to roll this dual format release out across the entire line.
I dunno if anyone else listened to Dan's Horus Heresy video part 2, but......250 THOUSAND Ultramarines during the heresy!?! 200k of which were at Calth, while the Word Bearers had about 60,000, but were augmented with Daemons and cultists...This going to be quite the battle...."Bolter porn" indeed!
.. it'll be here soon enough. Got Salvations Reach and Red & Black on Saturday, at the event itself picked up the limited edition book, Hammer & Anvil, Red Duke, Gildar Rift -- even with me not having a beard ! -- and Blood of Aenarion.
Got Outcast Dead and Nocturne a wee while back and am enjoying both immensely.
...
Spoiler:
Magnus' message to the Emperor really did a number on Terra !
Number as in, broke the seals and spilled forth the Warp, or more wordy?
Also, got an e-mail from BL today telling me that if I pre-ordered some stuff now, NO SHIPPING. After seeing the art previews of that new art book, I caved in. Nostalgia sake made me also pick up the Gothic Wars omnibus, which still is one of the finest (of the already woefully few!) Navy themed books out there. Not saying that Relentless is bad or anything, loved it lots, but the two Gothic War books are fond memories of mine and helped me shape my views of the hobby.
Do you think they'll ever release the audiobooks as a written book? A Tales of Heresy type anthology? There's some really important stuff in them but they're slipping through the cracks due to their audiobookness.
I don't mind them either but I prefer the written format. I think that many people aren't getting them either because they're not "real books" so to speak.
KamikazeCanuck wrote:I don't mind them either but I prefer the written format. I think that many people aren't getting them either because they're not "real books" so to speak.
For me it is mostly the $17 pricetag for a less-than-novella length story.
I find it easier to listen to them than to find time to read, but the value isn't there for me.
I got Throne of Lies and it felt too short. Great story, just too short.
RanaldLoec wrote:Darius Hinks let on he's writing a trilogy about Orion which sounds like awesomesauce.
kitch102 wrote:Also learnt that some of the authors have lists of people that have written in to them asking to be included in their books, apparently Dan Abnetts a big one for this, so if you fancy being a guardsman that gets killed 2 paragraphs after being introduced to a story get writing! I reckon I might! Guardsman Si Kitchener doesn't have much of a ring to it though lol.
KamikazeCanuck wrote:Do you think they'll ever release the audiobooks as a written book? A Tales of Heresy type anthology? There's some really important stuff in them but they're slipping through the cracks due to their audiobookness.
I wouldn't be too surprised if we do, eventually, see text versions of some/most of the audio books -- see "The Book of Blood" BA collection which included a version of Heart of Rage.
The lack of beard confused me.
..women eh !
As it happens I once upon a time had very similar electric blue hair extensions to the fetching ones you were sporting.
Good to see you again though, looking forwards to BL Live 2012! a lot.
KamikazeCanuck wrote:I don't mind them either but I prefer the written format. I think that many people aren't getting them either because they're not "real books" so to speak.
For me it is mostly the $17 pricetag for a less-than-novella length story.
That too. Though a hardcover can be even more than that. For those who get softcovers though, it's almost the price of three books.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
reds8n wrote:
KamikazeCanuck wrote:Do you think they'll ever release the audiobooks as a written book? A Tales of Heresy type anthology? There's some really important stuff in them but they're slipping through the cracks due to their audiobookness.
I wouldn't be too surprised if we do, eventually, see text versions of some/most of the audio books -- see "The Book of Blood" BA collection which included a version of Heart of Rage.
Wow, just got word that both the GD anthology and the Emperor's Will have been shipped. Along with two other novels snatched up from GDUK I'm super-stoked about that vacation just a week away.
This artwork was doing the rounds at GD, going to post it here now after it was , helpfully, regathered and annoted by Mr. Dembski-Bowden.
..who also drops this juicy little titbit..
May I just add, furthermore, that I may just be squeezing into that anthology? And would it be with a novella about Konrad Curze? Yes, yes it might be.
Short people are the angriest, closely followed by those who are bald. Hairs are your aerials. They pick up signals from the cosmos, and transmit them directly into the brain.
Being both short and bald Angron never really stood a chance.
Chains wrapped around his forearms, cybernetic implants forming a kind of 'halo' around his head, the red tinge to his flesh, the bald head, etc are all characteristic of Angron.
Curze has black, stringy hair surrounding a gaunt corpselike face expressing very little emotion.
