The secret cabal of Black Library artists have been hard at work of late and we have a slew of new covers to show you over the next few months. To kick these off, we bring you Raymond Swanland’s art for the first Macharian Crusade novel by William King, Angel of Fire.
This cover shows the full glory of Lord Commander Solar Macharius as he embarks upon his mighty conquest of a thousand worlds.
For the Emperor!
We'll have more new artwork for you next wednesday so be sure to check back then.
On the blog tomorow, little Horus.
very nice indeed.
Mr. King has lucked out once again with his covers !
Yeah, some of the people who first bought Silver because they couldn't get Gold were then able to get Gold after glitches were fixed and canceled their Silver orders, so now there are some more Silver available.
For those out there still thinking of tossing away $30 US on an expensive pamphlet that will be reprinted in an omnibus in 2 years that will be available on Amazon for about $10 with tons of other stories in it, your last opportunity to do so is now available.
I was in our local GW (Reading, UK) today and they were talking about the store's birthday party on saturday.
They will have copies of The Outcast Dead for sale as well as a few preview copies of the next HH novel. According to the BL release schedule that's Deliverance Lost, the Raven Guard/Alpha Legion book, that's due sometime in January
Fulgrim i think, hoped rather than believed he could turn Mannus to Horus cause, i do not recall too much but the dialogue between them was brief & bloody.
Fulgrim & Mannus were close as brothers can be, despite their differences, after all, that is why they forged weapons for each other, why Mannus was so hurt by Fulgrims betrayal that HE had to hunt him down & end him & also why Fulgrim allowed the daemon to posess him, because he couldnt kill Mannus in the end (or atleast not as himself).
endtransmission wrote:I was in our local GW (Reading, UK) today and they were talking about the store's birthday party on saturday.
They will have copies of The Outcast Dead for sale as well as a few preview copies of the next HH novel. According to the BL release schedule that's Deliverance Lost, the Raven Guard/Alpha Legion book, that's due sometime in January
Shhh don't tell everyone
I'm going down early to try and get my mitts on these.
On older news, there are still copies of Aurelian Silver for sale. I wonder if they have printed more, as they sold out again yesterday?
KamikazeCanuck wrote:I suspect 98% of the worlds he conquered involved him blitzkrieging cavemen and guys with muskets. We shall see though.
He's also the guy who killed an advanced society by directing an asteroid towards their planet and wiping out the Matrix.
What? I thought the Imperium frowned on the use of asteroids as ordinance due to their expensiveness. Also, I thought the Matrix existed in a different, more keanu-centric universe.
KamikazeCanuck wrote:I suspect 98% of the worlds he conquered involved him blitzkrieging cavemen and guys with muskets. We shall see though.
He's also the guy who killed an advanced society by directing an asteroid towards their planet and wiping out the Matrix.
What? I thought the Imperium frowned on the use of asteroids as ordinance due to their expensiveness. Also, I thought the Matrix existed in a different, more keanu-centric universe.
The third edition rulebook has a blurb on this, which pre-dates the Matrix by a few years, but still manages to describe the Matrix quite well.
Always found the miniature of Solar Macharius ridiculous.
The pic of Sturmtruppen hailing their God-like leader doesn't change that.
But I am obviously not the target customer.
Kroothawk wrote:
The pic of Sturmtruppen hailing their God-like leader doesn't change that.
Really? Sturmtruppen...
Lots of 40k leaders run around in too much bling and its certainly possible to create whatever you want from the style of the IG.
But the troops there are the common IG , nothing specific or historical referred to.
The quality of the cover art is on a good way, now if just the codices could keep up with this.
Kroothawk wrote:Always found the miniature of Solar Macharius ridiculous.
The pic of Sturmtruppen hailing their God-like leader doesn't change that.
But I am obviously not the target customer.
We get it, you only like Tau stuff.
And just because they look like Cadians doesn't mean they are Shock Troops. Ultima Macharia was achieved by not just Cadians.
Today BL added 'Accursed Eternity', a novella by Sarah Cawkwell from 'Architect of Fate' and Joshua Reynolds' debut novel 'Knights of the Blazing Sun' - Over five months before its paperback release. This sits alongside "Endeavour of Will" by Ben Counter which is also available earlier in ebook format.
If anyone does take the plunge, please let us know what they're like !
