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Post by: reds8n
last thread FYI : http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/2280/427644.page
This Friday sees the latest limited edition novella goes on sale. In the past this has normally gone up around 17;00ish.. but no need to rush, it'll be on sale for a while.
BL have .. sort of.... updated their coming soon page
http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/coming-soon/
However, from Facebook " We've just updated our 'Coming Soon' section to cover releases up to August 2013. It is worth noting that Horus Heresy titles and Games Workshop Exclusives will not be added to this section, instead going on pre-order one week before their in store release dates."
 .. ah well.
BL will also have a stand at Salute 2013, where there should be some pre/early release books available too.
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Post by: Hulksmash
Alright, I'm normally pretty on board with GW and BL but seriously, no information about HH books till a week before release is a bit daft and no publisher on earth does that. I guess because they aren't mass market to start with they'll be able to do it. I gotta say though that the odds of me knowing something is out to get it on my Nook are greatly diminished as I don't check the site often.
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Post by: Just Dave
 reds8n wrote: However, from Facebook " We've just updated our 'Coming Soon' section to cover releases up to August 2013. It is worth noting that Horus Heresy titles and Games Workshop Exclusives will not be added to this section, instead going on pre-order one week before their in store release dates."
.. ah well.
Wait, does this mean Black Library now also follow Games-Workshops secrecy policy, or something else?
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Post by: H.B.M.C.
And Black Library falls into the abyss that is GW's marketing strategy.
FW stands alone as the only sane section of that whole damned company...
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Post by: kronk
 H.B.M.C. wrote: FW stands alone as the only sane section of that whole damned company...
No doubt. I wonder how the Black Library's HH sales have been since they've gone to the Hard Back --> Trade Paper --> Mass Market PB publishing model?
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Post by: reds8n
err... it means that HH books and the BL exclusive ones will not be listed as coming soon on their site until 1 week prior to their release dates. 
One wonders if we'll still be able to glean such information -- with regards to the HH series anyway -- from other sites ( Amazon et al ), and I can't see the authors suddenly clamming up more so than they are now.
Plus, to be fair, at events like BL Live, the forthcoming Weekender and the like BL generally have a spot where they reveal or talk about stuff not yet listed.
I think it's fair enough, and understandable, with regards to the exclusive books...does seem..... odd .. to do it with regards to the HH books.
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Post by: Theophony
H.B.M.C. wrote:And Black Library falls into the abyss that is GW's marketing strategy.
FW stands alone as the only sane section of that whole damned company...
Good thing GW doesn't read forums, or they would put an to that.
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Post by: kronk
reds8n wrote: err... it means that HH books and the BL exclusive ones will not be listed as coming soon on their site until 1 week prior to their release dates.
Yeah, I picked up on that. :-) Unless you're replying to someone else. If so, carry on!  If not, [BALETED]. 
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Post by: Just Dave
Isn't GW's "marketing" policy (officially) because they don't want people to not buy products because they know new ones are coming out (e.g. not buying the old broadsides, because new ones are coming)?
If so, how does this relate to Black Library?!
Red's comment was in reference to me Kronk, don't worry!
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Post by: jonolikespie
I swear it is like they want the HH series to fail.
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Post by: Alpharius
They just think they've found a way to maximize profits from the series.
Time will tell if they're right.
I don't think they are, because I can tell you that I have pretty much stopped paying attention to the whole thing, and I was at the front of the line wanting these books a yer or so ago!
I'd have bought them all - if they were for sale up front.
Now, with the benefit of reviews and such, the clunkers will be left on the shelves...
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Post by: kronk
 Alpharius wrote:
I don't think they are, because I can tell you that I have pretty much stopped paying attention to the whole thing, and I was at the front of the line wanting these books a yer or so ago!
I'd have bought them all - if they were for sale up front.
I'm in that same boat!
Alpharius wrote:
Now, with the benefit of reviews and such, the clunkers will be left on the shelves...
To continue my metaphor, the undersized fish are pitched over-board!
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Post by: Just Dave
Yep, same here. With the hardback policy, limited edition novellas, and now this, I don't know if I'll continue with Black Library. I think Unremembered Empire will probably be the last book I purchase from them, which would then leave Dakka as my only connection to 40K.
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Post by: Earthbeard
Not sure how retailers are doing in regards to stocking the BL books, as WHSmiths, doesn;t seem to stock many at all anymore.
Went to Waterstones yesterday, and instead of coming out with 3-6 of the new releases, I left with 0, due to stupid sizing and HB nature of the book.
Sure it's anecdotal, I'm not sure that many in our circle buy them anymore either.
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Post by: Kanluwen
Alpharius wrote:They just think they've found a way to maximize profits from the series.
Time will tell if they're right.
I don't think they are, because I can tell you that I have pretty much stopped paying attention to the whole thing, and I was at the front of the line wanting these books a yer or so ago!
I'd have bought them all - if they were for sale up front.
Now, with the benefit of reviews and such, the clunkers will be left on the shelves...
You say that like it is a bad thing.
If you could have gotten reviews for "Battle for the Abyss" or "Fallen Angels" and "Descent of Angels" before the mass market paperbacks came out...
Imagine saving your brain from those atrocities!
I should further clarify so that I don't get the inevitable "Of course you like it, GW did this!".
If the Horus Heresy series were written by one or two authors with no breaks in continuity?
I would be pissed about this change.
But given that it's not and the quality varies wildly from book to book--I find it hard to get broken up over this change. I get to see a sampling of reviews from the community before I buy, assuming the books look interesting enough in the first place for someone to get drawn into them.
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Post by: jonolikespie
 Kanluwen wrote: Alpharius wrote:They just think they've found a way to maximize profits from the series.
Time will tell if they're right.
I don't think they are, because I can tell you that I have pretty much stopped paying attention to the whole thing, and I was at the front of the line wanting these books a yer or so ago!
I'd have bought them all - if they were for sale up front.
Now, with the benefit of reviews and such, the clunkers will be left on the shelves...
You say that like it is a bad thing.
If you could have gotten reviews for "Battle for the Abyss" or "Fallen Angels" and "Descent of Angels" before the mass market paperbacks came out...
Imagine saving your brain from those atrocities!
I think the point is at one time we would have just been excited that a new HH book had come out, these days it's more an "Oh? Hardback huh... I guess I'll wait and if it's good I'll pick it up eventually."
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Post by: Just Dave
 jonolikespie wrote: Kanluwen wrote: Alpharius wrote:They just think they've found a way to maximize profits from the series.
Time will tell if they're right.
I don't think they are, because I can tell you that I have pretty much stopped paying attention to the whole thing, and I was at the front of the line wanting these books a yer or so ago!
I'd have bought them all - if they were for sale up front.
Now, with the benefit of reviews and such, the clunkers will be left on the shelves...
You say that like it is a bad thing.
If you could have gotten reviews for "Battle for the Abyss" or "Fallen Angels" and "Descent of Angels" before the mass market paperbacks came out...
Imagine saving your brain from those atrocities!
I think the point is at one time we would have just been excited that a new HH book had come out, these days it's more an "Oh? Hardback huh... I guess I'll wait and if it's good I'll pick it up eventually."
And I think the point even more is, that's probably not Black Library's intention as a business.
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Post by: Kanluwen
reds8n wrote: err... it means that HH books and the BL exclusive ones will not be listed as coming soon on their site until 1 week prior to their release dates.
One wonders if we'll still be able to glean such information -- with regards to the HH series anyway -- from other sites ( Amazon et al ), and I can't see the authors suddenly clamming up more so than they are now.
Plus, to be fair, at events like BL Live, the forthcoming Weekender and the like BL generally have a spot where they reveal or talk about stuff not yet listed.
I think it's fair enough, and understandable, with regards to the exclusive books...does seem..... odd .. to do it with regards to the HH books.
Read Red's post.
We'll still know when books are coming. It's not like the authors are going to hush up about these things. All it means is they're moving away from having the Horus Heresy titles and the Games Workshop "Exclusives" up before their in store release dates.
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Post by: Just Dave
Kanluwen wrote:I should further clarify so that I don't get the inevitable "Of course you like it, GW did this!".
If the Horus Heresy series were written by one or two authors with no breaks in continuity?
I would be pissed about this change.
But given that it's not and the quality varies wildly from book to book--I find it hard to get broken up over this change. I get to see a sampling of reviews from the community before I buy, assuming the books look interesting enough in the first place for someone to get drawn into them.
For me, it's the opposite: at 8 pound a book, with the plot-critical content and interesting characters (typically) they provide, I would still purchase a novel. However, now reviews give me pre-conceptions of a book before I even read it, whilst a 9-month wait and inevitable spoilers decrease my enjoyment even further; particularly stemming from the forums in which I would previously discuss (and glean even greater enjoyment from) the novels.
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Post by: Lint
Alpharius wrote:
I don't think they are, because I can tell you that I have pretty much stopped paying attention to the whole thing, and I was at the front of the line wanting these books a yer or so ago!
This is essentially my exact thought. I have absolutely no interest in buying anything other than the trade paperbacks that comprise my collection to date. And I used to be on the waiting list (not that there was a huge waiting list) to buy the newest book in the series the day that it came in the store.
I have lost all excitement in the series now, I figure if I don't get excited and don't pay attention, then I won't be disappointed when they pull their shenanigans. Now I just go to the book store every six months or more, and if I see a paperback that I haven't bought yet - then it's a good day.
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Post by: BrassScorpion
reds8n wrote: However, from Facebook " We've just updated our 'Coming Soon' section to cover releases up to August 2013. It is worth noting that Horus Heresy titles and Games Workshop Exclusives will not be added to this section, instead going on pre-order one week before their in store release dates." .. ah well.
This is only true in the strict sense that BL will not announce the Horus Heresy titles more than a week ahead of time. However, since all titles that are not exclusively sold through GW and BL are also sold through major book sellers one can easily see those titles MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME at other sites. Example, The Mark of Calth (Horus Heresy) will be released to the book trade this coming August. Horus Heresy: Visions of Heresy (art book) will be released to the book trade this coming October. I advance ordered The Sigillite (The Horus Heresy) audio drama weeks ahead of release date through a 3rd party book seller.
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Post by: gianlucafiorentini123
Not sure if these have been posted in the old thread, but found these on Amazon:
Honour to the Dead: As Calth burns, the Battle Titans of the Fire Masters legion take to the streets of the city of Ithraca, ready to massacre the fleeing civilian population in the name of their new, dark masters. But the remaining loyalist engines of the Legio Praesagius - the True Messengers - still stand ready to defend the Imperium, even in the face of almost certain death. With the nearby Ultramarines forces scattered and lost, the people of Ithraca must fend for themselves as gigantic war machines unleash apocalyptic weaponry across the ravaged skyline... (Release 17th September)
Vulkan Lives: In the wake of the Dropsite Massacre at Isstvan V, the survivors of the Salamanders Legion searched long and hard for their fallen primarch, but to no avail. Little did they know that while Vulkan might have wished himself dead, he lives still. As the war continues without him, all eyes turn to Ultramar and Guilliman's new empire there, and Vulkan's sons are drawn into an insidious plot to end the Heresy by the most underhand means imaginable. 416 pages. (Release 21st November)
Redemption: No information on this but it's 700 pages long. (Release 4th June). Looking at the picture it looks like a new cover for the first Soul Drinkers Omni bus.
Lords of Mars : Again no info except that it's 320 pages. (Release 17th September)
Salamanders: The Omnibus : After the death of their captain at the hands of a traitorous brother, Da'kir and Tsu'gan, battle-brothers and rivals, face enemies from within and without. As their paths diverge and they face trials that will test them to their very limits, their destinies draw them back together for one final confrontation that will decide the fate of the Salamanders Chapter. Omnibus edition containing the novels Salamander, Firedrake, and Nocturne. 768 pages. (Release 26th September)
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Post by: Kroothawk
Concerning obligatory unwanted 3-D:
I just found out that there is no way for me to order e-books with my credit card, because they now only accept so-called 3D-Secure payment. That means they want me to apply for a t-TAN, wait several days, then to create an online-banking account, then apply for a I-TAN, then wait several days, then always carry this I-TAN something with you when you want to make a payment of 5 GBP.
Credit card company says, there is no other procedure, Black Library says there is no other prodedure. I'll pass.  
BTW is it technically and/or legally possible that someone else buys them for me and gives me the download rights or transfers them to me or just sends the downloads to me?
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Post by: Alpharius
At least the Warlord Titans are the right style in HONOUR TO THE DEAD...
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Post by: Harriticus
H.B.M.C. wrote:And Black Library falls into the abyss that is GW's marketing strategy.
FW stands alone as the only sane section of that whole damned company...
Pretty much this. Only a year ago BL was doing great. It's amazing how quickly they fell apart. You can see the evolution in my local bookstore. A year ago a substantial part of the Fantasy & Sci-Fi section was BL products, including posters and signs advertising it. All the new products each month were lined up nicely in their own exclusive holder. Now, the "new" section still has Path of the Outcast and Siege of Castellax and its shrunk to about 1 and a half shelfs.
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Post by: Alpharius
 Harriticus wrote: H.B.M.C. wrote:And Black Library falls into the abyss that is GW's marketing strategy.
FW stands alone as the only sane section of that whole damned company...
Pretty much this. Only a year ago BL was doing great. It's amazing how quickly they fell apart. You can see the evolution in my local bookstore. A year ago a substantial part of the Fantasy & Sci-Fi section was BL products, including posters and signs advertising it. All the new products each month were lined up nicely in their own exclusive holder. Now, the "new" section still has Path of the Outcast and Siege of Castellax and its shrunk to about 1 and a half shelfs.
But apparently it is working really well for them still?
Who knows!
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Post by: kronk
I want that Lords of Mars book. Mechanicum + Black Templars? Yay!
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Post by: Pacific
Kanluwen wrote: Alpharius wrote:They just think they've found a way to maximize profits from the series.
Time will tell if they're right.
I don't think they are, because I can tell you that I have pretty much stopped paying attention to the whole thing, and I was at the front of the line wanting these books a yer or so ago!
I'd have bought them all - if they were for sale up front.
Now, with the benefit of reviews and such, the clunkers will be left on the shelves...
You say that like it is a bad thing.
If you could have gotten reviews for "Battle for the Abyss" or "Fallen Angels" and "Descent of Angels" before the mass market paperbacks came out...
Imagine saving your brain from those atrocities!