I now see the mace that Lorgar is holding, didn't pick that up right away.
The picture of Dorn threw me off a bit because of what seems like a lightening claw on his left hand. I always thought he carried a hammer or a fist...
Yes indeed, in this photo you can see the massed ranks of Astartes and also the Titans that were present there - apparently on top of a mountain that had been flattened by Imperial Engineers for just this purpose!
I just finished Salvation's Reach. It was a great read - the sort of book that you can't help but race through. There was a lot more stuff happening and correspondingly less characterisation, which might sound terrible, but there's so much gripping stuff going on that it's hard to come away disappointed. I've opened a thread to discuss book ruining spoiler stuff, but one that I can safely ask here is do we have any idea when the next book is due? If you've read the book you'll probably understand why I'm a little impatient.
Working my way through Path of the Seer and I can't help but think that the protagonist is a bit of a bitch. Now now, I've got nothing against women, just this alien one.
For anyone who still doesn't believe that shorty-in-the-middle is Angron, it's worth taking a look at the following entry of Aaron Dembski-Bowden's blog:
where you can see the cover artwork for the audio drama "The Butcher's Nails" and John Blanche's original concept artwork for Angron. There's no doubt once you've seen them that it is indeed Mr Angry himself.
I know Magnus was "The Crimson King", but I didn't think his skin was quite that red. I thought he was named for his bright red hair, wherelse his skin was more copper. It's interesting to see him beside his brothers though, really puts it into perspective that he was a giant. It's hard to imagine anyone towering over the Emperor, but now I've seen this...
KHARN – vox-altered almost all the time, similar to Throne of Lies.
CAPTAIN LOTARA SARRIN – Mid-30s, energetic English female. A moronic tabloid would describe her as “posh but saucy”, when they really mean “she speaks like Nigella Lawson”.
IVAR TOBEN – British WWII officer.
VOXMASTER KEJIC (and any other officers) – British WWII officer.
SERVITORS – Just like in Throne of Lies, as they rocked.
ELDAR REAVER CAPTAIN – a rasping whisper, disgusted to even be talking to humans, and with abrasive background noise, like the transmissions in Event Horizon. Also, when he says “mon-keigh”, can it be “mon-kee” and not “monk-eye” like in the DoW games? Otherwise it no longer makes sense and misses the point of why it’s funny.
ARGEL TAL – He speaks in two voices at the same time: one like a normal Space Marine, one lower, daemonic, and eerily resonant.
Interesting to see how the voice actor(s?) will do these.
Pacific wrote:Yes indeed, in this photo you can see the massed ranks of Astartes and also the Titans that were present there - apparently on top of a mountain that had been flattened by Imperial Engineers for just this purpose!
Reavers and something bigger ... different Warlord design? Less cathedral style design of imperators?
Today on the blog, some new artwork from the talented Clint Langley.
Clint has really gone to town on the little touches here. Check out the macabre skull detailing on the Space Marine’s power armour.
This guy is a Silver Skulls Space Marine, a Chapter made familiar to readers of Hammer and Bolter through Sarah Cawkwell’s series of short stories. This artwork will be on the cover of the 'The Best of Hammer and Bolter: Volume One', a compilation of the best short stories from the first twelve issues of Hammer and Bolter. The book will be available in July next year.
If you’d like to own the full versions of issues one through twelve, including interviews, previews, audio extracts and the serialised novel Phalanx, you can download The Complete Hammer and Bolter: Year One as an eBook (the biggest Black library eBook ever, as it happens).
Tune in next Monday to see some new Horus Heresy artwork from Neil Roberts.
Until then, remember that you only have 12 days left to take advantage of our worldwide free shipping offer.
You guys remember when GW used to give you little silver skulls like on that guy's armour back in the day for every $10 you spent? Didn't know they made a whole chapter out of that promotional campaign.
KamikazeCanuck wrote:You guys remember when GW used to give you little silver skulls like on that guy's armour back in the day for every $10 you spent? Didn't know they made a whole chapter out of that promotional campaign.
Don't say that, or Pyroriffic will have you destroyed.
I knew Magnus was meant to be big... but I didn't expect him to be that big. And tell me - does Angron have two small chain-blades attached to those chains? Does he whip them around while screaming?
And really, Ron Pearlman? I don't want Angron saying "War. War never changes." I want TC Carson doing the voice, just to get the whole Kratos thing across!