KamikazeCanuck wrote:Never been that big a fan of Macharius, maybe these books will make him awesome. That picture certainly did!
Bill King's fantasy books were decent pulp but I never read his 40k ones.
How is he?
I've read his Space Wolf stuff and I like them. The predate the current era of background a bit so seem a little out of date for the small details and feel. Just a bit, not as much as Ian Watson for example. I've said they are readable for someone who has never heard of 40K or Space Marines before. They're like an old fashioned origin story for Space Marines.
Ironically, Ragnar Blackmane is one of the most introspective, thoughtful characters in the BL. Silly, Space Wolf.
Has anyone had any luck sorting out the shipping charge error on Aurelian? I got hammered with a 25 pound shipping charge on my 20 pound silver edition. They said on facebook early on that they would refund everyone, but the reply I got to my query was just a stock answer that didn't mention shipping and even now that I've had my despatch notification the charge is still displayed on my black library account page.
How were you made aware that you got a refund? I don't have any easy way of checking with my credit card company until I get the statement (stupid antiquated Japanese banking system). They're pretty firm on facebook that nobody will pay shipping, but if I hadn't gone digging there I would have to assume that my complaint has been ignored and I've been cheated out of 125% of the cost of the book. I'm not in a hurry, and I'm confident I'll get my refund confirmed eventually. I know they've been rather busy of late, but surely if they don't make it clear that those affected have actually got their refund they're just going to end up swamped in irate people bugging them about it.
I really appreaciate the offer reds8n. I hope I don't have to trouble you.
My book should arrive towards the end of the week. UPS don't deliver on weekends in Japan, so I have to sign the undelivered note to say that I want them to leave it in my mail box, then wait for them to deliver it again. Yep, I really don't want to pay 25 quid for that (again).
Temujin: When I go to the bank ATM and check my balance, I get an option to tell me what recent deposits and withdraws have been made... especially if I call the bank.
I think the only way to accept it as any way plausible is that it's a Primarch, and not a normal marine, fighting in vacuum.
The Emperor dabbled with chaos in making them (they aren't entirely anchored to the laws of physics) which gives writers and artists a handy 'get out of jail free card' to explain anything that would otherwise be impossible
Today BL added 'Accursed Eternity', a novella by Sarah Cawkwell from 'Architect of Fate' and Joshua Reynolds' debut novel 'Knights of the Blazing Sun' - Over five months before its paperback release. This sits alongside "Endeavour of Will" by Ben Counter which is also available earlier in ebook format.
If anyone does take the plunge, please let us know what they're like !
I snagged Ms. Cakwell's novella; its quite good though not quite as good as her recent Silver Skulls work.
Spoiler:
Its a tale of two pentient Space Marine chapters fighting a possessed ship in the aid of an Inquistor who's trying to panish Fate Weaver. Without spoiling too many plot details, I'd say its an excellent psychological thriller (probably the best of "Space Hulk Drama" I've read), but the character development was a bit rocky - lots of characters in not a lot of time, with lots of changing, first-person, perspective. I'd give it a 4 out of 5: a very satisfying read at a great cost. Very much looking forward to the Huron tale, Ms. Cawkwell!
After reading Josh Reynold's tale in H&B 13, I'm very interested in his new novel. Empire fiction isn't usually my bag, but his writing's strong enough my interest in piqued.
Pacific wrote:I think the only way to accept it as any way plausible is that it's a Primarch, and not a normal marine, fighting in vacuum.
The Emperor dabbled with chaos in making them (they aren't entirely anchored to the laws of physics) which gives writers and artists a handy 'get out of jail free card' to explain anything that would otherwise be impossible
I prefer to just use the "rule of cool" logic. Or the one a lot of people hide behind: It's just toy soldiers.
Is it just me or does that Ultra's arm look like it got ripped off about mid-humerus? The angle just doesn't seem right. Is that supposed to be Guilleman?
Pacific wrote:I think the only way to accept it as any way plausible is that it's a Primarch, and not a normal marine, fighting in vacuum.
The Emperor dabbled with chaos in making them (they aren't entirely anchored to the laws of physics) which gives writers and artists a handy 'get out of jail free card' to explain anything that would otherwise be impossible
I'm fairly certain that it was confirmed to be Guilliman as Calth, hence why the character is twice the size of a normal marine, and is fighting in vacuum without a helmet on. We know marines can survive providing they don't move.