I should further clarify so that I don't get the inevitable "Of course you like it, GW did this!".
If the Horus Heresy series were written by one or two authors with no breaks in continuity?
I would be pissed about this change.
But given that it's not and the quality varies wildly from book to book--I find it hard to get broken up over this change. I get to see a sampling of reviews from the community before I buy, assuming the books look interesting enough in the first place for someone to get drawn into them.
That's fair enough, but I think a lot of people were previously buying everything that came out in the HH series. And it's not like the books you've mentioned were so terrible that they were unreadable (I would argue that there is something for the HH fan in every book released so far  )
At least, I know I was buying everything before.. I'd be in the town on a Saturday every couple of weeks or so, and if a new HH book was on the shelf when I popped in to Waterstones or WH Smiths then I would pick it up.
All of this, the hardbacks, the larger softbacks, and now the lack of forewarning of new releases all seems to make it harder for (the casual buyer at least) to pick up the books or know where the hell they are in terms of collecting. Yes, there are the serious nutters who scour Aaron Dembski Bowden's blog 5 times a day for updates, and note down in the margins type of bolt shell used and their effects on greenskins, but surely they must only be a minority of the overall sales. Which is curious, because it seems that BL strategy now; of overpriced, limited edition snippets of the Heresy, is aimed almost entirely at them, with the previous softbacks coming trundling along months or even years later to zero fanfare.
I was really into this series before, and they've lost me. I'm not quite sure what their intent is, or the logic behind it, but I certainly can't see it.
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Post by: BobtheInquisitor
Harriticus wrote: H.B.M.C. wrote:And Black Library falls into the abyss that is GW's marketing strategy.
FW stands alone as the only sane section of that whole damned company...
Pretty much this. Only a year ago BL was doing great. It's amazing how quickly they fell apart. You can see the evolution in my local bookstore. A year ago a substantial part of the Fantasy & Sci-Fi section was BL products, including posters and signs advertising it. All the new products each month were lined up nicely in their own exclusive holder. Now, the "new" section still has Path of the Outcast and Siege of Castellax and its shrunk to about 1 and a half shelfs.
My own experience echoes this.
When I worked at Borders, the BL section was as large as the Star Wars section, which is the biggest SF tie-in novel section (one full shelf unit minus top shelf and with one BL-centric face-out shelf). Their sales warranted, although I helped by handselling Eisenhorn to SW fans like a mofo, but BL was mostly carried by the success of the HH series and big BL authors. The B&N across the street gave BL four full shelves (which is astounding for them).
Now, B&N give BL two full shelves, one HH and one everything else, and I swear they haven't moved 90% of their stock in 6 months or more. (I go there a lot because I still like to keep up on the industry in my own sad way.) They still get the new stuff and promote it. It just doesn't seem to sell anymore, either.
My personal feelings are that BL has just killed their brand. I used to buy every book published by them. Every one. Even when I no longer had a bookseller discount, I kept up on the series. Many SF and F fan sites would discuss the ramifications of the latest HH book, or the snippets of background in non- HH 40k novels. There were lively discussions on modelling sites, Star Wars sites, Space Battle sites, etc. After BL started staggering the releases, the conversations died off. Usually one or two people who bought the books from BL direct or online would spoil everything, and a month later the people who bought from a GW store would chime in if there was anything to add, then a month after that the books would show up at a local bookstore, but the conversation was dead, so why bother?
It seems like this has happened on every forum that used to discuss BL products. No one talks about HH anymore. The new Eisenhorn cash-in isn't generating any interest. Gaunt's Ghosts have been exorcised. Ciaphas Cain has retired. No one cares like they used to. BL is bleeding out customers.
Also, I have to wonder at a mentality policy that would sabotage a system that generated numerous NYT Bestsellers. That kind of publicity and "prestige" is priceless. And BL just threw it all away! What the hell were they thinking?
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Post by: kitch102
Sub'd.
Can not wait for Vulkan Lives, that's going to be a fantastic book, and as it's written by Mr Kyme im sure I won't be disappointed.
Was in wh smiths yesterday. They had less than half a shelf, comprising only single copies of older titles. I knew they'd stopped selling WD though has this extended to the full BL range now?
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Post by: reds8n
Actually WD is back in WH Smiths.. all the new format ones have been anyway.
In my branch it's normally by the other mini related magazines..
.. I appreciate that some people reading this are snorting in derision here but that's because they've never had to experience the sublimely ridiculous, possibly even Kabbalistic means, which WH Smiths use to decide where a magazine will go each month. 
Last 4 issues of Fortean Times have all been placed on different shelves, the current issue -- for reasons that not even God himself could understand -- had been placed alongside "Chat", "Take-a-break" and the like. 
.. err...
back on topic. It seems the range of BL books carried varies enormously from branch to branch. My WH Smiths has a full shelf but only of hardbacks or the large format omnibus editions...
.. which does tally with what BL have said here and there ..
.. The good branch ( for geek stuff) of the 2 Waterstones we have has a pretty large array of BL books, carries ( and sells according to local contact there ! ) more of those than they do Star Wars novels.
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Post by: Alpharius
 Pacific wrote:
I was really into this series before, and they've lost me. I'm not quite sure what their intent is, or the logic behind it, but I certainly can't see it.
Pretty much this!
And:
 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Also, I have to wonder at a mentality policy that would sabotage a system that generated numerous NYT Bestsellers. That kind of publicity and "prestige" is priceless. And BL just threw it all away! What the hell were they thinking?
...this too!
I'm sure the 'Big Names' will still make the list and generate the sales. But I find it hard to believe that they haven't sabotaged themselves somehow with this new inane policy.
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Post by: KamikazeCanuck
I swear GW modelled themselves after The Imperium. The like a dozen different entities not working together under a crippling bureaucracy. To the point were even Forge World was jealously hording their molds like the Mechanicum.
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Post by: Alpharius
Not a bad analogy, actually.
And as good an 'explanation' as we'll probably ever have on this whole baffling arrangement...
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Post by: KamikazeCanuck
The Admistratum records has been described as having variety of incompatible media formats with lost, confused and contradictory information that can not be easly retrieved or obtained. I think we know what branch of GW they represent...
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Post by: Bloodwin
You know it could just mean that they are not putting HH stuff on there because it is already over hyped, over subscribed and doing rather nicely as opposed to their regular 40k and Fantasy titles that seem to get bugger all coverage. Especially as the parent company sell figures for Warhammer Fantasy and 40k and NOT Heresy era models. I do feel that BL have an obligation to feed the core hobby with half decent fiction rather than neglect it because someone let them start their own spinoff IP. If you look at the BL stand in a GW Shop (if you still have one local in this time of purging) there are bugger all books about current armies being played unless you want something that's 10,000 years earlier and irrelevant to your codex.
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Post by: farmersboy
Don't get me started! I used to buy every new HH novel the minute it was out, regardless of the author. Now I have to wait nine months after all the hype, and although I'm a collector of W40K novels, I'm starting to loose interest, and that's after 20 years of loyalty to the brand and product.
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Post by: KamikazeCanuck
I think I'll still get them but just wait for the "old" format. The MMTPB I believe its called.
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Post by: Lint
 KamikazeCanuck wrote:I think I'll still get them but just wait for the "old" format. The MMTPB I believe its called.
Yes, this. And also the fact that my entire HH collection of 20something books are all the same size, and while it's a bit anal, I can't stand the way it would look if all of a sudden my bookshelf looked like gothic crenelations.
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Post by: Yodhrin
 Lint wrote: KamikazeCanuck wrote:I think I'll still get them but just wait for the "old" format. The MMTPB I believe its called.
Yes, this. And also the fact that my entire HH collection of 20something books are all the same size, and while it's a bit anal, I can't stand the way it would look if all of a sudden my bookshelf looked like gothic crenelations.
Yep, I ordered Angel Exterminatus and Betrayer without realising they'd changed the format(I just thought they'd put the prices up again for no reason), now I'm bloody annoyed because my Horus Heresy shelf isn't uniform 
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Post by: Just Dave
Personally, particularly with spoilers and waning motivation, I might drop the HH series at the end of the year, then pick it all up again when's finished.
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Post by: kitch102
You'll die first
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Post by: Just Dave
I laughed. Then frowned. Then became scared of your implications.
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Post by: farmersboy
By the time it gets to the Horus/Emp face off nobody will care, and I'll be retired...
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Post by: OrlandotheTechnicoloured
You're safe
(the Horus Herasy, a series that will NEVER end)
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Post by: themonk
 farmersboy wrote:Don't get me started! I used to buy every new HH novel the minute it was out, regardless of the author. Now I have to wait nine months after all the hype, and although I'm a collector of W40K novels, I'm starting to loose interest, and that's after 20 years of loyalty to the brand and product.
I'm with you all. It seems that the HH brand is diluted and aimless right now. There's just been some short stories and a smattering of audio dramas. Everything else is just re-packaging. I need to see purpose and direction and not just an obvious grab for sales. It all speaks of a lack of good management.
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Post by: KamikazeCanuck
 Just Dave wrote:
I laughed. Then frowned. Then became scared of your implications.
 Me too.
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Post by: reds8n
At the last few events they've reckoned we're about half way through, so the series should therefore run to about 50 novels.
.. Plus audio books, at least 1 graphic novel -- one would assume if it sells well there'll be others...
.. ... we're gonna need a bigger bookcase.
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Post by: farmersboy
Bookcase? I need my own library...
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Post by: Just Dave
AD-B's Facebook seems to suggest that authors aren't allowed to reveal to us much information either:
"I've asked if I can show [the Talon of Horus cover] soon, as my 5,000 Likes gift, but I can't guarantee anything. There's been a policy change in what we're allowed to post - which is why you guys don't see me posting extracts on here or my blog, anymore. IP legality stuff, just the nature of the game. Nothing juicy or Evil Empire-ish."
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Post by: Compel
Arguably, that is evil Empire-ish!
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Post by: Harriticus
GW stasi have made BL information classified too now eh.
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Post by: 1hadhq
So thread IV is the last of the News and Rumors threads related to BL ? 
Hey BL, if I cannot find out you guy finally stopped doing audio dramas and micro-nano-mini-stories and there is a real book that is not hard covered , those bookstores got shelves filled with affordable content and some good stuff too so I may not miss you.
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Post by: KamikazeCanuck
There's still to s of stuff that happened after the Horus Heresy so they shouldn't fear ending it.
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Post by: Pacific
Just Dave wrote:AD-B's Facebook seems to suggest that authors aren't allowed to reveal to us much information either:
"I've asked if I can show [the Talon of Horus cover] soon, as my 5,000 Likes gift, but I can't guarantee anything. There's been a policy change in what we're allowed to post - which is why you guys don't see me posting extracts on here or my blog, anymore. IP legality stuff, just the nature of the game. Nothing juicy or Evil Empire-ish."
Am I the only person who would like to see ADB do some non BL stuff?
Dan Abnett has already done some quite nice work outside of it (Embedded was very enjoyable, would thoroughly recommend it) and of the rest of the farm I think ADB definitely has a literary ability that would stand up well on its own merits, within the wider literary circles.
And, of all of the BL writers he would seem to me the least likely to want to be told to shut up and go back into the box, or go along with the almost hilarious amount of self-importance that seems to have spread to the BL studios recently. Will be interesting to see what happens in the future.
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Post by: Just Dave
He's doing a book about the Romans, or the formation of Rome, I think...
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Post by: d-usa
 kronk wrote:I want that Lords of Mars book. Mechanicum + Black Templars? Yay!
Did you read Priests of Mars?
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Post by: ithilmere
I'll start by saying that I'm usually the last to complain about pricing or marketing strategies from GW - my view is if you don't want to pay or wait you're welcome not to.
I have to say that the whole BL thing is really getting to me though. I've been an avid fan and follower of the series since it started and continue to enjoy the novels as and when they're released.
My issue is that you now have standard softback, hardback, novella, special edition novella, audio books and digital only editions. If you had the choice of media that'd be one thing but the policy is essentially that if you want to get all stories you have to buy into BL's multi format policy.
Frankly I have no interest whatsoever in audio dramas, I point blank refuse to pay £30 for a limited edition novella; I'd also rather not buy large format soft cover editions as they simply don't fit in my book shelves. I'm not 100% averse to digital media but would always prefer the pleasure of reading a physical book.
I appreciate that some of the audio only, hardback and large format books will be coming out in standard soft cover format in due course and I'm perfectly happy to wait - no problem.
What I really object to are the limited edition novellas - low print run, short stories with a tiny bit of extra artwork made extortionate by their exclusivity. I just feel like the most loyal followers of the series are being rinsed out by BL and I heartily object to this.
I love delving into the history of the heresy I also like to follow all the little details that round out the universe. I can't believe that I now have to either buy products I don't want or trawl through forums to ensure I get everything now though.
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Post by: gianlucafiorentini123
I was looking on Amazon and Nightbringer (The first UM book) is up for preorder, and it's listed as a Black Library Classic. Is this the first or have they already been doing this?
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Post by: gianlucafiorentini123
New cover.
1
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Post by: kronk
 d-usa wrote: kronk wrote:I want that Lords of Mars book. Mechanicum + Black Templars? Yay!
Did you read Priests of Mars?
No. I read HH:Mechanicum and was bored, though.
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Post by: reds8n
That, one of the Gaunt's Ghosts' series and .. Trollslayer ( Gotrek and Felix) are all getting a new reprint, imagine something akin to the Penguin Classics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penguin_Classics
but for BL books and you're on the right lines.
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Post by: Compel
I could understand this for one-off books. But... Wouldn't most people just buy the darned omnibus?
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Post by: Manchu
I have been reading Priests of Mars on and off for a while now. It's very typical McNeill, uneven but more positive than negative.
Now, can someone remind me whether we know if BL is doing all the HH books again in hardcover or just on a going forward basis excepting the first four?
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Post by: Rayvon
 Manchu wrote:I have been reading Priests of Mars on and off for a while now. It's very typical McNeill, uneven but more positive than negative.
Now, can someone remind me whether we know if BL is doing all the HH books again in hardcover or just on a going forward basis excepting the first four?
Yes, they will be re releasing them all in Hard cover format eventually.
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Post by: reds8n
 Compel wrote:I could understand this for one-off books. But... Wouldn't most people just buy the darned omnibus?
GW fans might.
Or they, or random book buying person with an interest in sci-fi/fantasy might be tempted to pick up a single book... which might well lead them onto buying the rest in the series, most of which are available in handy dandy omnibus editions.