I have no problem with Ron Pearlman. I just think that if you're going to make Angron into the little (angry) engine that could, go the whole hog and get the guy who did Kratos' voice to voice him.
Ron Perlman (no "a") would kill the guy who does the voice of Kratos. Great choice. He has actual texture and depth to his voice. I'm sure it won't happen.
Well of course he would. Last picture of TC Carson I saw made him look like a jazz musician, not a big fighty type guy. Perlman on the other hand looks like a caveman lost in time, so of course he'd win!
KamikazeCanuck wrote:You guys remember when GW used to give you little silver skulls like on that guy's armour back in the day for every $10 you spent? Didn't know they made a whole chapter out of that promotional campaign.
KamikazeCanuck wrote:You guys remember when GW used to give you little silver skulls like on that guy's armour back in the day for every $10 you spent? Didn't know they made a whole chapter out of that promotional campaign.
Pics or it didn't happen.
I remember that; was circa 2000 I believe. You could redeem them (about $100 worth or more) for certain 'prizes'. I remember that they made some limited AdMech figs for this promotion and a friend of mine got all of them with these skulls they promoted.
Additionally, the Silver Skulls were mentioned before this at the start of 3rd edition; don't know if this promotion was inspired by the marine chapter or not.
Magnus at least in Thousand Sons always seemed to have a mutable body but perhaps that was the writing style and trying to explain how he appeared to humans. I find the picture interesting with the more mutant looking primarch's down the far end with Sanguinus last giving a further nod to the bizarre nature of his wings.
I love the Silver Skulls picture and Langly's recent Blood Angel pic. I'm glad they've gone away from the stupid pin head marines.
automatonsleuth wrote:I know Magnus was "The Crimson King", but I didn't think his skin was quite that red. I thought he was named for his bright red hair, wherelse his skin was more copper. It's interesting to see him beside his brothers though, really puts it into perspective that he was a giant. It's hard to imagine anyone towering over the Emperor, but now I've seen this...
I guess the Horus Heresy novels are 'setting' the looks of the Primarchs a bit more, but I think past art for him (and probably others) varied widely. Some had him as just a missing eye, some the eye centered int he forehead, etc.
KamikazeCanuck wrote:You guys remember when GW used to give you little silver skulls like on that guy's armour back in the day for every $10 you spent? Didn't know they made a whole chapter out of that promotional campaign.
Pics or it didn't happen.
I remember that; was circa 2000 I believe. You could redeem them (about $100 worth or more) for certain 'prizes'. I remember that they made some limited AdMech figs for this promotion and a friend of mine got all of them with these skulls they promoted.
Additionally, the Silver Skulls were mentioned before this at the start of 3rd edition; don't know if this promotion was inspired by the marine chapter or not.
See, I'm not crazy I tell ya! If you had a big pile of 'em you could trade them in for a Baneblade. That was back in the day when Baneblades where rare FW only models.
This is one of the hardback limited edition books, numbered and signed. They've doen a few similar ones in the past.
This originally went on sale last month, at 18;00 GMT, and then their system crashed. Bl reckon they had 5,000 people sat on the webpage and refreshing for several hours.
So they pulled it from sale after a few hours and it will go back on sale this month -- they've had their machine spirit upgraded -- they're also doing a "silver" print run as well, same story, but not signed and it lacks the internal colour plates as well.
The story will, eventually, be reprinted but not for two years or so ( IIRC). The Iron Warrior one they did is about to be featured in the Iron Warrior omnibus for example.
I say throw in all the Audiobooks and Promethean Sun and Aurelian into one book of awesomeness. They haven't asked me yet, but that's what I'm going to tell 'em.
It's a good read. Solid rather than mind blowing, but it also goes someway towards explaining, smoothing and tidying up some of the ... fuzzier....story elements and gives us a great look at Terra too.
... and then it goes and opens up... well.... you'll see.
I'm really enjoying where this book is going and seeing as I can read it in one go, blessed be the foresight of planning a week off way back in Spring, I'll be having a week-long reading marathon to catch up on that mahoosive list of stuff I really need to read.
Though I did note that it suffers from quite a few typos, poor formatting and printing errors. It is however a great addition to the Horus Heresy series that neatly ties into several other novels and pieces of background while filling in some of the blanks. But as always, it does leave me with more new questions.
Though I did note that it suffers from quite a few typos, poor formatting and printing errors. It is however a great addition to the Horus Heresy series that neatly ties into several other novels and pieces of background while filling in some of the blanks. But as always, it does leave me with more new questions.