Pacific wrote:I think the only way to accept it as any way plausible is that it's a Primarch, and not a normal marine, fighting in vacuum.
The Emperor dabbled with chaos in making them (they aren't entirely anchored to the laws of physics) which gives writers and artists a handy 'get out of jail free card' to explain anything that would otherwise be impossible
I'm fairly certain that it was confirmed to be Guilliman as Calth, hence why the character is twice the size of a normal marine, and is fighting in vacuum without a helmet on. We know marines can survive providing they don't move.
Yes I have read that it is definitely Gulliman.
Marines can survive in vacuum for a limited time, but there is a difference between being able to 'just survive' and to jaunting around like you own the goddamned place And also obviously Gulliman has never seen Alien, as he is screaming.
There has been a wave of new artwork coming into Black Library this month, and some of it is truly spectacular. We wanted to share some of the best with you.
This cyclopean scene is from the cover of Priests of Mars, the upcoming Graham McNeill novel that follows an explorator fleetinto uncharted space. This is the first Black Library cover from Slawomir Maniak, and it really conveys the scale and apocalyptic darkness of the Warhammer 40,000 universe (expect to see more from Mr Maniak in future).
The central character himself is not your usual Black Library protagonist, no super human warrior in gleaming armour, but a hunched and dishevelled priest who really captures the essence of the techno wizardry of the mechanicum.
There will be more new art on Thursday this week, and we’re letting you choose what you want to see. What would you rather see: a majestic god of the forest and an angel of blood? head to our Facebook page now to vote.
He certainly has a name to go with that sweet art.
Digging into Aurelian now and liking it so far. I'd like to say that the cover of the book is rather scary, especially the back, with the constant "The Imperial truth is a lie" scratched there with certain psychotic quill strokes.
There has been a wave of new artwork coming into Black Library this month, and some of it is truly spectacular. We wanted to share some of the best with you.
This cyclopean scene is from the cover of Priests of Mars, the upcoming Graham McNeill novel that follows an explorator fleetinto uncharted space. This is the first Black Library cover from Slawomir Maniak, and it really conveys the scale and apocalyptic darkness of the Warhammer 40,000 universe (expect to see more from Mr Maniak in future).
The central character himself is not your usual Black Library protagonist, no super human warrior in gleaming armour, but a hunched and dishevelled priest who really captures the essence of the techno wizardry of the mechanicum.
There will be more new art on Thursday this week, and we’re letting you choose what you want to see. What would you rather see: a majestic god of the forest and an angel of blood? head to our Facebook page now to vote.
That looks and sounds fething awesome! I've always wanted them to do something like this. We know Warhammer's got a lot of war in it but what about just some old fashioned sci-fi exploring.....then war? Rogue Traders are the obvious choice but I didn't get that sense of wonderment from the Rogue Star series. This one's got a techpriest! Even better!
And done, all in all Aurelian is a good supplement to the First Heretic, with some obligatory action thrown in to off-set the wordy parts. The ending was most satisfying and one I did not expect, but still a welcome micro tie-in to Fulgrim. It also nicely sets up the upcoming Abnett novel about the battle of Calth.
Just finished Outcast Dead, was a solid read in my opinion. Had some great action and an interesting story, with a few neat reveals from how I interpretted it.
I enjoyed Outcast Dead a lot. It probably won't be the Horus Heresy book we remember most when we get to the end, but it was very well crafted, and miles away from dull bolter porn as any Black Library book I can think of.
I have two main concerns about it though. Avert your eyes if you haven't read it yet.
Spoiler:
When Magnus arrived I was immediately confused about the timing, given that the dropsite massacre was happening at about the same time. I pushed it to the back of my mind since I was enjoying it anyway, and I assumed that I would be able to make sense of it by the end of the book. The more I think about it though, the more I'm convinced that it flat out contradicts every mention of Magnus' intervention so far in the series, specifically in Galaxy In Flames, Thousand Sons, and Prospero Burns. How could Horus have leant on Russ to go rough on Magnus when his treachery was already common knowledge? If Magnus discovered Horus' fall right as it was happening at Davin, why did it take him such an epic amount of time to show up on Terra to warn the Emperor? Why did he even bother since everyone on Terra was well aware of it anyway? Why didn't the Emperor believe him when he already knew it to be true? Why was Russ' legion wasted on Prospero immediately after three loyal legions had been wiped out at Istvaan? Why wasn't Russ aware of Horus' fall when everyone else in the galaxy was supposedly in the know? I'm really hoping someone can point out how I've completely misunderstood the whole affair, because I can't help but despair at how big of a howler this appears to be. Please restore my faith!