YMMv of course.
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Post by: d-usa
kronk wrote: d-usa wrote: kronk wrote:I want that Lords of Mars book. Mechanicum + Black Templars? Yay!
Did you read Priests of Mars?
No. I read HH:Mechanicum and was bored, though.
I think you'd enjoy Priests of Mars. Great mix of Mechanicum, Black Templars and Guard. It still might be hardcover only. I wouldn't mind sending you over my copy if you wanna give it a read and ship it back.
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Post by: Pilau Rice
Alpharius wrote: Pacific wrote:
I was really into this series before, and they've lost me. I'm not quite sure what their intent is, or the logic behind it, but I certainly can't see it.
Pretty much this!
And me!
All these little ebooks and stuff coming out are annoying as well, I've got no idea whats going on now.
Maybe they are trying to do their bit to save the rainforest in the long term, you know, annoy people so much they give up and decide to buy an ereader.
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Post by: gianlucafiorentini123
reds8n wrote: Compel wrote:I could understand this for one-off books. But... Wouldn't most people just buy the darned omnibus?
GW fans might.
Or they, or random book buying person with an interest in sci-fi/fantasy might be tempted to pick up a single book... which might well lead them onto buying the rest in the series, most of which are available in handy dandy omnibus editions.
YMMv of course.
Except for the fact that the reprint cost more than the actual omnibus.
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Post by: reds8n
People are more likely to commit to reading a single length story or tale than a massive trilogy that they're coming into "blind".
This evening sees the launch of the latest collectors HH book
http://www.blacklibrary.com/horus-heresy/corax-soulforge.html
on sale for , IIRC, 1 week, so no immediate rush... which helps the servers somewhat eh ?
Mr. Thorpe has penned a few brief thoughts on the tale on his blog
: https://mechanicalhamster.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/we-need-to-talk-about-corax/
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Post by: Yodhrin
So, more self-indulgent boredom-inducement then. Sorry Raven Guard fans, but if Thorpe's going to be responsible for advancing their part in the Heresy, I'd rather Corax go mad sooner than later.
Plus: BL seem to have misunderstood how the whole "collector edition" thing works - you make a special limited edition of a normal general release product. Making large sections of the story you're trying to tell unavailable to the majority of your readership just breeds resentment and costs you sales in the long run - why should I bother to keep up with a series that I will never be allowed to have complete knowledge of? Collector editions are supposed to be for people who enjoy collecting unique and limited objects, they are not meant to gate content. The fact that they are gating content based on consumer income is just the icing on the dog-turd.
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Post by: Manchu
I doubt these novellas will remain unavailable forever.
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Post by: cincydooley
They've said they won't. Dark King and Lightning Tower have showed up in showed up in one of the collected novels. I believe promethean sun is going to be in one of the upcoming books.
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Post by: reds8n
Indeed.
They're format exclusive for a while....2 years at one point IIRC, one assumes this is more or less the case.
And after that they can/will be reprinted in some form or other.
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Post by: gianlucafiorentini123
I wonder if the amount of sales will go back up with the decrease back down to £30.00?
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Post by: BobtheInquisitor
Manchu wrote:I doubt these novellas will remain unavailable forever.
No, but combined with the long wait for mass market paperbacks, they won't be available until the average customers has completely lost interest and forgotten about the HH.
Heck, I'm pretty much already there. If I even remember Angel Exterminatus or that ADB Grey Knights novel by the time they are MMPB, I will be shocked. And good luck finding those in a BandN by then.
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Post by: jonolikespie
BobtheInquisitor wrote: Manchu wrote:I doubt these novellas will remain unavailable forever.
No, but combined with the long wait for mass market paperbacks, they won't be available until the average customers has completely lost interest and forgotten about the HH.
Heck, I'm pretty much already there. If I even remember Angel Exterminatus or that ADB Grey Knights novel by the time they are MMPB, I will be shocked. And good luck finding those in a BandN by then.
I saw both Angel Exterminatus and Betrayer in the larger paperback format yesterday. Not regretting leaving without either purchase at all by I might try and pick up.. that one about Sanguinius again
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Post by: Alfndrate
My FLGS has gotten in the most recent HH books, and I seem to be the only one buying them... he commented on the fact that I hadn't grabbed Betrayer my last time in the shop... I said that the larger book sizes didn't sit right with me and didn't fit on the shelf with the rest of their HH brethren... It kind of sucks, but I probably won't be picking them up until the smaller sizes are released.
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Post by: kitch102
Lol sorry about that
I was only implying that BL have a cash cow, and that I can't see them ever laying it to rest.
Seriously, HH books will become family heirlooms, and one day (in the far future, where there is only....  WAR ) our descendants will one day throw street parties in celebration of the series end. They'll have t shirts made up (in limited time runs, that cost £30 each) that say "I was there, the day that Black Library finally had the Emperor kill Horus".
Never meant to freak you out pal
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Post by: Just Dave
Haha! I wasn't actually freaked out (although the laughing bit was true), don't worry.
I'd like it if they got some of the newer, but seemingly talented, authors to help speed up the HH series: like John French, Rob Sanders and Chris Wraight (although the latter's doing the Scars, eventually).
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Post by: kitch102
Not sure that I've read any of their stuff... Chris Wraight sounds familiar though can't think of any of his books.
Would love to see Jordan Ellinger do some 40k work, he did a short story for gotrek and felix which was amazing and has been commissioned for two more pieces. Would love to see what he could do with the heresy
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Post by: Clunker
Pardon good fellows~
Seems that BL has snuck yet ANOTHER Tau novel ebook onto their site.
"The Patient Hunter" by Joe Parrino.
I *just* grabbed it, so no reviews yet - but it seems to be 'from the Tau perspective', AND 'starring' a lone Riptide pilot against an entire AdMech *ARMORED BATTALION*.
This should be good!
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Post by: Alpharius
A novel about a Riptide pilot?!?
Synergy baby!!!
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Post by: BobtheInquisitor
Spoiler: he arrives 2 to 3 weeks after the battle and annihilates the local friendlies.
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Post by: Kroothawk
How many pages on average are those downloadable 3 GBP stories?
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Post by: Clunker
Don't know about average - but "Patient Hunter" is 17 pages on my iphone's Nook (and has 5 pages more of legalese).
"Sanctuary of Wyrms" by Peter Fehervari is ~22 pages of readable material, according to my Ipad's Nook.
"Out Caste", also by Peter Fehervari is 6 pages of readable material, according to my Ipad's Nook.
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Post by: Kroothawk
A thanks. Those are the ones I am most interested in.
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Post by: mjl7atlas
So how long till they release the newer HH books in the mass market paperback size. Its annoying as hell the sizing difference and I refuse to go back and re-buy the books I have just so they are all consistent on the book shelf. I just want the books in the original release size for appearances, ocd I know
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Post by: Theophony
 mjl7atlas wrote:So how long till they release the newer HH books in the mass market paperback size. Its annoying as hell the sizing difference and I refuse to go back and re-buy the books I have just so they are all consistent on the book shelf. I just want the books in the original release size for appearances, ocd I know
If its OCD then your in good company, as most people here seem to be in agreement. Too bad GW and black library don check the forums o see the comments.
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Post by: jonolikespie
Theophony wrote: mjl7atlas wrote:So how long till they release the newer HH books in the mass market paperback size. Its annoying as hell the sizing difference and I refuse to go back and re-buy the books I have just so they are all consistent on the book shelf. I just want the books in the original release size for appearances, ocd I know
If its OCD then your in good company, as most people here seem to be in agreement. Too bad GW and black library don check the forums o see the comments.
Yep.
Betrayer and Angle Exterminus (or whatever it was called) are in the larger paperback format so I guess they can't be too far off. Also it's funny seeing the shelves filled with them (and more than a couple hardbacks of each) when the latest HH books used to never be in stock unless you went down the day they arrived.
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Post by: farmersboy
mjl7atlas wrote:So how long till they release the newer HH books in the mass market paperback size. Its annoying as hell the sizing difference and I refuse to go back and re-buy the books I have just so they are all consistent on the book shelf. I just want the books in the original release size for appearances, ocd I know
Nine months. The oversized trade paperback is published six months after the hardback, and the normal mass market paperback three months after that.
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Post by: mjl7atlas
well damn. What a waste. So another 3 months to go I guess then. /sigh. On another note, I don't mean to bash, as I love the 40k universe, but the corporate money grabbing is really killing my love for the hobby and story. Yes,I know they are in business to make money and I don't fault them there to a point, but this is getting out of hand and I find myself putting my wallet away and not purchasing no where near as much as I use to. Come to think of it, I haven't purchased a kit or model for almost a year now.
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Post by: Lint
mjl7atlas wrote: ...this is getting out of hand and I find myself putting my wallet away and not purchasing no where near as much as I use to. Come to think of it, I haven't purchased a kit or model for almost a year now.
Same here, and it seems to be the general consensus on the boards as well. Not for nothing but I find it ironic that what used to be threads filled with new book teasers, and great reviews by Dakka posters has, within the first page, degenerated into a " wtf BL?" thread.
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Post by: mjl7atlas
On the BL front, I miss the old BL forums where the fluff discussions and teasers were alive and fun. Is it so hard to not milk everything on this planet for every 1/10 cent till it dies? The old GW and BL obviously made $ or they would be here today. So what happened? Shareholders? The doom of mankind. ....Anyways, back on topic. For those of us who refuse to buy the e-paragraphs™, will they be putting them into printed collections?
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Post by: Manchu
So did anybody read Shadowsun beside reds8n?
I have still not finished it, thanks to playing Jade Empire and reading Star Wars comics. But I think it's pretty okay so far.
Shadowsun is definitely a bad ass but I like how the author contrasts her to an IG officer she has as her prisoner. He may not be as capable as her if there was a straight one-on-one fight, and he certainly lacks her zealous idealism BUT he does come off as far more in control and resourceful. You get a sense that the Tau don't really know what they're up against when it comes to humanity.
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Post by: kronk
d-usa wrote:
I think you'd enjoy Priests of Mars. Great mix of Mechanicum, Black Templars and Guard.
It still might be hardcover only. I wouldn't mind sending you over my copy if you wanna give it a read and ship it back.
That's very generous of you. Thanks! But I'll wait until paper back.
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Post by: GreyHamster
Manchu wrote:So did anybody read Shadowsun beside reds8n?
I have still not finished it, thanks to playing Jade Empire and reading Star Wars comics. But I think it's pretty okay so far.
Shadowsun is definitely a bad ass but I like how the author contrasts her to an IG officer she has as her prisoner. He may not be as capable as her if there was a straight one-on-one fight, and he certainly lacks her zealous idealism BUT he does come off as far more in control and resourceful. You get a sense that the Tau don't really know what they're up against when it comes to humanity.
So the book does a good job of conveying the naivety that I always felt defined the Tau? That's interesting to know, you may have just convinced me to check it out.
As an aside, thanks for making me sad by reminding me of Bioware's era of glory with that game namedrop.
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Post by: kronk
I picked up Architect of Fate on Sunday. I've only read one story so far, but it's not bad. There are 4 short stories in it.
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Post by: Manchu
 GreyHamster wrote:So the book does a good job of conveying the naivety that I always felt defined the Tau?
Yes indeed. When I first started the book, I was worried it was making Shadowsun out to be a little ... I dunno, stupid? for a supposed military legend. But I get the point: Shadowsun represents the Tau succeeding by sheer force of morale. They are very naive. In one scene, Shadowsun uses the Tau word for the planet she is on and her IG officer prisoner tells her the planet already has a name. Earlier in the book, the Tau name is said to be superior to the Imperial one because it is more beautiful. On the other hand, the characters come to a lake where the Emperor supposedly wept at the beauty of the world and the Tau just make fun of the IG officer's faith. They value fancy names for pretty planets but cannot fathom the aesthetics of blessing. My conclusion so far is that the Tau are way out of their depth vis-a-vis the Imperium.
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Post by: reds8n
http://www.blacklibrary.com/Blog/The_Best_Weapon_is_Surprise.html
The Best Weapon is Surprise
As promised, we’ve got a guest blog from Gav Thorpe today about Corax: Soulforge, his latest Horus Heresy novella.
One of the biggest attractions of the Horus Heresy is the scope for creating entirely new background. There’s room for lots of characters, plotlines, events and battles that have never been mentioned before. And new guns and gear!
It’s been there since the start, but I have to admit it’s sometimes hard to push away from the established lore of the Space Marines in the 41st millennium because there’s such a large amount of strong imagery already there. However, with Forge World now entering the arena with cool new troop types, vehicles and weapons, it feels as though a challenge has been laid down. Seeing how far the designers and writers at Forge World have pushed the envelope on Space Marine wargear has been an inspiration to drive forward with new and exciting imagery.
I tinkered a bit with this new enthusiasm in ‘The Lion’, throwing mentions of the Mastodon troop carrier, phase field generators, Heresy-era Terminator armour variants and a few other bits. In Corax: Soulforge I’ve gone one step further, creating a raft of new materiel for the Raven Guard in battle. While in Raven’s Flight and Deliverance Lost Corax and his Legion were very much on the back foot for the most part, this novella delves into how the Raven Guard wage war when they are on the offensive. It stands to reason that the primarch and his Legion would have access to all kinds of specialist craft and weapons to execute their ‘strike hard and fast’ approach. Tied into this is very much the idea of a Legion that is very flexible, especially after its recent losses, comfortable with using even standard wargear and vehicles in ways that are unique to the Raven Guard way of fighting.
Not all of this will make it to the tabletop I’m sure, but it’s been fun to think that as much as the guys at Forge World have sown some seeds in my imagination, perhaps some of the ideas from Corax: Soulforge will inspire them when it is time for them to start thinking about the Raven Guard.
Thanks, Gav.
Here in the office, we’ve been bowled over by the quality of the finish on Corax: Soulforge. Neil Roberts has once again produced a fantastic cover. From Corax’s crackling lightning claws to the proto-daemon engine impaling a Raven Guard Legionary, this cover has so much going on that it’s hard to know what bit to look at first.
Not only that, but once you remove the dust jacket, the soft-touch matte-black hardcover looks fantastic. It almost seems to absorb light, just like Corax.
We won’t even mention the extra hidden content and the eight pages of internal art: you’ll just have to order your copy to see what those are.
You now have only three days left to order your copy of Corax: Soulforge. Make sure you don’t miss out on the chance to own this stunning Limited-Time Edition.