You reckon! I read it straight after games day. Though it did leave the {SPOILER ALERT}
Spoiler:
idea of what the Crusader Company was totally unanswered. I also loved the Thunder Warriors in there - I get a feeling that they, along with other characters, will play a part at the Siege of Terra. I'm just wondering on whose side! Then again, I always wondered what Fabius Bile got up to on the surface of terra, especially as the Emperor's Children were running rampant across the surface
Anyway, good to see a different side of the heresy series!
In a lot of ways I think The Outcast Dead was almost an essential part of the HH saga, it certainly tidies up and fills in a few potential plot holes and the like.
..plus, for the first time, youknowwho actually comes across as ..well.... an actual hero.
perhaps.
Finished The Gildar Rift and enjoyed it immensely, definately one of the better books both in that series and the 40k range.
..seems, if we're lucky, we might get some follow up too. Which is good.
Started on Salvations Reach.... damn, I do love Abnett's Ghosts books. one thinks one has them figured out and then... he blindsides you.
Especially impressed with the character growth we've seen and the deft way he weaves the subplots together. he has a rhythm that is almost poetic IMO. Like grimdark beat poetry.
Abnett definitely does rhythm masterfully. There's pleasure to be had in his writing regardless of what's going on in the plot.
While I know nobody is seeking to rub anything in, mentions of youknowwhos are the final straw for me. It's time for me to bury my head in the ground until I've finished the book in question.
If it's the same youknowwho as the IthinkIknowyouknowwho (? ) I wonder if that will disappoint me slightly. We have had a few books now, as well as other background, which is starting to paint the golden boy in a slightly darker light. Certainly, having him less than perfect gives more credence to Horus turning traitor beyond his "I want all the power, mwa hahaha" while throwing bags of kittens into streams and writing cuss-words on the bits of paper inside fortune cookies.
I mean that in terms of the over-arching story of the Heresy. Of course, if I have assumed incorrectly regarding youknowwho, please disregard the above and tell me to shut the hell up!
I just finished Gildar Rift too, and found it enjoyable, a very solid read, a follow up would be nice or a Space Marie battle from Huron's perspective would be nice.... He is definitely a villain that could be expanded upon further.
Maybe Hurons defeat of a Space marine Chapter which I think has some fluff in the BRB or codex space marines.
Correlan was a good character but others could have been a bit more developed.
I also finished Red Duke and the Anthology from GDUK.
Hopig to borrow Outcast dead from a friend in the next week.
Maybe Hurons defeat of a Space marine Chapter which I think has some fluff in the BRB or codex space marines.
... I think that may well have been covered in the Night Lords series of books. IIRC there's a tip o' the hat reference to characters/events from that series.
That would be good, I was thinking of the story where he leads a chapter a merry chase then storms the fortress monastery and makes off with all their geneseed, condemnig them to a slow death, may have been the novamarines or marines errant iiirc
Spoiler:
Either that or now he knows the dread argents secret he will go hell for leather to capture it intact
dantay_xv wrote:Ah excellent, I fancied picking up some Night Lords books, just not got around to it yet
They are the best BL books I've ever read, and I've read a lot. My only problem with them is that now I hold most other stuff to the same standard, and most of it just doesn't compare!
Just now received the Emperor's Will, a nice hardback(!) tome of the same proportion as the old Inquis Exterminatus version (not the current softback reprint) and from what I've seen so far it's a collection of more recent codex art, FFG art, SG art and new Blanche art, a perfect companion to Inquis Exterminatus really.
BrookM wrote:Just now received the Emperor's Will, a nice hardback(!) tome of the same proportion as the old Inquis Exterminatus version (not the current softback reprint) and from what I've seen so far it's a collection of more recent codex art, FFG art, SG art and new Blanche art, a perfect companion to Inquis Exterminatus really.
I just saw it on Amazon and preordered, hope they get it soon.
Having had more time to thoroughly go through it, I can say that I positively love it. It has no Astartes art, so that should please some and it is also quite low on Guard art, putting a heavy focus on random Imperial art, character art from assorted BL and FFG publications and designs by John Blanche. Lovely stuff all told.
KamikazeCanuck wrote:I thought you were militantly anti-40K-fluff KK?
???
Dunno where that comes from, I love the fluff. The rules I can take or leave but 40k background as a whole has some wildly inventive stuff.
Of course lately GW hasn't been anywhere near their prime but I believe Blanche can still impress me.