Spoiler:
My other concern is not so major, but bugs me since Dorn is my man when it comes to loyalist primarchs. Am I the only one who was bugged by his conversation with Nagasena at the end of the book? In The Last Remembrancer we saw Dorn refuse to accept the the civil war was the death of the ideals of the Imperial Truth. This very much lined up with his portrayal in Nemesis (ugh), The Dark King and The Lightning Tower. Dorn is clearly in a great deal of turmoil over the civil war, and isn't ready to accept that the Imperial Truth has to die because of it. If his exchange with Nagasena had come after the events of The Last Remembrancer I might be able to accept that he had since become resigned with the unfortunate reality that everything he fought for was dead regardless of the outcome of the war, but even with the above mentioned shenanigans , The Last Remembrancer is explicitly set after The Outcast Dead (well, in fairness, the same can be said about Magnus arriving on Terra before Istvaan - perhaps we should just ignore the timeline from now on). As it stands Dorn is portrayed as diametrically opposed in character to all of his previous appearances.
Spoiler:
Just for balance, I really liked how the Emperor was portrayed. We can all imagine how difficult it must be to tackle him from a writers perspective, and I he was handled very well here. I liked the clarification on the decision to send the Night Lords to Istvaan. The atmosphere of crusade era Terra, and the pervasive dread as people realise that it's all coming to an end also made for a great read.
Temujin wrote:
I have two main concerns about it though. Avert your eyes if you haven't read it yet.
Spoiler:
When Magnus arrived I was immediately confused about the timing, given that the dropsite massacre was happening at about the same time. I pushed it to the back of my mind since I was enjoying it anyway, and I assumed that I would be able to make sense of it by the end of the book. The more I think about it though, the more I'm convinced that it flat out contradicts every mention of Magnus' intervention so far in the series, specifically in Galaxy In Flames, Thousand Sons, and Prospero Burns. How could Horus have leant on Russ to go rough on Magnus when his treachery was already common knowledge? If Magnus discovered Horus' fall right as it was happening at Davin, why did it take him such an epic amount of time to show up on Terra to warn the Emperor? Why did he even bother since everyone on Terra was well aware of it anyway? Why didn't the Emperor believe him when he already knew it to be true? Why was Russ' legion wasted on Prospero immediately after three loyal legions had been wiped out at Istvaan? Why wasn't Russ aware of Horus' fall when everyone else in the galaxy was supposedly in the know? I'm really hoping someone can point out how I've completely misunderstood the whole affair, because I can't help but despair at how big of a howler this appears to be. Please restore my faith!
This issue immediately raised my eyebrow as well when I read the book. The one event definitely predates the other in previous books & background, including work of the same author, so I'm afraid it can't be explained other than being a rather sloppy (and for the reasons you mention also actually quite significant) error by Graham Mcneill and anyone who proofread his book.
Spoiler:
As far as the Wolves go, it could be that the Emperor would send them regardless, because of what he saw Magnus to truly be (have become) when he appeared in the throne room + disobeying the Nikea decrees + the psychic events the appearance apparently triggered on Terra (I didn't know it had such a devastating effect beyond the throne room). He could have concluded that Magnus was lost and would become a greater threat in the long(er) run if not immediately addressed.
But yes, it certainly is debatable where priorities should/could otherwise have been, and a whole lot of things seem quite unlogical now.
McNeill has his goofs from time to time. Like with False Gods, where a pre-Heresy character is saying his throat is as parched as a Tallarn sandal, a verdant world that isn't turned into a desert until the Heresy is in full swing.
Temujin wrote:
I have two main concerns about it though. Avert your eyes if you haven't read it yet.