2
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Post by: Temujin
Lint wrote:...I find it ironic that what used to be threads filled with new book teasers, and great reviews by Dakka posters has, within the first page, degenerated into a " wtf BL?" thread.
It's hard for us to discuss the books like we used to when half or more of us will be permanently 9 months behind, not to mention the ever increasing number of books that we'll miss entirely. It's hard to drum up excitement for teasers of new books when we still have many months to wait for the chance to read the old ones, not to mention that teasers are being all but phased out anyway.
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Post by: Malika2
'The Imperial Truth' cover...
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Post by: Pilau Rice
Oooh purddy
Is that Valdor?
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Post by: reds8n
As promised, here's a new Neil Roberts Horus Heresy cover for you. This one is from 'The Imperial Truth' a new event-exclusive short story anthology that will make its debut at this year's Horus Heresy Weekender.
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Post by: Alpharius
And is that the White Scar's famous Sky Fortress in the background?
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Post by: jah-joshua
i would think that big ship in the background is Phalanx, the Imperial Fists' star fort, seeing as how Dorn is in charge of the defences of Terra...
cheers
jah
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Post by: Alpharius
I thought the Phalanx was more round and 'Moon' Shaped, and not exactly something that should show up in atmosphere?
And the Sky Fortress actually played a pivotal role during the siege of Terra - and in fact was...
Though now that I look at it again... it looks way too big to be the Sky Fortress, and the Phalanx being round might be old Fluff, or something I misremembered!
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Post by: cincydooley
That's no moon.....
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Post by: jah-joshua
could go either way, Alph...
all i know, is that i'm looking forward to the White Scars in action at the siege, or anywhere else for that matter...
a nice hefty, 450 page, novel of Mongolian biker action...
cheers
jah
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Post by: Fenrir Kitsune
 kitch102 wrote:[quote=KamikazeCanuck 517931 5459635 7ed43115a9cd2f529ffc9dd41a7ef376.jpg. They'll have t shirts made up (in limited time runs, that cost £30 each) that say "I was there, the day that Black Library finally had the Emperor kill Horus".
I don't think the HH series will end with the death of Horus, it'll have another couple of years dealing with the aftermath and that stuff................
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Post by: Alpharius
Apparently this is what the Phalanx looks like:
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Post by: Pilau Rice
I do hope we see the Sky Fortress still.
Would be a shame if they left it out.
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Post by: Alpharius
No way they leave it out of the Siege of Terra!
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Post by: Alfndrate
That's what I said about my ex-gf...
Are there BL books that deal with Tyranids? I know that there most likely isn't a book from their point of view, but are there books that deal with battles of them? I'm looking at their website, and besides Ciaphas Cain novels, there is a graphic novel for 18 bucks, and Space Marine Battles eBook, but it seems to be a short story (it's 3 dollars)...
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Post by: Alpharius
Probably where I got the whole Phalanx = Round/Moon thing:
Index Astartes wrote:The Great Crusade had reached the Ice Hives of Inwit when Rogal Dorn presented himself to the Emperor for the first time. He arrived at the helm of Phalanx, the great mobile station that was to become the Imperial Fists' fortress-monastery. The ship was his gift to the Emperor and its like had not been seen since the Dark Age of Technology. The size of a small moon, its foredeck could dock a dozen cruisers and its superstructure was a towering forest of spires interlaced with flying buttresses. It shone like a small star, a precious treasure and a momentous portent in the days of the Crusade. The Emperor duly welcomed Dorn and appointed him to the command of the 7th Space Marine Legion - the Imperial Fists, returning Phalanx to serve as their Fortress-Monastery.
The 7th Legion had been formed on Terra as evidenced by its earliest battle honour 'Roma', now only discernable on a ceramite icon too precious even to be displayed in the Inner Reclusium. The 7th Legion had recruited heavily on Inwit and over 70% of its strength were aspirants. The Imperial Fists were therefore a rarity in that Battle Brothers and Primarch were united very early in their service to the Emperor and quickly formed an unbreakable bond. Born from the same gene-stock, Primarch and Legion had the same uncompromising self-discipline and total commitment to order.
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Post by: Manchu
a new event-exclusive short story anthology
Ah, fething hell.
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Post by: Alpharius
Manchu wrote:a new event-exclusive short story anthology
Ah, fething hell.
Don't know how I missed that - but it was probably because I didn't want to see it...
That sucks.
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Post by: Kanluwen
That's actually a bit more interesting than "event exclusive novella" in my opinion, if only because it means there's going to be quite a few more authors involved.
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Post by: Manchu
Yeah, it's super exciting. Now all I need is airfare to Nottingham and my 110USD ticket to the Weekender.
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Post by: Kanluwen
Manchu wrote:Yeah, it's super exciting. Now all I need is airfare to Nottingham and my 110USD ticket to the Weekender.
I might be reading it wrong, but the way it is worded seems to suggest that it's going to be available at more events than simply the Horus Heresy Weekender.
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Post by: BrookM
Stuff like the two remaining GD's, maybe Adepticon, still it sucks to be ROW. Unless they put a limited number on sale on their site again, as they did with some other event exclusives.
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Post by: Manchu
Kanluwen wrote:I might be reading it wrong, but the way it is worded seems to suggest that it's going to be available at more events than simply the Horus Heresy Weekender.
Please post the words to which you are referring.
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Post by: Yodhrin
Kanluwen wrote: Manchu wrote:Yeah, it's super exciting. Now all I need is airfare to Nottingham and my 110USD ticket to the Weekender.
I might be reading it wrong, but the way it is worded seems to suggest that it's going to be available at more events than simply the Horus Heresy Weekender.
Oh OK, so all he needs to do is find $50 for a gamesday ticket, plus travel and board considering the distances involved in state-to-state trips, that's much better.
As to the pretty pictars; I suspect the HH cover is meant to be one of the orbital plates, and that drawing of the Phalanx looks suspiciously like a Ramilies class Star Fort to me.
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Post by: Kanluwen
Manchu wrote: Kanluwen wrote:I might be reading it wrong, but the way it is worded seems to suggest that it's going to be available at more events than simply the Horus Heresy Weekender.
Please post the words to which you are referring.
reds8n wrote:As promised, here's a new Neil Roberts Horus Heresy cover for you. This one is from 'The Imperial Truth' a new event-exclusive short story anthology that will make its debut at this year's Horus Heresy Weekender.
I could entirely be reading into it something that isn't there, but it reads to me that the Horus Heresy Weekender is going to be the first time it is available not the only time it will be available.
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Post by: Manchu
The ambiguity is I'm sure intentional. On one hand, they're marketing exclusivity. On the other, they don't want to make a promise not to reprint the stories 18 months from now.
As is often said of GW, I love BL and cannot understand why BL hates me.
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Post by: Kanluwen
Because you don't love them enough, Manchu!
For what it's worth though, I would not be surprised to see copies make their way for sale on the Black Library site. It'd still be hideously expensive but it likely will not be until after we know who's written the stories and gotten some reviews to see whether it would be "worth it" or not.
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Post by: Manchu
Yeah, now that you mention it, it does seem like GW's marketing scheme is patterned after Battered Spouse Syndrome.
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Post by: cincydooley
OKay...so I love the new Custodes art...but damned if I didn't think how great a meme it would make the instant I saw it. Enjoy (or not)
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Post by: Pacific
Haha very good
Have to say I love that piece of artwork! Some of Neil Roberts stuff has really improved I think of late.
Because you don't love them enough, Manchu!
Exactly! You should be paying just for the chance of crawling through broken glass and sitting in their shadow. That's the way it works isn't it? 
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Post by: jah-joshua
looks like Baneblade, by Guy Haley (ex White Dwarf editor), is coming out tomorrow...
$7.99 on iBooks versus $20.00 in print...
now, tell me again why i'm crazy for buying e-books ...
there is also a new e-short about a Doom Eagles Storm Talon pilot...
Doom Flight, by Cavan Scott...
i don't know who he is...
might give him a read though...
cheers
jah
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Post by: cincydooley
 jah-joshua wrote:looks like Baneblade, by Guy Haley (ex White Dwarf editor), is coming out tomorrow...
$7.99 on iBooks versus $20.00 in print...
now, tell me again why i'm crazy for buying e-books ...
there is also a new e-short about a Doom Eagles Storm Talon pilot...
Doom Flight, by Cavan Scott...
i don't know who he is...
might give him a read though...
cheers
jah
I love the eBooks. I picked up the two tau short stories today: both are significantly longer than I expected, so this is a good sign. Some of the previous "short stories" were maybe 8 pages long. Each one of these is over 30.
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Post by: Harriticus
Oh "Imperial Truth"? Sounds fun, mayb...
Limited edition novella
Nevermind
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Post by: fullheadofhair
I would just like to make an observation on my current situation ref the hardback and limited ed that BL has been focusing on recently.
I haven't bought a BL bought since this has started. Not one. And here's the funny bit - I have got out of the habit, just like I did with Ghost books when they went hardback. Too long a wait between them meant I lost interest.
Here's the kicker - with not having bought a book, the constant GW price increases on codex and army books etc has sort of keep me out of the GW universe. I wasn't playing much anyway as not a fan of 6th or 8th but I was still in the GW universe via BL. I haven't bought anything from a GW store (except trading stuff in) in 5 or 6 months.
Well, now I don't play at all and this month made the big decision. I am in the process of dumping all my GW stuff. I have broken two armies and have two more to go. By the time i have finished I will have some FW stuff and a few models for fun painting and that is that.
I just didn't realize how it seemed to be that BL was keeping so connected to the game.
Now I have some Romans + Wild West to focus on and finish but my main focus has gone to military modelling.
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Post by: Kid_Kyoto
Manchu wrote:The ambiguity is I'm sure intentional. On one hand, they're marketing exclusivity. On the other, they don't want to make a promise not to reprint the stories 18 months from now.
As is often said of GW, I love BL and cannot understand why BL hates me.
Because they hate their fans, almost as much as they hate making money.
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Post by: Manchu
Seems so. From NY Time Best Seller to ... what, there's a new one? And I can read it in nearly a year? No, nevermind.
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Post by: Just Dave
Manchu wrote:a new event-exclusive short story anthology
Ah, fething hell.
Seconded.
It's a nice cover (if probably not helping with the astartes-height myth), but god have I given up on BL...
jah-joshua wrote:could go either way, Alph...
all i know, is that i'm looking forward to the White Scars in action at the siege, or anywhere else for that matter...
a nice hefty, 450 page, novel of Mongolian biker action...
cheers
jah
IIRC Chris Wraight's set to do a Scars novel.
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Post by: cincydooley
Buy the electronic version if you want it earlier than the mass market paperback.
Pretty simple.
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Post by: jonolikespie
 cincydooley wrote:Buy the electronic version if you want it earlier than the mass market paperback.
Pretty simple.
Can you get the ebooks if you don't have an apple product?
It wouldn't really affect me as the only thing I find more annoying than a $40 book in the wrong format is an ebook but it might be useful to know..
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Post by: Alfndrate
jonolikespie wrote: cincydooley wrote:Buy the electronic version if you want it earlier than the mass market paperback. Pretty simple.
Can you get the ebooks if you don't have an apple product? It wouldn't really affect me as the only thing I find more annoying than a $40 book in the wrong format is an ebook but it might be useful to know..
BL ebooks are not just for iBooks, they have multiple file formats that you can download. I've got Like 5 or 6 HH books on my Kindle Fire. I just stopped buying them because the paperbacks in real life were cheaper than the ebooks from BL
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Post by: Harriticus
The thing is, BL products aren't A Song of Fire and Fire or Harry Potter. These are huge book series that you can screw around with hardcover releases first and trade paperback later because of their popularity. You'll get huge sales regardless and have a very dedicated reader base. BL, while its had an increase in sales, is still nowhere near this level and doesn't have the luxury to do this. Which is why they're killing themselves. Of course GW is into self-deprecation, so not surprising.
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Post by: jonolikespie
Harriticus wrote:The thing is, BL products aren't A Song of Fire and Fire or Harry Potter. These are huge book series that you can screw around with hardcover releases first and trade paperback later because of their popularity. You'll get huge sales regardless and have a very dedicated reader base. BL, while its had an increase in sales, is still nowhere near this level and doesn't have the luxury to do this. Which is why they're killing themselves. Of course GW is into self-deprecation, so not surprising.
Exactly. We haven't seen anything on the NY times bestseller list since this switch, it's simply not popular enough to warrant this kind of thing. On a related note the battle bunker nearish to me (yes, apparently those are still things in some areas) posted on facebook they will only be getting in 50 copies of mark of calth. I had a good laugh at that since they still haven't sold out of the hardback versions of betrayer and angel exterminus at my local GW.
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Post by: farmersboy
What would be interesting is seeing the difference in sales since the switch to the ridiculous hardback/trade/mass market issue - seeing how many people are waiting for the MMPB publication.
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Post by: BrassScorpion
farmersboy wrote:What would be interesting is seeing the difference in sales since the switch to the ridiculous hardback/trade/mass market issue - seeing how many people are waiting for the MMPB publication.
Amazon (US) sells the large trade paperbacks for only about 50 cents to a US dollar more than the mass market ones when they get released, so if size is not an issue (or maybe if it is) there' no huge savings to be had by waiting for the mass market version, the trade paperback is economical when discounted. They apparently have a large mark-up unlike the mass market versions, so the discounts are deep. Example: http://www.amazon.com/Betrayer-Horus-Heresy-Aaron-Dembski-Bowden/dp/1849703892/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365986053&sr=8-1&keywords=betrayer+horus+heresy
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Post by: farmersboy
The only issue I have with the trade PB is the size - why are they larger? I fail to see the point of making the book bigger and the text slightly larger - it makes them more awkward to hold and they can't be slipped into a pocket like MMPB's can. Of course, anyone who had a large library of their own at home now have a handful of larger paperbacks in amongst the hundreds of normal size books.
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Post by: Just Dave
Someone within BL commented this in regards to the hardback issue, which may reassure some:
someone wrote:To be honest, they are implementing changes like that because it keeps the line healthy and successful and allows us to continue. A lot of people WANT hardback versions, and the trades are really useful in the GW stores (as opposed to bookstores). There'll still be the 'regular' editions too, but of course the releases of the formats have to be staggered. It's just a book company being very smart in a very difficult marketplace and strengthening itself (by supplying product to fit every niche and the demands of different types of fan) so it can continue to thrive and publish. I was myself slightly dismayed when I first heard what they were going to do, because it sounded so fething money-grabbing, but when the head of BL patiently explained the way the different sales curves worked in each market and product type, I realised it made great sense and actually trying to meet the needs of as many fans and readers as poss. Rather than, you know, just trying to screw everybody with their pants on for extra dosh.