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BrookM wrote:Having had more time to thoroughly go through it, I can say that I positively love it. It has no Astartes art, so that should please some and it is also quite low on Guard art, putting a heavy focus on random Imperial art, character art from assorted BL and FFG publications and designs by John Blanche. Lovely stuff all told.
Can't wait but Amazon says they won't have it till November, which means early december for those of us awaiting the mail boat here in the tropics.
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KamikazeCanuck wrote:Oh. No words makes Kid_Kyoto happy.
I seem to recall during the height of the Grey Knights Codex fiasco (the imo overblown killing of sisters) you saying something like "and that's why I haven't read any fluff in 5 years" or something like that.
KamikazeCanuck wrote:I seem to recall during the height of the Grey Knights Codex fiasco (the imo overblown killing of sisters) you saying something like "and that's why I haven't read any fluff in 5 years" or something like that.
Wasn't me.
But it's not a bad policy at that...
I mean seriously, carved a name in a daemon primarch's heart? WTF?
18:00 GMT the book, in both formats, goes back on sale.
GOLD AND SILVER
Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s Aurelian will finally be released into the world next Monday. In response to customer comments, there will be two versions available, and we wanted to give you all the details of both editions to allow you to make an informed decision between them.
Both versions – Gold Edition and Silver Edition – are 128 page, A5 hardback books with a dustjacket featuring Neil Roberts’s majestic cover art. Both contain the full Aurelian novella and are strictly limited to 3,000 copies each in the English language. Where they differ is in the details.
The Gold Edition contains several premium features. The hardcover is fashioned in the form of pages from the Book of Lorgar, covered in heretical scribblings. A gatefold colour section in the middle of the book features the full panoramic cover art and more pages from Lorgar’s accursed tome. It also contains a marker ribbon and each copy is numbered and hand signed by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. All of these features are exclusive to the Gold Edition, which will cost you £30(GBP) or your local equivalent.
The Silver Edition, by contrast, has a standard treatment on the hardcover and none of the extras from the Gold Edition. It will be £20(GBP) or your local equivalent.
The story of Aurelian will not be reprinted in the English language for at least two years, so these editions are your only opportunity to read a Aurelian for some time.
All orders for Aurelian will be shipped for free using UPS shipping as will anything ordered alongside it. Speaking of free shipping, you only have three days left to take advantage of our free standard shipping on all products, order today and don’t pay a penny (or dime, or dollar or euro) in postage.
Aurelian will be available exclusively from blacklibrary.com from 6pm on Monday 17th October.
Not because I don't want to read it...but because Gav Thorpe's Dark Elf novella illustrated to me that it just doesn't seem to be a medium worth the money of ordering it from the UK.
My money which was set aside for it has instead been diverted into Batman: Arkham City. Back to classwork for this week, so I can Batman it up uninterrupted...
Not because I don't want to read it...but because Gav Thorpe's Dark Elf novella illustrated to me that it just doesn't seem to be a medium worth the money of ordering it from the UK.
My money which was set aside for it has instead been diverted into Batman: Arkham City. Back to classwork for this week, so I can Batman it up uninterrupted...
Same here - even down to getting Arkham City instead!
BrookM wrote:Free world-wide shipping yo! Rest assured, if need be, I can provide a synopsis like last time.
Need to wait and see now, they pulled it again after a lot of people (me included) complained remarked that we're forced to pay for shipping, despite being advertised otherwise. I do hope they don't cancel my order now and force me to do it all over again.
BrookM wrote:
Those cheeky feths, they added the full overpriced shipping, again.
Did they ever say that they were going to make Aurelian ship for free?
I know that they said anything ordered with Aurelian ship free with that UPS express shipping.
Alpharius wrote:Same here - even down to getting Arkham City instead!
I feel kinda bad that I'm more excited to get it from Best Buy simply so I can do the Robin challenge maps(gotta love Tim Drake's Robin) than continuing the story from Arkham Asylum.
BrookM wrote:
Those cheeky feths, they added the full overpriced shipping, again.
Did they ever say that they were going to make Aurelian ship for free?
I know that they said anything ordered with Aurelian ship free with that UPS express shipping.
Alpharius wrote:Same here - even down to getting Arkham City instead!
I feel kinda bad that I'm more excited to get it from Best Buy simply so I can do the Robin challenge maps(gotta love Tim Drake's Robin) than continuing the story from Arkham Asylum.