Spoiler:
When Magnus arrived I was immediately confused about the timing, given that the dropsite massacre was happening at about the same time. I pushed it to the back of my mind since I was enjoying it anyway, and I assumed that I would be able to make sense of it by the end of the book. The more I think about it though, the more I'm convinced that it flat out contradicts every mention of Magnus' intervention so far in the series, specifically in Galaxy In Flames, Thousand Sons, and Prospero Burns. How could Horus have leant on Russ to go rough on Magnus when his treachery was already common knowledge? If Magnus discovered Horus' fall right as it was happening at Davin, why did it take him such an epic amount of time to show up on Terra to warn the Emperor? Why did he even bother since everyone on Terra was well aware of it anyway? Why didn't the Emperor believe him when he already knew it to be true? Why was Russ' legion wasted on Prospero immediately after three loyal legions had been wiped out at Istvaan? Why wasn't Russ aware of Horus' fall when everyone else in the galaxy was supposedly in the know? I'm really hoping someone can point out how I've completely misunderstood the whole affair, because I can't help but despair at how big of a howler this appears to be. Please restore my faith!
This issue immediately raised my eyebrow as well when I read the book. The one event definitely predates the other in previous books & background, including work of the same author, so I'm afraid it can't be explained other than being a rather sloppy (and for the reasons you mention also actually quite significant) error by Graham Mcneill and anyone who proofread his book.
Spoiler:
As far as the Wolves go, it could be that the Emperor would send them regardless, because of what he saw Magnus to truly be (have become) when he appeared in the throne room + disobeying the Nikea decrees + the psychic events the appearance apparently triggered on Terra (I didn't know it had such a devastating effect beyond the throne room). He could have concluded that Magnus was lost and would become a greater threat in the long(er) run if not immediately addressed.
But yes, it certainly is debatable where priorities should/could otherwise have been, and a whole lot of things seem quite unlogical now.
I hid it behind a spoiler...
Spoiler:
I thought there was a gap of several months between Horus being turned prior to the battle of Istavaan III and the drop site massacre that happened on Istavaan V. I thought there were several worlds conquered where Horus who would usually try to convince these worlds to join the Imperium instead just razed them. On top of that, Horus started to alter the Companies to have the units leading the assaults to be non-lodge members followed up by the lodge member companies who were uncontrollable when in battle ignoring Loken's direct commands. If I'm not mistaken there were two such large battles (one against a Technocracy/technomage or something similar) that conceivably took several weeks/months of travel while Horus was setting up the pieces for Istavaan III and V. It was at this time the Mournval was split with Abbadon and Little Horus having their Primarch's ear and Loken and Torgiddon (honestly don't recall his name at the moment) lost the Primarch's favor. Both were sent on 'suicide' missions thinning their Company's ranks. It would be conceivable that Magnus warned the Emperor right after the events on Davin. Horus, who was setting the Istavaan events in motion and still hadn't uncovered his new loyalties, had the ability to manipulate the situation because at that point it was just a he said she said. Horus was determined to let the galaxy burn after those events but it wasn't like the next day there was open rebellion. It took some time gathering the Primarchs from the other Legions, gathering intel, manipulating other Legions to move to different corners of the galaxy. Thats why the Ultramarines and Dark Angels didn't participate as much as the Blood Angels, Imperial Fists, & White Scars. The Dark Angels were sent to one corner and the Ultramarines were sent to another. Each Legion was then harrassed by another Legion to keep them away from the primary objective - Terra. The Ultamarines were attacked by the Word Bearers and the Dark Angels were constantly harrassed by the Night Lords. With the death of Konrad Kurze, the Dark Angels were able to join the Space Wolves move in towards Terra but it was too late to participate in the siege and instead they were amongst the forces to chase them to the Eye of Terror (SW 13th Company following them into the Eye).
These were my thoughts. Then again, I just started reading the new one - Outcast...
Warhammer Heroes. These words evoke many images: mighty warriors leading great armies, shining armour and swinging blades, epic deeds and fabulous triumphs. And also, over the past couple of years, fantastic fiction about some of the best-loved Warhammer characters.
These have ranged from Chris Wraight’s tales of the heroic men of the Empire – Ludwig Schwarzhelm and Kurt Helborg in Sword of Justice and Sword of Vengeance – to Darius Hinks and C.L. Werner’s exploration of sinister antiheroes – Wulfrik, Sigvald and The Red Duke. The series continues next year with Chris Wraight’s tale of warrior priest Luthor Huss and Sarah Cawkwell’s Valkia the Bloody, about the monstrous villainess, chosen champion of Khorne.