Just my opinion, but maybe if you didn't see it as so 'wicked' you might feel less disenfranchised.
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Post by: Alpharius
I'm pretty sure it is a moneygrab - which they are, of course, entitled to do!
I'm curious as to whether or not it is actually working as they intended.
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Post by: Just Dave
Alpharius wrote:I'm pretty sure it is a moneygrab - which they are, of course, entitled to do!
I'm curious as to whether or not it is actually working as they intended.
I agree. I can understand it from a business perspective and can fully appreciate wanting to cater for all customers.
Although, personally, I did feel the latter part is undermined somewhat by the 1-week's policy and the limited editions.
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Post by: Manchu
Who are these people who wanted hardbacks? Did they also want people who don't want hardbacks to wait through mismatched trade paperbacks before, hopefully one day, seeing a mass market version?
Sorry but whoever posted that is willfully deluded.
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Post by: H.B.M.C.
Black Library:
Harder to find books.
Take longer to come out.
Kept secret until release.
The idea that people could see this as a good thing is confusing.
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Post by: Just Dave
Well, he knows more than we do (and was referring to the hardback policy only, I think) and is far from willfully deluded. Although I'm still not reassured, myself.
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Post by: Pacific
Think back in this thread and count how many people have thought the new format and release routine is a good idea...?
Exactly.
If the hardcore fans have lost the trail of purchasing (generally.. many of those who post on forums) the casual purchaser is long gone, and working their way through the Game of Thrones box set or something..
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Post by: BobtheInquisitor
Just Dave wrote:Well, he knows more than we do (and was referring to the hardback policy only, I think) and is far from willfully deluded. Although I'm still not reassured, myself.
I wonder how many fans have stopped buying BL products altogether... I know I have.
Does this person comment on the effects of killing off the enthusiastic fanbase HH discussions by staggering the releases?
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Post by: Manchu
Knows more than we do? Take a look at this thread. Complaints about business practices rather than any book discussion ... He has more than us of something but it ain't knowledge.
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Post by: Rayvon
I think i am that one person that prefers the new format !!
Ive always been a sucker for hard backs, I cannot however agree with the decision they make in relation to the time schedule of the releases, as mentioned already, sounds like a straight up money grab.
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Post by: cincydooley
Just finished reading the Riptide short story. I quite liked it.
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Post by: jah-joshua
haven't started that one (Patient Hunter) yet, but i'm enjoying Baneblade...
my purchases have actually picked up with all the e-Books, now that i don't have to wait for people to bring me stuff from The States...
as a guy who moves countries every few years, i'm loving that the heavy boxes of books have stopped multiplying...
i thought i would miss dead trees, but i was wrong...
plus, i can still read during our regular rainy season power outtages...
i still buy rulebooks in print, because i like the large format, and they feel more like collectors items than a novel does...
the price, and weight, savings on e-Books makes me happy, plus i get it on the day of release...
with Baneblade, i made my first digital pre-order and was alerted the minute it went up for download on i-Books...
feels wierd to pre-order a digital product, but it actually turned out to be rather convenient, as i didn't have to keep checking back to see if the book was available yet, constantly being disappointed since GW no longer seems to put the exact release date on their advanced order for books...
truely, strange business moves, but i still get good reads, so no complaints here...
cheers
jah
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Post by: Temujin
I made the switch to ebooks ages ago but I've still stopped buying any Black Library books because I refuse to pay double for a 'special' version ebook. I'm reading Game of Thrones and paying a third of what BL charge.
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Post by: jah-joshua
the 5 book bundle for A Game of Thrones is $39.99, or $8 a book, the same as a standard BL novel...
special editions are $11.99 from BL, with the standard version out 3 months later...
i quite like the internal art, and don't mind paying $4 extra to have art and not have to wait 3 months to read a book i've already (like Betrayer) been waiting for...
while GoT is cool, it's not 40k, and it sure as hell is not 30K, both of which interest me more than fantasy...
to each their own...
cheers
jah
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Post by: farmersboy
Just Dave wrote:Someone within BL commented this in regards to the hardback issue, which may reassure some:
someone wrote:To be honest, they are implementing changes like that because it keeps the line healthy and successful and allows us to continue. A lot of people WANT hardback versions, and the trades are really useful in the GW stores (as opposed to bookstores). There'll still be the 'regular' editions too, but of course the releases of the formats have to be staggered. It's just a book company being very smart in a very difficult marketplace and strengthening itself (by supplying product to fit every niche and the demands of different types of fan) so it can continue to thrive and publish. I was myself slightly dismayed when I first heard what they were going to do, because it sounded so fething money-grabbing, but when the head of BL patiently explained the way the different sales curves worked in each market and product type, I realised it made great sense and actually trying to meet the needs of as many fans and readers as poss. Rather than, you know, just trying to screw everybody with their pants on for extra dosh.
Just my opinion, but maybe if you didn't see it as so 'wicked' you might feel less disenfranchised.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a classic example of someone toeing the company line.
"trying to meet the needs of as many fans and readers as poss" - utter, utter gak! If they were trying to do that they would be publishing hardback and MMPB at the same time, with the awful (do you know anyone who actually prefers these?) trade issue paperback a few months later. Big hairy ones to the sales charts BL, you're dismaying and upsetting the loyal fan base that got you to where you are now.
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Post by: Fenrir Kitsune
farmersboy wrote:"trying to meet the needs of as many fans and readers as poss" - utter, utter gak! If they were trying to do that they would be publishing hardback and MMPB at the same time, with the awful (do you know anyone who actually prefers these?) trade issue paperback a few months later. Big hairy ones to the sales charts BL, you're dismaying and upsetting the loyal fan base that got you to where you are now.
People will keep buying it though, so they've no reason to change.
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Post by: reds8n
No book publisher releases the hardback edition at the same time as the paperback version.
That's like saying films should be released at the cinema and be out on DVD on the same day.
With regards to the trade paperback format, that does appear to the new industry norm. Most of the other publishers have/are moving to that format too.
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Post by: farmersboy
reds8n wrote:
That's like saying films should be released at the cinema and be out on DVD on the same day.
With regards to the trade paperback format, that does appear to the new industry norm. Most of the other publishers have/are moving to that format too.
Unfair comparison I think; the HH novels were only available in MMPB, that's how we've bought them and collected them, and now we've been rewarded with a 9 month wait if we wish to continue in that vein.
I hate and loath the trade pb - it's completely unecessary, too large and screws up collections on your bookcases. My Clive Cussler collection now looks decidedly uneven, although it's still not as bad as my almost-complete collection of W40K novels...
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Post by: reds8n
I agree it's annoying, I'm in much the same boat.
But to be fair the MMPB is being phased out/dropped/replaced across the entire book publishing industry so it's not (entirely) Bl doing this to spite us.
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Post by: Temujin
jah-joshua wrote:the 5 book bundle for A Game of Thrones is $39.99, or $8 a book, the same as a standard BL novel...
special editions are $11.99 from BL, with the standard version out 3 months later...
i quite like the internal art, and don't mind paying $4 extra to have art and not have to wait 3 months to read a book i've already (like Betrayer) been waiting for...
while GoT is cool, it's not 40k, and it sure as hell is not 30K, both of which interest me more than fantasy...
The standard versions are not released 3 months after the 'premium' version. This was the case for Angel Exterminatus, but Black Library said on their facebook page that this was a 'mistake'. Standard ebooks will be released 9 months after the 'premium' version, starting with Betrayer. The tacked on art might look pretty on your ipad, but for those of us reading on kindles it's totally pointless. The idea of paying to 'not wait' for a book might be something you 'don't mind', but I for one find it insulting. I've never paid more for an ebook than Black Library charge for theirs, and if they expect me to pay a near 100% mark up on top of that, they have to offer me more than black and white art I can barely make out and the privilege of not having to wait 9 months for them to stop arbitrarily holding back the regular release.
I'm a big fan of ADB. I regularly visit his blog. I've been looking forward to Betrayer for a long time. I'm probably exactly the sort of person Black Library think they can gouge because of my attachment to the series and the handful of truly talented writers they're lucky enough to have working for them. But I won't touch these 'enhanced ebooks', and if they continue on this drive towards GW inspired anti customer policies, I might have to swear off the series altogether. Who knows what idiocy they'll have dreamt up in 6 months time when Betrayer is finally due to be released as it should have been in the first place.
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Post by: cincydooley
You still haven't read betrayer? Well that's on you boy-o. If you're really concerned about the $3 difference I'm sure there's some less scrupulous means in which you could obtain it.
Here's the deal: most people that would buy the MMPB have moved to digital as has beared out in research: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/03/business/media/mass-market-paperbacks-fading-from-shelves.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Quite frankly, the notion of "collecting" MMPB books is pretty silly. If you want your shelves to look nice and presentable, hardback or Trade paper are really the way to go. Automatically Appended Next Post: And please: read that NYT article. It isn't just Black Library.
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Post by: reds8n
.. With regards to the Kindle format I've heard that there's issues with that and the Cain books. Something to do with the footnotes..?
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Post by: Alpharius
cincydooley wrote:You still haven't read betrayer? Well that's on you boy-o. If you're really concerned about the $3 difference I'm sure there's some less scrupulous means in which you could obtain it.
Here's the deal: most people that would buy the MMPB have moved to digital as has beared out in research: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/03/business/media/mass-market-paperbacks-fading-from-shelves.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Quite frankly, the notion of "collecting" MMPB books is pretty silly. If you want your shelves to look nice and presentable, hardback or Trade paper are really the way to go.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
And please: read that NYT article. It isn't just Black Library.
Published back in 2011 - and yet every time I go into a B&N, the old MMPB seems to still be in the majority!
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Post by: Compel
I don't think I'd even HEARD of a Trade paperback until this BL thing.
Most of my BL things are being the audio books now. I think I said it earlier in the thread. "If I'm gonna pay 20 quid for a book, someone better be reading it to me."
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Post by: Temujin
cincydooley wrote:You still haven't read betrayer? Well that's on you boy-o. If you're really concerned about the $3 difference I'm sure there's some less scrupulous means in which you could obtain it.
The price difference is GBP5.50, which is a 85% mark up (or $8.42, which is a 180% mark up of the number you used). There are lots of things I'm willing to pay GBP5.50 for, but a completely worthless 'enhanced' format of a text file isn't one of them.
reds8n wrote:.. With regards to the Kindle format I've heard that there's issues with that and the Cain books. Something to do with the footnotes..?
All the Cain ebooks I've read work as intended, although the way that kindles handle footnotes is pretty annoying.
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Post by: reds8n
Can I trouble you to elaborate a wee bit with regards to the footnotes ?
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Post by: Manchu
Alpharius wrote:Published back in 2011 - and yet every time I go into a B&N, the old MMPB seems to still be in the majority!
Pay no attention to the evidence!
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Post by: Temujin
reds8n wrote: Can I trouble you to elaborate a wee bit with regards to the footnotes ?
You have to click on the footnote to be taken to a separate page with the footnote then hit back to return. On the old kindle without touch scrolling down to click was laborious. You could also see all the subsequent footnotes on the same page.
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Post by: Lint
Fenrir Kitsune wrote:
People will keep buying it though, so they've no reason to change.
I'm the guy who put himself on the waiting list at Borders. I knew when every new HH and ADB book was going to be released and delivered to the store. I was able to actually open the fresh box of "Blood Reaver" on delivery day because the guys at Borders knew I had been waiting so enthusiastically for it.
I haven't purchased a HH novel in almost a year, with the exception of "Fear to Tread" and that was a MMPB I happened to see from the corner of my eye. I had no idea it was even out because I've stopped getting excited about the series. Still an awesome series, well written and I love the telling, but I don't have time or money for hardbacks. This isn't Dickens, I don't need a hardback collection.
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Post by: farmersboy
cincydooley wrote:
Quite frankly, the notion of "collecting" MMPB books is pretty silly. If you want your shelves to look nice and presentable, hardback or Trade paper are really the way to go.
Nonsense. If you want your shelves to look nice and presentable you want to keep on buying books in the same format that you've been buying for the last 30-odd years. Hardbacks are overpriced adn Trade pb's are an unecessary middle-man approach.
Some of us prefer holding a real book in our hands than reading ebooks...
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Post by: kronk
BobtheInquisitor wrote: Just Dave wrote:Well, he knows more than we do (and was referring to the hardback policy only, I think) and is far from willfully deluded. Although I'm still not reassured, myself.
I wonder how many fans have stopped buying BL products altogether... I know I have.
Does this person comment on the effects of killing off the enthusiastic fanbase HH discussions by staggering the releases?
I picked up the Tzeentch Space Marine Battles book (Architect of Fate) a few weekends ago when I was visiting family and left my current book at home. But that's it.
Still waiting for Betrayer and Angel Exterminatus to come out on MMPB. Sigh...
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Post by: farmersboy
I'll echo that sigh...
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Post by: Manchu
I think the high point for BL was the time of A Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns. Maybe the idea afterward was, "look the market has heard of us now so let's leave the retailers and do everything direct as far as possible." And at the same time, they wanted more than the going rate for e-versions of MMPBs on new titles. On the consumer end, the factor driving higher ebook prices on release is the age established hardcover-then-paperback print system. Could BL have thought it was necessary to shoehorn that step in to justify higher prices for newly released ebooks?
I mean, I really cannot fathom anyone at BL saying, "oh gee there are people who want hardcovers and we are doing a poor job of being responsive to them" because in doing so they are clearly being unresponsive/offensive to the folks who formerly put them on the NYT Best Sellers List. Does anyone really think BL is also saying, "oh gee there are people who want limited edition novellas so lets not screw them over"? This transition, from a consumer POV, is an attempt to wring every pound and dollar out of the existing fans.
Just ask yourself, how many people do you know who started the HH series with Angel Exterminatus or Betrayer?
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Post by: fullheadofhair
Manchu wrote:
Just ask yourself, how many people do you know who started the HH series with Angel Exterminatus or Betrayer?
None. But I know several who finished on the book just preceeding the move to hardback.