And on the site itself: UPS shipping on this product is free as is all shipping on any product purchased at the same time.
..well I had a gold edition in my basket and was trying to checkout.. but by the time that page loaded they had apparently all sold out leaving them with a stock of -14.
.. but.. I can make do with the Silver edition anyway. It's the story I;m most interested in and I can get the author to sign it another time.
Just. Just spent 10 minutes or so swearing and being unable to pay for the poxy thing, but * crosses fingers* we should be good now.
It’s been a while since we mentioned Gotrek & Felix: The Anthology on the blog so, with the book just a few months from hitting the shelves, we thought it was time to share the contents with you.
Slayer’s Honour Nathan Long
A Cask of Wynters Joshua Reynolds
A Place of Quiet Assembly John Brunner
Kineater Jordan Ellinger
Prophecy Ben McCallum
The Tilean’s Talisman David Guymer
Last Orders Andy Smillie
Mind-stealer C.L. Werner
The Two Crowns of Ras Karim Nathan Long
The Funeral of Gotrek Gurnisson Richard Salter
As you can see, it’s a nice mix of Black Library stalwarts and up-and-comers, along with some brand new faces, and you can expect to see a few of these names on the cover of Gotrek & Felix books in the coming years. In fact, Josh Reynolds has just recently completed Charnel Congress, a novella where our intrepid duo cross paths with none other than Mannfred Von Carstein, which is due for release next February and he’s already hard at work on his first full-length G&F novel. And don’t forget that Josh’s full length Black Library debut, Knight of the Blazing Sun, is published in March 2012.
‘Slayer’s Honour’ is a brand new Gotrek & Felix novella from the pen of Nathan Long and is in the anthology, as is‘The Two Crowns of Ras Karim’, Nathan’s much-requested short story from the 2009 Games Day chapbook. Nathan recently signed a book deal with another publisher to write books in a setting of his own creation and everybody here at Black Library would like to wish him well with his new endeavour.
With the release of the anthology still some months away, here is the opening to ‘The Funeral of Gotrek Gurnisson’ to whet your appetite.
'Thunder rumbled in the overcast sky and the rain came down in sheets. It was as gloomy as dusk, yet the day had not reached noon. Felix Jaeger stood silently in the graveyard, his hair matted and his clothes drenched. The downpour bothered him not at all.
A priest approached and cleared his throat.
Felix looked up. ‘Thank you for doing this at such short notice.’
The priest bowed his head.
‘I am happy to help. I have never… officiated the funeral of a Slayer before. However… it was my understanding that a customary send off for one such as he would involve more of a…’
‘Celebration?’
‘Indeed, yes.’
‘He did not die a hero’s death,’ Felix explained. ‘Anything more would not be appropriate.’
‘Very well.’
Six pallbearers carried the coffin towards the open grave. They stopped close by and placed the casket on iron stands. At such short notice, Felix had only been able to procure a human-sized casket and a cheap one at that. Its occupant would be mortified if he could see this dreary scene.
The priest began the incantation while Felix stood impassive. His eyes were downcast, water dripping from the end of his nose. Rain collected in the brim of his hat, occasionally overflowing like torrents of tears.
He had told nobody about the funeral. While word had a habit of getting out, it was unlikely anyone would reach here in time. There were
Kind of bummed that Mr. Long isn't going to continue, but pleased he got the deal he did.
If any got an extra Gold from too much vigorous clicking, I'd rather pay a Dakkaite a stupid surplus than some pox on eBay. Just putting that out there.
Managed to snag a silver, but the OCD collector in me is still a little riled
Well, they had a full month to get them all signed and stamped, so they should be sent out post-haste and hopefully within a week, not 28 days as the site claims.
edit.
A lot of angry people again though. A great deal of complaints about having their orders cancelled or having their copy snatched from their basket.
I got my gold edition, I hope, and like everyone else paid £10 shipping. Was a right stress though, got through to payment, pressed confirm and it went to my bank's 3D secure page. Put my password in there and pressed confirm for that page and it hung for 15 minutes on a blank page, before deciding it was done.
Decided to risk it and refreshed that frame and it came up confirmed nearly straight away, with a confirmation e-mail and everything.. A little part of me is still fearing that I won't get it though!
The basket issue is frustrating. It was in my basket, but by the time my computer got to the payment screen, it was gone. The "basket theft" is what folks are rightly frustrated about. At that point, it should be safe while the customer futzes about to pay the bill.