Our Facebook fans have voted over the last few days that they’d like to see the Valkia the Bloody cover today, and we hate to disappoint, so...
Another amazing piece of work from Cheoljoo Lee there, perfectly capturing the brutality and sheer terror of Valkia.
What other characters do you think would make good additions to the Warhammer Heroes series? Let us know on our Facebook page or tweet us @blacklibrary and let us know. If you missed any of the volumes mentioned above, they are available at blacklibrary.com in paperback and eBook formats.
Temujin wrote:
I have two main concerns about it though. Avert your eyes if you haven't read it yet.
Spoiler:
When Magnus arrived I was immediately confused about the timing, given that the dropsite massacre was happening at about the same time. I pushed it to the back of my mind since I was enjoying it anyway, and I assumed that I would be able to make sense of it by the end of the book. The more I think about it though, the more I'm convinced that it flat out contradicts every mention of Magnus' intervention so far in the series, specifically in Galaxy In Flames, Thousand Sons, and Prospero Burns. How could Horus have leant on Russ to go rough on Magnus when his treachery was already common knowledge? If Magnus discovered Horus' fall right as it was happening at Davin, why did it take him such an epic amount of time to show up on Terra to warn the Emperor? Why did he even bother since everyone on Terra was well aware of it anyway? Why didn't the Emperor believe him when he already knew it to be true? Why was Russ' legion wasted on Prospero immediately after three loyal legions had been wiped out at Istvaan? Why wasn't Russ aware of Horus' fall when everyone else in the galaxy was supposedly in the know? I'm really hoping someone can point out how I've completely misunderstood the whole affair, because I can't help but despair at how big of a howler this appears to be. Please restore my faith!
This issue immediately raised my eyebrow as well when I read the book. The one event definitely predates the other in previous books & background, including work of the same author, so I'm afraid it can't be explained other than being a rather sloppy (and for the reasons you mention also actually quite significant) error by Graham Mcneill and anyone who proofread his book.
Spoiler:
As far as the Wolves go, it could be that the Emperor would send them regardless, because of what he saw Magnus to truly be (have become) when he appeared in the throne room + disobeying the Nikea decrees + the psychic events the appearance apparently triggered on Terra (I didn't know it had such a devastating effect beyond the throne room). He could have concluded that Magnus was lost and would become a greater threat in the long(er) run if not immediately addressed.
But yes, it certainly is debatable where priorities should/could otherwise have been, and a whole lot of things seem quite unlogical now.
I hid it behind a spoiler...
Spoiler:
I thought there was a gap of several months between Horus being turned prior to the battle of Istavaan III and the drop site massacre that happened on Istavaan V. I thought there were several worlds conquered where Horus who would usually try to convince these worlds to join the Imperium instead just razed them. On top of that, Horus started to alter the Companies to have the units leading the assaults to be non-lodge members followed up by the lodge member companies who were uncontrollable when in battle ignoring Loken's direct commands. If I'm not mistaken there were two such large battles (one against a Technocracy/technomage or something similar) that conceivably took several weeks/months of travel while Horus was setting up the pieces for Istavaan III and V. It was at this time the Mournval was split with Abbadon and Little Horus having their Primarch's ear and Loken and Torgiddon (honestly don't recall his name at the moment) lost the Primarch's favor. Both were sent on 'suicide' missions thinning their Company's ranks. It would be conceivable that Magnus warned the Emperor right after the events on Davin. Horus, who was setting the Istavaan events in motion and still hadn't uncovered his new loyalties, had the ability to manipulate the situation because at that point it was just a he said she said. Horus was determined to let the galaxy burn after those events but it wasn't like the next day there was open rebellion. It took some time gathering the Primarchs from the other Legions, gathering intel, manipulating other Legions to move to different corners of the galaxy. Thats why the Ultramarines and Dark Angels didn't participate as much as the Blood Angels, Imperial Fists, & White Scars. The Dark Angels were sent to one corner and the Ultramarines were sent to another. Each Legion was then harrassed by another Legion to keep them away from the primary objective - Terra. The Ultamarines were attacked by the Word Bearers and the Dark Angels were constantly harrassed by the Night Lords. With the death of Konrad Kurze, the Dark Angels were able to join the Space Wolves move in towards Terra but it was too late to participate in the siege and instead they were amongst the forces to chase them to the Eye of Terror (SW 13th Company following them into the Eye).