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Post by: BrookM
It's been months since I last bought a BL book. My last purchase was the Imperial Infantryman's handbook sometime last year. Since then, nothing. I've come to dislike how things have been going as of late within BL towers.
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Post by: Harriticus
Last I bought was Betrayer. Though I used to buy multiple books each month. Next I'll get is Vulkan Lives.
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Post by: BrookM
The next Macharius or Bequin trilogy installment will be it for me, whichever comes first.
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Post by: cincydooley
Manchu wrote: Alpharius wrote:Published back in 2011 - and yet every time I go into a B&N, the old MMPB seems to still be in the majority!
Pay no attention to the evidence!
Yes. Who wants evidence:
http://paidcontent.org/2012/11/29/barnes-noble-earnings-nook-sales-up-as-retail-sales-slide/
From 4Q2012: sales of eBooks up nearly 40 % while retail declines.
And then from 1Q2012:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/28/us-barnesandnoble-idUSBRE91R0QO20130228
Despite having a bad 4Q 2012 due to their competitors, ebook sales STILL up 6% while retail down.
While some of you may still like the tangible feel of a book, the market is clearly moving away from that. Which Is why BL (and tons of other publishers) are making the switch to more "collectible" formats that look better on shelves. MMPBs are not that.
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Post by: Manchu
I bought Shadowsun and it was okay. I can see why BL would do that sort of thing in overpriced direct sales form. That makes sense. That is an example of BL giving something to certain readers they have been neglecting -- and of those certain readers being asked to pay for BL doing so. The same logic just doesn't seem to apply to a NYT Best Selling series. I mean, a formerly NYT Best Selling series.
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Post by: cincydooley
And more, just for S's and G's:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/55382-rate-of-print-decline-flattened-in-2012.html#path/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/55382-rate-of-print-decline-flattened-in-2012.html
Oh, and please note that Mass Markets only make up about 15% of the print market share anyways.
I get that it's sorta the thing to do on Dakka to pretend y'all know more about someone's business than they do....but ya don't.
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Post by: Manchu
I did not criticize BL for e-publishing. Are you arguing that hardcovers sell better than MMPBs in a market where print is declining? I mean, I get that the assumption is that people who want a print book may prefer a hardcover whereas people who formerly bought MMPBs will now buy ebooks. In this case, however, that assumption is not bearing out. Few (maybe only one?) of the people who used to post in threads like this about what's up with the HH MMPBs are now posting about what's up with the HH ebooks or hardcovers. My earlier theory about the hardcover transition is, hey maybe they are trying to justify higher ebook costs at release. It's hard to believe they are making much money on hardcovers. Automatically Appended Next Post: cincydooley wrote:Oh, and please note that Mass Markets only make up about 15% of the print market share anyways.
How much of BL's print market share did MMPBs make up when BL started making the NYT Best Seller List? And is it fair to say since that percentage has decreased, BL books have not appeared on that list?
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Post by: Alpharius
It is fair, but don't get in front of cincydooley when he starts running downhill!
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Post by: KamikazeCanuck
Anyway, what do people who've read Pariah think of it?
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Post by: Alpharius
I loved it, for obvious reasons which I will in no way spoil here.
It felt a bit sort, and you can see the 'twist' coming a mile or two away, but it is still a lot of fun.
Also, I am part of the 'problem', as I'll buy anything from Abnett ASAP, even in hardcover.
And I caved and bought SOULFORGE too.
They've got me for anything HH related to Alpha Legion or Raven Guard...
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Post by: cincydooley
My point is that singling out Black Library is foolish when the rest of the industry trends pretty much fall in line with how they're adapting their business practices. My point is that every move they're making can be supported by industry trends.
It's funny, because the move by BL to a more traditional publication method (Hardcover-->Trade-->MM) actually prompted me to move more into the digital, which I now love. Tons more space for activities.
It's funny, because nerd culture seems to be the ONLY place where there's a very real resistence to digital, which is so odd because that nerd culture is typically the most tech savvy. It blows my mind how many folks seem to be so adamantly against eBooks.
Make mine digital, all day, every day. Automatically Appended Next Post: I bought Soulforge too, Alph. You're not the only one
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Post by: KamikazeCanuck
Alpharius wrote:I loved it, for obvious reasons which I will in no way spoil here.
It felt a bit sort, and you can see the 'twist' coming a mile or two away, but it is still a lot of fun.
Also, I am part of the 'problem', as I'll buy anything from Abnett ASAP, even in hardcover.
And I caved and bought SOULFORGE too.
They've got me for anything HH related to Alpha Legion or Raven Guard...
I'm normally the same way this is the first Abnett book I haven't bought immediately. Probably because (and I know this is heretical to some) I don't love the Eisenhorn/Ravenor series, I just like it. I do like Bequin though. So do you think it's better than the previous books or about the same?
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Post by: Manchu
I started reading it but haven't gotten very far. I like okay, I'd say it's a definite buy if you liked the earlier books at all.
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Post by: BrookM
It's an Abnett novel, need I say more?
That said, it really helps if you've read both the Eisenhorn and Ravenor trilogies beforehand.
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Post by: kronk
 BrookM wrote:It's an Abnett novel, need I say more? That said, it really helps if you've read both the Eisenhorn and Ravenor trilogies beforehand.
I want to, but I only got a 3rd of the way into Eisenhorn's second book and couldn't finish it. I got my head turned by the HH series, and now I can't make myself go back. I just started the first Game of Thrones book, so it's now on a lengthy back-log.
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Post by: Alpharius
It many ways, it will certainly be a lot less obvious if you haven't though!
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Post by: BrookM
Yeah, there's that. The thing with Abnett's 40k novels is, he likes to connect them all in one way or the other, sometimes with a casual reference, but like with Pariah and some others, by hamfistedly dropping names and whatnot like no tomorrow.
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Post by: Compel
My problem with Pariah is that, at the time it was awesome, he was creating all this really neat, original world.
Then I found out that all the neatest, most original parts were actually long established things from Lovecraft.
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Post by: BrookM
Yeah, the author likes to borrow or "homage" a lot from time to time.
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Post by: KamikazeCanuck
Alright, I'll get it but I'll probably wait for the paperback.
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Post by: BrookM
You know what would be neat? Another Dark Heresy novel by Sandy instead of another copy-pasta Caine novel.
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Post by: Alpharius
Good call there!
I'd love another in the Dark Heresy series!
But maybe BL/GW/FFG feel that ship has sailed and it is too late?
I hope not!
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Post by: BrookM
Leave it to those penny-pinching money grubbing unoriginal sump-sucking donkey-caves to leave us hanging while there's still a story that needs to be wrapped up because it isn't another Gaunt$ Gho$t$, Ciapha$ Cain or $PACE MARINE$.
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Post by: jah-joshua
true enough...
the first two books were good...
much less silly than Cain...
i'm waiting for the second Macharius book, Fist of Demetrius, next month...
that should be good...
i enjoyed the first one...
just finished Baneblade...
very good read...
Guy did great...
Guard vs. Blood Axe Orks!!!
definitely a good book for the tread heads out there...
cheers
jah
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Post by: Manchu
Did anyone read Henry Zou's books? I got through half of Blood Gorgons and thought it was pretty okay.
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Post by: Earthbeard
Manchu wrote:Did anyone read Henry Zou's books? I got through half of Blood Gorgons and thought it was pretty okay.
I quite liked them myself, but I enjoy most of BL's offerings so my opinion may be tainted by overall lack of taste
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Post by: Grarg
Blood Gorgons, well, finish the book. It gets kindof....
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Post by: jah-joshua
Emperor's Mercy was good, as it was the debut novel, so fresh and unexpected...
Blood Gorgons was alright, but not great...
Flesh and Iron was my favorite...
it's like a Vietnam War novel set in 40K, which i really enjoyed...
hands down one of my favorite Guard novels...
cheers
jah
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Post by: BrookM
jah-joshua wrote:i'm waiting for the second Macharius book, Fist of Demetrius, next month...
Hell yes, really liked the first one, can't wait to see what happens next.
Manchu wrote:Did anyone read Henry Zou's books? I got through half of Blood Gorgons and thought it was pretty okay.
A good writer, showed some real touching moments of humanity in his books. The only thing that really bothered me to no end was that he kept referring to Vultures as Valkyries. That and turning sisters of battle into a bunch of bigoted nuns with guns.
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Post by: KamikazeCanuck
BrookM wrote: jah-joshua wrote:i'm waiting for the second Macharius book, Fist of Demetrius, next month...
Hell yes, really liked the first one, can't wait to see what happens next.
Manchu wrote:Did anyone read Henry Zou's books? I got through half of Blood Gorgons and thought it was pretty okay.
A good writer, showed some real touching moments of humanity in his books. The only thing that really bothered me to no end was that he kept referring to Vultures as Valkyries. That and turning sisters of battle into a bunch of bigoted nuns with guns.
...but they are.
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Post by: jah-joshua
Digital Monday's new release is up...
Seventh Retribution, by Ben Counter...
a full length Lysander\Imperial Fists novel...
i will give this one a read this week, while i wait for The Mark of Calth to come out this weekend...
cheers
jah
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Post by: Alfndrate
I picked up Mark of Calth, Betrayer and a new Garro audio drama at AdeptiCon...
Might give Mark of Calth a read first... Sadly it was only in the hard cover, but I do like that the hard covers of the books still have the cover art without all that normal book stuff to get in the way.
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Post by: cincydooley
Opted to wait to get Calth digitally on Friday when it releases.
I, because im a huge sucker and Mike Lee was there, picked up traitors gorge. I also got the new deathwatch book. So well see how those are.
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Post by: Just Dave
Finished Angel Exterminatus.
My god, McNiell was really ramming it home - and entirely without subtlety - with the Storm of Iron references, eh?
Disappointing novel overall, IMHO.
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Post by: DA's Forever
Just Dave wrote:Finished Angel Exterminatus.
My god, McNiell was really ramming it home - and entirely without subtlety - with the Storm of Iron references, eh?
Disappointing novel overall, IMHO.
Really? Damn that was one of the ones I was looking forward too. Damn it.
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Post by: nels1031
Just Dave wrote:Finished Angel Exterminatus.
My god, McNiell was really ramming it home - and entirely without subtlety - with the Storm of Iron references, eh?
Disappointing novel overall, IMHO.
Yeah, the references were overdone, but I enjoyed finally learning where Honsou came from. Hopefully McNeill returns to Honsou and makes him badass again. Didn't much care for his parts in Chapter's Due.
Speaking of Storm of Iron references, I finally started Priests of Mars and was pleasantly surprised that Guardsmen Hawke was in it.
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Post by: jah-joshua
i liked the references in both books, since Storm of Iron was an awesome novel...
McNeill's best, in my opinion...
i enjoyed the revelations in Angel Exterminatus, and Priests of Mars was a fun adventure, but then i'm a mcNeill fan...
i will definitely be reading Lords of Mars to see where the adventure goes next...
cheers
jah
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Post by: Just Dave
I usually like inter-novel references myself, and Storm of Iron was a cracking book, but I just felt it was too much here and completely diffused the tension...
Hopefully Betrayer will be better - Know No Fear was the last HH novel I thought was particularly good, and Prospero Burns the last I thought was great.
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Post by: Malika2
Don't you worry about Betrayer, it does not disappoint!
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Post by: BrookM
McNeill tried to take a page or two from Dan by trying to connect all of his novels as well. Shoe-horning a remembrancer from the Horus Heresy into an Ultramarines novel was rather hamfisted, I think he also tried to link one of his Ultramarines to Mechanicum by name-dropping the previous Dragon guardian.
Bad, though not as hammy as his attempts at some of his last novels having really thinly veiled plot elements taken from the recent years with the Killing Ground being all about the occupation of Iraq and the one afterwards being about Abu Graib, even going as far as having piles of Tau prisoners stacked in pyramids.. SYMBOLISM!
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Post by: farmersboy
Only 2 months to go and I can get Angel Exterminatus! 5 months for Betrayer!
And only a short wait - until January next year - for this latest anthology. I'm so excited I could ....zzzzzzzzz
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Post by: cincydooley
farmersboy wrote:Only 2 months to go and I can get Angel Exterminatus! 5 months for Betrayer!
And only a short wait - until January next year - for this latest anthology. I'm so excited I could ....zzzzzzzzz
I think the word you're looking for is CHOOSE.
THere are multiple ways to get all of those right now.
You're the one making the CHOICE not to.
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Post by: farmersboy
cincydooley wrote:
I think the word you're looking for is CHOOSE.
THere are multiple ways to get all of those right now.
You're the one making the CHOICE not to.
Since 1990 I have been buying W40K novels in the only format available - MMPB - and I find e-books a vastly inferior method of reading a book, so what choice do I have? After all these years I'm not going to suddenly switch to buying overpriced hardbacks, and I haven't spent the last few years tracking down those hard-to-find out of print BL books to convert to e-books.
Still, what is loyalty to a brand worth these days, other than Foxtrot Alpha?
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Post by: OrlandotheTechnicoloured
wait a bit and the MMPB will be out,
annoying yes
a disaster, not if you're prepared to wait
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Post by: cincydooley
farmersboy wrote: cincydooley wrote:
I think the word you're looking for is CHOOSE.
THere are multiple ways to get all of those right now.
You're the one making the CHOICE not to.
Since 1990 I have been buying W40K novels in the only format available - MMPB - and I find e-books a vastly inferior method of reading a book, so what choice do I have? After all these years I'm not going to suddenly switch to buying overpriced hardbacks, and I haven't spent the last few years tracking down those hard-to-find out of print BL books to convert to e-books.
Still, what is loyalty to a brand worth these days, other than Foxtrot Alpha?
You can get both books you're bitching about in Trade Paperback format right now.
Bam.
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Post by: farmersboy
cincydooley wrote: farmersboy wrote: cincydooley wrote:
I think the word you're looking for is CHOOSE.
THere are multiple ways to get all of those right now.
You're the one making the CHOICE not to.
Since 1990 I have been buying W40K novels in the only format available - MMPB - and I find e-books a vastly inferior method of reading a book, so what choice do I have? After all these years I'm not going to suddenly switch to buying overpriced hardbacks, and I haven't spent the last few years tracking down those hard-to-find out of print BL books to convert to e-books.
Still, what is loyalty to a brand worth these days, other than Foxtrot Alpha?
You can get both books you're bitching about in Trade Paperback format right now.
Bam.