I have to wonder why they don't simply announce the book, do a pre-order window that determines how many copies to print, close the window, and be done with it.
I mean, we all know they're making tons of money on these editions. You'd think they'd want to sell as many as possible.
Do with a pre-order window, and you remove all of this hassle and crap dealing with the baskets, etc... And it still remains a "Limited Edition"
cincydooley wrote:I have to wonder why they don't simply announce the book, do a pre-order window that determines how many copies to print, close the window, and be done with it.
I mean, we all know they're making tons of money on these editions. You'd think they'd want to sell as many as possible.
Do with a pre-order window, and you remove all of this hassle and crap dealing with the baskets, etc... And it still remains a "Limited Edition"
Check out the comments at the cluster-(expletive deleted) that was the Aurelian sale at Black Library today. I'm glad I didn't try to buy one of these. Shipping was supposed to be free, but apparently there were problems with that on top of the website slowing down considerably and people not being able to check out in time and having their cart emptied without getting a book.
What a mess. I decided not to spend $30 or $50 on what is essentially an overpriced pamphlet. Eventually they'll reprint the story a couple years down the road in a more affordable edition for those who want to read it without spending enough money for a decent dinner out.
cincydooley wrote:I have to wonder why they don't simply announce the book, do a pre-order window that determines how many copies to print, close the window, and be done with it.
I mean, we all know they're making tons of money on these editions. You'd think they'd want to sell as many as possible.
Do with a pre-order window, and you remove all of this hassle and crap dealing with the baskets, etc... And it still remains a "Limited Edition"
You might want to suggest this to them.
They very well might listen.
If anything, the reactions and outcry of this one might make them reconsider the next one, again. From what I recall, it might be Abnett penning one next time. Imagine the gak storm of today and a month ago, multiplied by a few hundred times.
I saved my money. With at least 6,000 combined edition copies of this going out there eBay will be glutted and the price may become depressed. As for reading it, we'll wait for a more affordable regular paperback down the road.
True, chances are it might be another Promethean Sun, which was an okay read but nothing too shocking. Then again, this is das wunderkind we're talking about, so I've got high hopes.
BL update: "HI all. The bank has just rang to tell us they can't handle the traffic... If you're having payment issues, please wait a moment and retry. The bank is working to clear the bottle neck."
johnstewartjohn wrote:Will there be regular paper back versions of these books down the line? As I missed out on promethean sun.
BL promised they will NOT reprint this in English for at least two years in order to fuel the frenzy of buying on the limited edition now, but I think it's safe to say that after that period you'll see it again. If there's money to be made, you'll see it again.
FWIW, Iron Warrior was REALLY, REALLY well done. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Whats more, is that the production of that one was vastly superior to the ones they're doing now. Illustrations on the pages, little elaborations here and there. Almost like a diary.
I mean, I'm still buying the rest (though I did pass on the elf one...sort of regretting that now).
Black Library There are 150 Gold Editions left. 1500 Silvers.
I'm amazed how quick people are to toss out $50 US or the equivalent on a very short story in this economy. How many of those people also complain about GW's model prices? It's a rhetorical question, please don't respond.
Promethean Sun, about Vulkan during the Horus Heresy.
The Bloody Handed, a Times of Legend novel about the cult of Khaine.
Iron Warrior, about some guys in suits of iron fighting sieges or something.
BrookM wrote:Promethean Sun, about Vulkan during the Horus Heresy.
The Bloody Handed, a Times of Legend novel about the cult of Khaine.
Iron Warrior, about some guys in suits of iron fighting sieges or something.
and the Soul Drinkers one.
.. the one that is pretty much essential to the finale (?) of their saga so far...
BrookM wrote:Promethean Sun, about Vulkan during the Horus Heresy.
The Bloody Handed, a Times of Legend novel about the cult of Khaine.
Iron Warrior, about some guys in suits of iron fighting sieges or something.
and the Soul Drinkers one.
.. the one that is pretty much essential to the finale (?) of their saga so far...
Ah pardon, my personal bias came into play again, I can't care about that one a bit at all.
I'm currently reading "Hammer and Anvil" -- the new/forthcoming SoB book -- which details the return to Sanctuary 101.
T'would seem the Necrons in that -- which are still kind of in the background currently -- are flavoured according to the new codex as well. There's mention of civil war/in fighting atwixt varying factions in the Necron race/empire.
Spoiler:
In fact it has been suggested that the deaths of the SoB may in fact have been little mroe than "collateral damage" ( so to speak) with them being in the wrong place at entirely the wrong time.