These were my thoughts. Then again, I just started reading the new one - Outcast...
Spoiler:
The timeline you describe lines up with all of the previous books. The timing of Magnus' excursion to Terra is never pinned down exactly, but must logically have occurred sometime shortly after Horus' fall at Davin, but long before his treachery was revealed at Istvaan. This leads to Russ being sent to give him a telling off, who is then given a nudge in the wrong direction by Horus. All of this is well established, but the problems come in the way Magnus' intervention is handled in Outcast Dead. I'll put it in the next spoiler so that you can finish reading the book first if you choose.
Spoiler:
Outcast Dead has Magnus arriving on Terra in the aftermath of the dropsite massacre, long after everyone learned of Horus' treachery. This makes absolutely no sense, for the reasons I stated in my post. I fear for the rest of the series if major contributors are going to casually wreck the timeline and massive errors like this are going to be waved through by the editors. Part of me wants to go back and read Galaxy in Flames or Thousand Sons to see if I can make sense of this new timeline, but I fear that if I did I would just end up hating where the series has ended up.
On a brighter note, Aurelian arrived today. Of course I wasn't home to collect it so now I have to wait until Monday for UPS to come again.
The timeline you describe lines up with all of the previous books. The timing of Magnus' excursion to Terra is never pinned down exactly, but must logically have occurred sometime shortly after Horus' fall at Davin, but long before his treachery was revealed at Istvaan. This leads to Russ being sent to give him a telling off, who is then given a nudge in the wrong direction by Horus. All of this is well established, but the problems come in the way Magnus' intervention is handled in Outcast Dead. I'll put it in the next spoiler so that you can finish reading the book first if you choose.
Spoiler:
Outcast Dead has Magnus arriving on Terra in the aftermath of the dropsite massacre, long after everyone learned of Horus' treachery. This makes absolutely no sense, for the reasons I stated in my post. I fear for the rest of the series if major contributors are going to casually wreck the timeline and massive errors like this are going to be waved through by the editors. Part of me wants to go back and read Galaxy in Flames or Thousand Sons to see if I can make sense of this new timeline, but I fear that if I did I would just end up hating where the series has ended up.
Spoiler:
Interesting to note that McNeil also wrote A Thousand Sons, so he has apparently run roughshod over his OWN continuity, not "merely" established Heresy continuity. I have only just started The Outcast Dead myself, but I am already perplexed by this apparent lack of concern for keeping the timelines in order.
Alpharius wrote:I'll be picking up THE OUTCAST DEAD today, and reading it as fast as possible.
Why?
Well, mostly because I love Pre-Heresy/Heresy stuff.
But also so I CAN READ THIS PART OF THE FORUM AGAIN!!!
I'm a massive Haruki Murakami fan and I skipped starting 1Q84, a book I've been looking forward to since before I'd read Horus Rising, so that I could blitz through Outcast Dead and stop hiding in a corner for fear of stumbling over a spoiler on Dakka. Get it read and then come enjoy the controversy with us.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
automatonsleuth wrote:
Spoiler:
Interesting to note that McNeil also wrote A Thousand Sons, so he has apparently run roughshod over his OWN continuity, not "merely" established Heresy continuity. I have only just started The Outcast Dead myself, but I am already perplexed by this apparent lack of concern for keeping the timelines in order.
Spoiler:
It certainly puts a new spin on Magnus in A Thousand Sons. His fall is even more tragic when your realise that his attempt to warn the Emperor wasn't merely an act of hubris, but also an act of immense stupidity given that it took him months and by then half the galaxy already knew. I guess if my son killed half the psykers on my planet to deliver a message that was months old I might send his brother to sort him out too.
Just finished Outcast Dead and logged on ASAP in order to ask:
Spoiler:
I am also confused about the Magnus timeline issue, but more importantly was Magnus attempting to warn the Emperor of the rebellion OR of the Emperor's eventual death?
Okay, I'm about half way through now and my opinions are a little better formed:
Spoiler:
I now see that it's not a continuity issue so much as retconning. So...