What part of Trade Paperback did you mistake for Mass Market Paperback? Trade, the most pointless book size ever...especially when your collection is in MMPB.
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Post by: cincydooley
So again, we fall back to it being your CHOICE not to own the book. You have 3 formats available.
What's more pointless than trade paperbacks on a shelf? A collection of Mass Market Paperbacks, the format which have their covers torn off and disposed of instead of being returned to the publisher. Mass markets are meant to be disposable. Any discerning "collector" would be ecstatic for the nicer, more shelf worthy Trade or Hardcover editions.
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Post by: KamikazeCanuck
They are nicer and I would get them but they're more expensive....and y'know, I'm cheap.
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Post by: DA's Forever
KamikazeCanuck wrote:They are nicer and I would get them but they're more expensive....and y'know, I'm cheap.
Exactly, I already pay too much for plastic models (which these days aint much...) I should at least be able to get a paperback book for a reasonable price
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Post by: cincydooley
$16 dollars is pretty much the industry standard for a trade paper back.
The eBooks are cheaper than than any paperback version.
Again, choice. You CAN get them. You choose not too.
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Post by: jonolikespie
cincydooley wrote:So again, we fall back to it being your CHOICE not to own the book. You have 3 formats available.
What's more pointless than trade paperbacks on a shelf? A collection of Mass Market Paperbacks, the format which have their covers torn off and disposed of instead of being returned to the publisher. Mass markets are meant to be disposable. Any discerning "collector" would be ecstatic for the nicer, more shelf worthy Trade or Hardcover editions.
If they brought out the series in hardback from the start that would make perfect sense.
But they didn't.
From a collector's standpoint I can think of nothing worse than having half a series in one format, half in another. Because of that I am CHOOSING not to buy anything other than mass market paperback and BL have made the consequence of that CHOICE that I have to wait 9 months or so to get the newest HH stuff.
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Post by: cincydooley
From a collectors standpoint I'd much rather have a collection of great looking hardcover books than a bunch of mass market paperbacks that aren't intended to be collected, but rather have their covers torn off and are then disposed of when it comes time to return them to a publisher.
No "collector" worth their salt would prefer a mass market paperback over a hardcover.
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Post by: BobtheInquisitor
Cincy, the kind of snobbish collector you are describing wouldn't be caught dead with a shelf full of Warhammer books.
Also, have you ever been to a paperback book trade show? You obviously have some deeply-set preconceptions of what a book collector is. Maybe you should actually meet a few. Hint: collectors do not collect only those things that industry marketers want them to collect.
By your logic Cincy, the comic book industry should be partying like it's 1995. Who would buy trade paperbacks that only end up as remainders in the bargain bin when they could have a [hermetically-sealed, baggy-ridden] shelf full of original cut-away-hologram-cover comics?
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Post by: farmersboy
cincydooley wrote:From a collectors standpoint I'd much rather have a collection of great looking hardcover books than a bunch of mass market paperbacks that aren't intended to be collected, but rather have their covers torn off and are then disposed of when it comes time to return them to a publisher.
No "collector" worth their salt would prefer a mass market paperback over a hardcover.
Really. For twenty-odd years the books have only existed in mass market format, so why would I suddenly change format? But hey, according to you I'm not a real collector...
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Post by: cincydooley
BobtheInquisitor wrote:Cincy, the kind of snobbish collector you are describing wouldn't be caught dead with a shelf full of Warhammer books.
Also, have you ever been to a paperback book trade show? You obviously have some deeply-set preconceptions of what a book collector is. Maybe you should actually meet a few. Hint: collectors do not collect only those things that industry marketers want them to collect.
By your logic Cincy, the comic book industry should be partying like it's 1995. Who would buy trade paperbacks that only end up as remainders in the bargain bin when they could have a [hermetically-sealed, baggy-ridden] shelf full of original cut-away-hologram-cover comics?
There's nothing snobbish about it. Collecting things with little to no value outside your own intrinsic value is basically hoarding. Just because something is old doesn't mean it has a ton of worth. If you're book collecting it's typically to either appreciate the history/rarity or something, or to make your shelves look nice. Mass Market paperbacks don't satisfy either of those. The hardcovers do. My HH Hardcovers look just fine with my Bradbury and Gaiman first editions.
Have I been guilty of that before? Sure. I can't even begin to tell you how liberating it was to get rid of all those old, terrible looking mass markets and just get them digitally
As to comic collectors: the real collectors aren't buying trade paperbacks. A few of the nicely presented, for collectible purposes hardcovers? Sure. But not any trade paperbacks.
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Post by: jonolikespie
Ok, clearly my idea of 'collecting' here is different from yours. I don't plan on keeping these shrink wrapped on my shelf for 40 years, I just want to own all of them. Ideally I would do that in the format that will last longer but since the first 15-20 books came out in MMP only that is what I am collecting.
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Post by: cincydooley
jonolikespie wrote:Ok, clearly my idea of 'collecting' here is different from yours. I don't plan on keeping these shrink wrapped on my shelf for 40 years, I just want to own all of them. Ideally I would do that in the format that will last longer but since the first 15-20 books came out in MMP only that is what I am collecting.
Personally, I was really happy they are doing a hardcover version. I was able to sell my paperbacks for about $75 bucks and was able to get the first few hardcovers they released. My shelves are quite happy. Though quite frankly, I hardly touch the hardcovers save to dust them every two weeks or so. I read nearly all my BL now digitally.
I have to be honest and say the resistance to digital books confuses me quite a bit.
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Post by: Alpharius
At this point, I think cincy and co. have certainly made their point, and the horse is dead and gone, beaten so much that it's very existence at all is now called into question.
Moving on to News and Rumors please!
Thanks!
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Post by: jah-joshua
farmersboy wrote: cincydooley wrote:From a collectors standpoint I'd much rather have a collection of great looking hardcover books than a bunch of mass market paperbacks that aren't intended to be collected, but rather have their covers torn off and are then disposed of when it comes time to return them to a publisher.
No "collector" worth their salt would prefer a mass market paperback over a hardcover.
Really. For twenty-odd years the books have only existed in mass market format, so why would I suddenly change format? But hey, according to you I'm not a real collector...
i hate to jump in on internet arguments, but this is just plain wrong, farmersboy...
all of my original GW novels from the early 90's are all trade paperback size...
my Inferno's are even slightly larger than that...
Gaunt's Ghosts, Ultramarines, and Cain have all been released in hardback first for at least 5 years...
then there are the really large format source books...
my shelves have all different sizes of books...
they all read exactly the same, as words on a page...
i've been collecting GW books since '86 or '87, and things have always been changing and evolving with GW...
to some that may be a bad thing, but to me it is just change...
i can understand complaints about price, but book size is a non-issue to me...
i just want to read the stories, and see awesome artwork...
speaking of which, Seventh Retribution is shaping up to be an interesting story...
anyone with an eReader can get it from the BL site, not just iTunes and iPad...
cheers
jah
edit: sorry Alph, i was typing while you were posting about how well flogged the deadhorse is...
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Post by: Alpharius
Alpharius wrote:At this point, I think cincy and co. have certainly made their point, and the horse is dead and gone, beaten so much that it's very existence at all is now called into question.
Moving on to News and Rumors please!
Thanks!
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Post by: Yodhrin
EDIT: NVM.
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Post by: Alpharius
Alpharius wrote: Alpharius wrote:At this point, I think cincy and co. have certainly made their point, and the horse is dead and gone, beaten so much that it's very existence at all is now called into question.
Moving on to News and Rumors please!
Thanks!
LAST TIME!
Next one gets a warning.
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Post by: Yodhrin
Alpharius wrote: Alpharius wrote: Alpharius wrote:At this point, I think cincy and co. have certainly made their point, and the horse is dead and gone, beaten so much that it's very existence at all is now called into question.
Moving on to News and Rumors please!
Thanks!
LAST TIME!
Next one gets a warning.
You could give me a chance to see your post and finish the edit
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Post by: jah-joshua
yeah, Alph...
why are you so trigger happy today???
you didn't even give me a chance to edit, either, and i was typing before you even posted...
way to make me feel like a jerk...
cheers
jah
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Post by: Alpharius
Guys, no offense intended, but the first public warning to move on was Apr/24/2013 09:56:27 AM!
Anyway, onward and upward!
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Post by: jah-joshua
what day is it today???
i'm on Mexican Time ...
to be fair, i held my tongue for a couple of days, and have been trying to give actual news in this thread...
rumors seem a bit harder to come by these days:(...
so, go read Seventh Retribution...
Lysander is a character we haven't read much about...
i'm interested to see where the story of his capture by, and escape from, the Iron Warriors goes...
i'm a few chapters in, but the flashbacks haven't started yet...
Friday should be The Mark of Calth...
woo hoo, more HH...
now we just wait for another surprise email announcing when we can expect Unremembered Empire...
cheers
jah
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Post by: Alpharius
We're told time is, in many ways, relative.
So, regardless of where anyone is, the first warning was 1/2 an hour before... the rest of the stuff!
Anyway, good to see reviews and recommendations on the latest BL stuff.
I know that I'm relying on these more now than before - so they are appreciated!
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Post by: Alfndrate
I'm a little hesitant to crack open Mark of Calth and Betrayer...
Does ADB deliver as he is wont to do?
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Post by: cincydooley
So, good news from Adepticon is that, despite beginning to do some writing for Privateer Press, CL Werner is still going to be writing for Black Library. From the horses mouth.
Good thing, because I was afraid that the two wouldn't mesh well and that he'd end no longer writing the Skaven stories. Automatically Appended Next Post:  Alfndrate wrote:I'm a little hesitant to crack open Mark of Calth and Betrayer...
Does ADB deliver as he is wont to do?
Betrayer is really fantastic. I enjoyed it QUITE a bit. Kharn, somehow, becomes a really likeable, sympathetic character. Lorgar also really, really grows character-wise in the novel. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Automatically Appended Next Post: Also, my apologies for starting the disagreement that prompted the Alph warning.
My B. My B.
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Post by: clively
Pacific wrote:
I was really into this series before, and they've lost me. I'm not quite sure what their intent is, or the logic behind it, but I certainly can't see it.
I lost interest last summer; having read everything up to that point. The move away from mmpb doesn't bother me as I buy via amazon or itunes anyway. What did bother me was the jump in price. Selling the online version for the same amount as the hard back was what killed it for me. Yes, I know, they drop the online version price down when the pb is released but by that point I've heard enough that I've lost interest.
At the same time the story just isn't moving forward. I *might* be persuaded to read the vulkan novel coming out. But I'm more likely to just wait until FW releases the next HH book. The content of the first HH book was fantastic while giving more than enough of the history without the wonky continuity problems that plagues the BL HH series.
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Post by: Compel
I'm guessing there is no chance the audio books will go back down to 20 once they become mmpb?
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Post by: jah-joshua
the good news:
i just downloaded Mark of Calth
looks like a pretty hefty anthology...
the bad news:
the price has gone up from $11.99 to $15.99 for the enhanced edition...
six months wait for the regular $7.99 version...
cheers
jah
25200
Post by: Temujin
nine months...
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Post by: cincydooley
Or today, you know, if you're willing to buy an ebook.
25200
Post by: Temujin
Today, if you're willing to throw money away on an 'enhanced' ebook (which is what he was talking about in the first place).
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Post by: Pacific
Definitely looking forward to Betrayer! I wish they would give all the traitor stuff to ADB, he writes the 'bad guys' so well.
Jesus man give it a rest....
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Post by: jonolikespie
On the subject of Betrayer, I've got my hands on the audiobook version and started listening to it. So far it's... good for an audiobook I guess is the most I can say for it. Gives me hope for when I actually read the book though.
Also angel of fire will be out in softback next month, I may actually pick that up.
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Post by: farmersboy
jonolikespie wrote:
Also angel of fire will be out in softback next month, I may actually pick that up.
Yep, that's highlighted on my spreadsheet, so I shall be getting that. I also see that Angel Exterminatus is out in July, but got to wait to September for Betrayer.
Ooh, the Emperors Gift is out in trade format in June, as is Ahriman:Exile.
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Post by: DA's Forever
I approve of this message
Anyone read Emperors Gift before trade format that can give a review? Im interested in it an was wondering if it'll be worth the wait?
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Post by: Just Dave
Emperor's Gift is a great book, thoroughly recommend it.
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Post by: Earthbeard
I found it to be dull and tripe to be honest, while not so bad you can't read it, it makes Descent of Angels positively brilliant in comparison.
The big reveal/spoiler is terrible.
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Post by: BrookM
 DA's Forever wrote:
I approve of this message
Anyone read Emperors Gift before trade format that can give a review? Im interested in it an was wondering if it'll be worth the wait?
It's an AD-B story about Astartes, if you've read the others you know how this one will go.
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Post by: DA's Forever
Thats a fair point Brook, I'll just keep waiting then, AD-B hasn't crossed me seriously bad yet. I've been outta the HH loop for awhile now though. Last thing I think I read was... Ah Fug it all, can't remember the name. It had the short stories about the Custodes blood games in it.
EDIT: Somehow I missed the others, Thanks Dave hoping it'll be well worth the wait!
What about it struck you as dull? Most of AD-B's work I've never found dull.
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Post by: BrookM
DA's Forever wrote:Thats a fair point Brook, I'll just keep waiting then, AD-B hasn't crossed me seriously bad yet. I've been outta the HH loop for awhile now though. Last thing I think I read was... Ah Fug it all, can't remember the name. It had the short stories about the Custodes blood games in it.
It could be a good thing or a bad thing, but right now he, King's Macharius and Abnett's Pariah are about the only things I'm looking out for in regards to the trainwreck that is BL. I thoroughly enjoyed his shot at the Grey Knights, hella better than Counter's gak. It's a great story, plus it shows us one of those big events in Imperial history as it unfolded.
28438
Post by: DA's Forever
BrookM wrote: DA's Forever wrote:Thats a fair point Brook, I'll just keep waiting then, AD-B hasn't crossed me seriously bad yet. I've been outta the HH loop for awhile now though. Last thing I think I read was... Ah Fug it all, can't remember the name. It had the short stories about the Custodes blood games in it.
It could be a good thing or a bad thing, but right now he, King's Macharius and Abnett's Pariah are about the only things I'm looking out for in regards to the trainwreck that is BL. I thoroughly enjoyed his shot at the Grey Knights, hella better than Counter's gak. It's a great story, plus it shows us one of those big events in Imperial history as it unfolded.