" An extract from the upcoming Primarchs Anthology "
The Titan swung its weapons towards Lucius. The engine was wasting its strength coming for a single warrior, but it had seen him atop its fallen twin and had marked him for death.
Lucius knew he could not fight such a powerful enemy, and turned to run, but before he had taken a single step, the angelic outline of a warrior on wings of gold dropped from the smoke. He bore a flint-knapped blade in one hand and a long-barrelled pistol worked in silver and onyx in the other. His stark white hair flew around his glorious features as the heat bleeding from the Titan’s reactor washed over him.
‘One for me, I think, Lucius,’ said Fulgrim, levelling his pistol at the battle engine.
Fulgrim shot with the calm poise of a duellist on a misty heath. A shining spear of incandescent light imbued with the heat of a newborn star spat from the gun and struck dead centre on the Titan’s shields. A shrieking flare of overload banged like a host of shattering mirrors and a powerful sphere of energy pulsed out like a solar flare.
Lucius was hurled from his feet and hit hard against one of the towering crystal spires at the edge of the facility. Pain sawed up and down his back, and he grinned as he tasted blood.
Even through a haze of smoke and pain he saw what happened next with complete clarity.
Fulgrim stood alone before the war machine, his pistol cast aside and his sword held loosely at his side. The Titan’s auto-loaders ratcheted canisters of shells around from its rear hoppers, and the breeches snapped shut on a fresh load. Fulgrim’s free hand reached up to the battle engine, as though demanding it halt its march.
Lucius laughed at the absurdity of the gesture.
But Fulgrim intended more than simple defiance.
A shimmering nimbus of misty light gathered around the Phoenician, its substance shot with threads of barely visible lightning. Fulgrim’s splayed fingers closed into a fist and he twisted his grip as though tearing at unseen ropes.
The battle engine halted in its rampage, the cockpit snapping up and its weapon arms jerking spasmodically as though the machine was suffering a hideous seizure. Fulgrim’s outstretched hand continued pulling and twisting at the air, and the Titan’s war horn brayed with plaintive horror. The cockpit panes shattered, spraying glass tears to the ground as it slumped back onto its hissing legs.
Lucius watched with horrified fascination as bulging wads of oozing flesh pushed their way out of the cockpit, swelling and pulsating with grotesque life. The gelatinous mass of expanding meat obscured the mastiff head, drooling from the armoured carapace in raw pink tendrils of mutant flesh.
Lucius rose to his feet, awed and wondrously horrified at the death of the battle engine. Amniotic fluid fell in a drizzle from the Titan’s ruptured body, its every orifice and exhaust port choked with monstrous growths of rampant flesh culled from its mortal crew. The stench was appalling, and Lucius breathed deeply, savouring the reek of burned meat that was already beginning to decay.
He approached Fulgrim as the primarch gathered up his fallen pistol.
‘What did you do?’ asked Lucius.
Fulgrim turned his dead black eyes upon him and said, ‘A little something I learned from the forces that empower me. A trifle, nothing more.’
THE STORY
Created in the Emperor’s own image, the primarchs had long thought themselves to be princes of the universe and masters of their own destiny – they led the Space Marine Legions in glorious conquest of the galaxy, and no enemy of the Imperium could stand against them. However, even amongst this legendary brotherhood, the seeds of dissent had been sown long before the treacherous Warmaster Horus declared his grand heresy.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Gathered within this anthology are four novellas focusing on some of the mightiest warriors and leaders that mankind has ever known – Fulgrim, Lion El’Johnson, Ferrus Manus and Konrad Curze – and the roles that they may have yet to play in a war which threatens to change the face of the Imperium forever.
Could have sworn there was originally an Alpharius short in there instead of the Konrad one.. ah well.. t'is all good.
I think there's some potential in the Fulgrim/Manus story. Why was Fulgrim so sure that Manus would agree with him and turn w/ Horus? I'm sure that the daemon has something to do with it, but was there something there before to make Fulgrim think Manus would come over?
different Warlord design? Less cathedral style design of imperators?
) I wonder if that will disappoint me slightly. We have had a few books now, as well as other background, which is starting to paint the golden boy in a slightly darker light. Certainly, having him less than perfect gives more credence to Horus turning traitor beyond his "I want all the power, mwa hahaha" while throwing bags of kittens into streams and writing cuss-words on the bits of paper inside fortune cookies.