Sounds like it'll be great then!
Ah! The Macharius book hasn't came out? Or is it going to be a series? I remember being so excited when I first heard! Then all my money disappeared.. I was much less exited after that. Funny how that works...
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Post by: BrookM
The Macharius series is to be a trilogy, unless the penny pinchers say otherwise all of the sudden.
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Post by: DA's Forever
Thats great to hear, and also quite sad. I used to be so much more excited about BL. But.. I don't want to dig up that old horse again.
So currently on my List are: Emporers Gift, Macharius Books, and the Mechanicum books.
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Post by: cincydooley
Edited by AgeOfEgos---Please refer to the three warnings Alph posted recently regarding this line of discussion. Thanks.
Ryan
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Post by: Alpharius
OK.
SERIOUSLY.
ENOUGH.
Start a separate thread, maybe in Dakka Discussions, to discuss the evils/benefits of ebooks/trade paperbacks/MMPBs/etc.
This really will be the final warning.
After this, warnings/suspensions/etc.
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Post by: KamikazeCanuck
You know what's weird? Sometimes BL books are randomly available at my comic book store. They are listed in Previews and I believe they're distributed by Diamond. Just a few random ones, what's up with that? So, I'm getting Emperor's Gift softcover through my comic book guy.
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Post by: BrookM
Used to be that novels were available up to a month in advance.
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Post by: KamikazeCanuck
Are you talking about book stores? This isn't a book store that's why it's weird. My comic book guy said BL probably just sees it as a way of promoting their products in different places.
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Post by: jah-joshua
i really enjoyed every aspect of The Emperor's Gift...
the history of the First War for Armageddon...
a more in depth look at Titan, and the inner workings of the Grey Knights...
the Inquisitors, and their squabbles...
the best part for me, though, was AD-B writing Space Wolves...
that's what had me excited for the book, and i was not let down...
the big reveal was awesome, to me, as is the most classic line to come out of the book...
AD-B is definitely my favorite BL author at the moment...
i jumped directly to his story in Mark of Calth last night...
it's a good read so far...
on to Abnett's story next...
cheers
jah
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Post by: Earthbeard
DA's Forever wrote:Thats great to hear, and also quite sad. I used to be so much more excited about BL. But.. I don't want to dig up that old horse again.
So currently on my List are: Emporers Gift, Macharius Books, and the Mechanicum books.
Maybe my words seem harsh, but the space wolves are the only good bits in the book. It's Grey Knights Astartes, everything dies, the kind of main character as the lamest reveal/spoiler than ME3's ending.
I love ADB's other works, but this one just did nothing for me, I admit, it's the almost Mary Sue like levels the main guy gets to, that bugs me the most, or possibly the subject matter of the Grey Knights themselves?!
I've read pretty much every none Limited/Ebook only stuff from black library and I've enjoyed most of them, this one included in it's own ways, so my taste is by most considered quite poor , but it does get it's place in one of the worst BL books I've read.
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Post by: Bubbalicious
Didnt really like the Betrayer book, it was like they took logic and threw it out the window in that one. I like how they describe the characters but the way they try and describe how some things are happening and making it believable is were they fail badly to the point of stupidity.
Right now i only want to know how they are going to portray the end fight that the Emperor nearly lost to Horus and get it over with.
There has always been a little bit of stupidity in the HH series but the amount facepalming seams to be steadily increasing from book to book with Betrayer being the worst of them.
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Post by: Pacific
Out of interest how do they portray the berserker implants as working in Betrayer?
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Post by: reds8n
The Corax limited edition book is at the printers, as of last week... so not long now then !
Fifty Shades of Geek have conducted an interview with Mr. Abnett , mainly about his Ghosts series.
Which you can listen to here : http://www.fiftyshadesofgeek.org/3/post/2013/05/the-daniview-gaunts-ghosts-part-1.html
Mr. Abnett is always worth listening to, well worth seeing or get a scribble off of if you get a chance.
Curiously, it turns out that the "Daenyathos" limited edition novella will not be in the second Soul Drinkers omnibus.
.. which really is an odd omission indeed.
http://www.blacklibrary.com/Blog/Art_and_Soul.html
http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/soul-drinkers-redemption.html
http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/soul-drinkers-annihilation.html
and from the BL site
This week, we’ve scoured the darkest recesses of the Black Library vault and unearthed some classic short stories which have been lovingly recreated as eBooks. This new semi-regular series has been dubbed Tales From the Archive and does exactly what it says on the tin.
And today you can also download
http://www.blacklibrary.com/horus-heresy/honour-to-the-dead-mp3.html
THE STORY
As Calth burns, the Battle Titans of the Fire Masters legion take to the streets of the city of Ithraca, ready to massacre the fleeing civilian population in the name of their new, dark masters. But the remaining loyalist engines of the Legio Praesagius - the True Messengers - still stand ready to defend the Imperium, even in the face of almost certain death. With the nearby Ultramarines forces scattered and lost, the people of Ithraca must fend for themselves as gigantic war machines unleash apocalyptic weaponry across the ravaged skyline...
ABOUT THE AUDIO
A Horus Heresy audio drama by Gav Thorpe. Produced by Black Library and Heavy Entertainment. Performed by Gareth Armstrong, Jane Collingwood, Jonathan Keeble and Luke Thompson. Narrated by David Timson. Music specifically composed by Simon Slater. Running time approximately 75 minutes.
CD version is out in August.
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Post by: Azreal13
Just received an email from Amazon telling me that my order for the mass market version of Angel Exterminatus has been cancelled.
At this moment in time, I'm hoping its just some sort of SKU adjustment, but if its down to BL either cancelling this version or withholding it from sale through third parties, they are going to be on the receiving end of a tactical nuclear email, and I will officially be done with anything GW under its current regime.
We regret to inform you that we have been unable to source the following item:
Graham McNeill "Angel Exterminatus (Horus Heresy)"
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1849704201
Our supplier has informed us that this item is no longer available. This item has now been cancelled from your order #202-2228154-1515509 and we can confirm that you have not been charged for it.
We apologise for the length of time it has taken us to reach this conclusion. Until recently, we had still hoped to obtain this item for you.
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Post by: kronk
I also enjoyed it. I thought the second half was more interesting than the first.
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Post by: Compel
Can GW really be that stupid? (I know, ask a silly question...)
It's one thing to be annoying and randomly add in 2 new formats. But to withdraw the mmpb from amazon? Do they think that every science fiction fan the New York Times Bestseller list is going to walk into their local GW to pick up the latest Horus Heresy novel and start a space marine army while they're there?
Well, obviously the answer is yes.
I need that double Picard Facepalm, STAT!
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Post by: Just Dave
I can't imagine they're actually dropping the MMPB to be honest, as much as I want to hate GW.
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Post by: Compel
Well, they've said they won't. So it's not that I'm concerned about.
Making the mmpd a "Black Library" or "Games Workshop store" exclusive on the other hand.
That's the exact kind of stupid I can see them doing.
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Post by: Azreal13
Compel wrote:Well, they've said they won't. So it's not that I'm concerned about.
Making the mmpd a "Black Library" or "Games Workshop store" exclusive on the other hand.
That's the exact kind of stupid I can see them doing.
That's my chief concern.
I don't 'boycott' GW products, as frankly it would be cutting off my nose to spite my face, but I do go out of my way to buy alternatives or from third parties whenever possible to minimise the amount of cash that ultimately reaches their coffers.
I will have to think long and hard about buying these direct if that is going to be the case, but if I decide against, it will be a much easier decision thanks to this ludicrous delay between HH books. So, BL may well have lost a customer, who 12 months ago regularly went on Amazon and auto preordered all the HH unquestioningly and often threw in a few more titles as well.
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Post by: Kroothawk
Well, it fits with all the other silent product range cancellations this week: Specialist Games (GW and FW), Collector Range, Edge Paints.
Also fits that BL cancelled the licence for all German 40k/Fantasy mmpb while only releasing a handfull of new books under their own label since January.
Also fits the general trend: Closing manufacturing plants in China and North America, practically dropping support for the Hobbit/LOTR, not being able to deliver if anything is actually popular (Tau release), confirming serious infrastructure problems behind it.
Also fits the predictions, that selling about 10% less products each year for 7 years now can't be good for the company.
Also fits the unexpected change in shareholder ownership in January plus the unexpected exit of the CEO.
So it wouldn't surprise me at all, if BL quit the mmpb market. We are talking about GW here, that ragequit facebook. Ragequitting Amazon and the internet is not beyond them.
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Post by: xowainx
I got the same message (admittedly I'd noticed it was "no longer available to order" a few weeks ago), but rather than being a sign of the sky falling in, I think they've just changed the product code.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1849704198/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=107035Z0H92BWGWQJ4CS&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=358549767&pf_rd_i=468294
Is sized the same as the regular, non large format paperbacks.
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Post by: Compel
 Kroothawk wrote:
So it wouldn't surprise me at all, if BL quit the mmpb market. We are talking about GW here, that ragequit facebook. Ragequitting Amazon and the internet is not beyond them.
You forget they ragequit Twitter as well.
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Post by: Azreal13
Phew!
As I said, I did hope that was the case. Weird that didn't show up when I searched for it though, but then they've just updated their IOS app with bug fixes, so perhaps it wasn't showing all possible results.
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Post by: KamikazeCanuck
Just listened to Red & Black. I thought it was quite good. Took a classic sci-fi conundrum and added and 40k spin to it. I like stories like that. Poor Imperium just can't ever have anything nice.
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Post by: Kid_Kyoto
Kroothawk wrote:
So it wouldn't surprise me at all, if BL quit the mmpb market. We are talking about GW here, that ragequit facebook. Ragequitting Amazon and the internet is not beyond them.
Why do they need the internet, it's just a fad for nerds to talk about Star Trek right?
People will just buy WD then go on down to the GW shop or call mail order.
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Post by: Harriticus
Haven't checked this thread in a while, disappointed to see no new relevant books have been released. Just new versions of old material or new limited edition BS. I miss the BL of even a year ago.
As for the mmpb, I wouldn't be surprised if GW axed them. They have little idea what they're doing, and don't understand that doing the stuff series like Harry Potter, Hunger Games, or A Song of Ice and Fire gets away with (i.e. releasing large hardcover verisons first and only mmpb months down the line) only works because these are worldwide hit series, and have a level of popularity and fan dedication BL can never expect.
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Post by: cincydooley
 azreal13 wrote: Compel wrote:Well, they've said they won't. So it's not that I'm concerned about.
Making the mmpd a "Black Library" or "Games Workshop store" exclusive on the other hand.
That's the exact kind of stupid I can see them doing.
That's my chief concern.
I don't 'boycott' GW products, as frankly it would be cutting off my nose to spite my face, but I do go out of my way to buy alternatives or from third parties whenever possible to minimise the amount of cash that ultimately reaches their coffers.
I will have to think long and hard about buying these direct if that is going to be the case, but if I decide against, it will be a much easier decision thanks to this ludicrous delay between HH books. So, BL may well have lost a customer, who 12 months ago regularly went on Amazon and auto preordered all the HH unquestioningly and often threw in a few more titles as well.
What HH delay is this? Are they taking a hiatus on the novels?
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Post by: Alpharius
Please don't start that again cincydooley.
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Post by: cincydooley
I haven't seen a ton about new HH novels and Azrael implied there was a delay?
I figured I was missing something.
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Post by: OrlandotheTechnicoloured
Harriticus wrote:Haven't checked this thread in a while, disappointed to see no new relevant books have been released. Just new versions of old material or new limited edition BS. I miss the BL of even a year ago.
As for the mmpb, I wouldn't be surprised if GW axed them. They have little idea what they're doing, and don't understand that doing the stuff series like Harry Potter, Hunger Games, or A Song of Ice and Fire gets away with (i.e. releasing large hardcover verisons first and only mmpb months down the line) only works because these are worldwide hit series, and have a level of popularity and fan dedication BL can never expect.
Hardback, then 6-9months to TPB then 6-9 months to MMPB is the pattern of fiction in general in the publishing world, not just big series
(it's only really new authors a publisher is uncertain of that or work they consider throw away just get MMPB and nothing else)
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Post by: cincydooley
Okay, so two stories into Mark of Calth and I'm moderately happy so far. The Erebus story is..okay. Nothing bad, nothing special. The McNeill story is quite good. He goes for a present tense like Abnett in Know No Fear and it doesn't work quite as well, but his characterization is pretty fantastic.
Anthony Reynolds up next!
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Post by: jah-joshua
Deathwatch by Steve Parker, and Fist of Demetrius by William King, are up on iBooks now...
i have been looking forward to the second Macharius book...
nice to read about a character that was a bit of a mystery until now...
i have enjoyed Deathwatch's Talon Squad in their short story appearances...
let's see if they can keep me entertained through a whole novel...
hopefully we'll get some good insight into a Watch Fortress, and the mysterious Inquisitor who sends Talon on their missions...
edit: just noticed that Headtaker by David Guymer is out, too...
i don't know his work yet, but a Queek novel should be fun...
he has two short stories out as well, Unseen (Deathmaster Snikch) and ATilean's Talisman (Gotrek and Felix vs. Skaven)...
i guess this guy likes rats...
happy reading...
cheers
jah
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Post by: kronk
I'm halfway through this book right now, and am enjoying it. It's not as good as The Emperor's Gift, but it's up there among the non- HH books from the BL that I like. Certainly better than Parker's Rynn's World.
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Post by: Alfndrate
cincydooley wrote:Okay, so two stories into Mark of Calth and I'm moderately happy so far. The Erebus story is..okay. Nothing bad, nothing special. The McNeill story is quite good. He goes for a present tense like Abnett in Know No Fear and it doesn't work quite as well, but his characterization is pretty fantastic.
Anthony Reynolds up next!
I'm just a little behind you as I haven't finished, "Calth That Was" but the Erebus story was interesting if nothing more than for the jump in space and time that seemed fluid. I'm really enjoying Calth That Was, Mark of Calth has been a solid read so far (picked it up not even realizing it was a collection of short stories . Not even mad.
Also, did people enjoy Fear to Tread. I could have sworn it got some flak here, but I've been enjoying it for the past 2 weeks.
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Post by: BrookM
I see they are returning to the hyper-fascist roots of the Astartes once more.
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Post by: Compel
The next story - Dark Heart in the Mark of Calth series, seems to be the origin story of Marduk from the Word Bearers trilogy.
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