Previously: Magnus tried to warn the Emperor, Big E wouldn't listen and sent Russ and his wolves to bring Magnus into Imperial custody. The apparently-loyal Horus then egged on Russ into giving Magnus a good kicking instead, in an attempt to decimate two loyal legions.
Now: Magnus uses sorcery to simultaneously warn Big E that Horus has turned traitor and justify his continued use of sorcery after the edict at Nikea, not knowing that Horus' treachery is already public knowledge. Thus, he turns up late, using forbidden means, ruins the Golden Throne/Webway Gate doo-dah, envelops Terra in an almighty nasty psychic hoo-hah, and epically fails in both his endevours. The Emperor then unleashes the Wolves, Custodes and Sisters of Silence on the Thousand Sons as a lesson in obeying Imperial rule (this still seems rather harsh to me, but then again since Horus' rebellion is public knowledge, Terra cannot be seen as being lenient to anyone breaking Imperialm law so seriously).
automatonsleuth wrote:Okay, I'm about half way through now and my opinions are a little better formed:
Spoiler:
I now see that it's not a continuity issue so much as retconning. So...
Previously: Magnus tried to warn the Emperor, Big E wouldn't listen and sent Russ and his wolves to bring Magnus into Imperial custody. The apparently-loyal Horus then egged on Russ into giving Magnus a good kicking instead, in an attempt to decimate two loyal legions.
Now: Magnus uses sorcery to simultaneously warn Big E that Horus has turned traitor and justify his continued use of sorcery after the edict at Nikea, not knowing that Horus' treachery is already public knowledge. Thus, he turns up late, using forbidden means, ruins the Golden Throne/Webway Gate doo-dah, envelops Terra in an almighty nasty psychic hoo-hah, and epically fails in both his endevours. The Emperor then unleashes the Wolves, Custodes and Sisters of Silence on the Thousand Sons as a lesson in obeying Imperial rule (this still seems rather harsh to me, but then again since Horus' rebellion is public knowledge, Terra cannot be seen as being lenient to anyone breaking Imperialm law so seriously).
This about right?
Spoiler:
A noble attempt, but it still makes my brain hurt more than just filing the book under 'did not happen'. Off the top of my head, here are the objections I can raise.
The Outcast Dead states that much of the galaxy had already declared their allegiances one way or the other. I can't accept that Magnus found out about Horus' fall right as it was happening at Davin, then waited until Istvaan, ignoring the fact that it had become public knowledge around the galaxy, to send his message. He's supposed to be arrogant, not stupid. And why was no mention made of the dropsite massacre in A Thousand Sons? Didn't the still loyal Magnus care about the loss of 3 legions and one if his brothers?
Why was Russ unaware that Horus had turned when he attacked Prospero? Was he kept in the dark (despite half the galaxy knowing, not to mention he travelled with Custodes who were presumably in the palace when it happened)? Was the recent death of his brother Ferrus Manus not worth mentioning?
Aurelian has Magnus present in spirit with the other traitor primarchs in the aftermath of the dropsite massacre. Them wolves must do some fast work.
A noble attempt, but it still makes my brain hurt more than just filing the book under 'did not happen'. Off the top of my head, here are the objections I can raise.
The Outcast Dead states that much of the galaxy had already declared their allegiances one way or the other. I can't accept that Magnus found out about Horus' fall right as it was happening at Davin, then waited until Istvaan, ignoring the fact that it had become public knowledge around the galaxy, to send his message. He's supposed to be arrogant, not stupid. And why was no mention made of the dropsite massacre in A Thousand Sons? Didn't the still loyal Magnus care about the loss of 3 legions and one if his brothers?
Why was Russ unaware that Horus had turned when he attacked Prospero? Was he kept in the dark (despite half the galaxy knowing, not to mention he travelled with Custodes who were presumably in the palace when it happened)? Was the recent death of his brother Ferrus Manus not worth mentioning?
Aurelian has Magnus present in spirit with the other traitor primarchs in the aftermath of the dropsite massacre. Them wolves must do some fast work.
Oh dear. I think I give up. I'm just going to suspend my disbelief REALLY REALLY hard from now on, like I did with the Dark Angel Heresy books...
For those who can't, the stories are:
Master Imus's Transgression Master Imus, a mild-mannered clerk, has a confession to make - he has unwittingly conspired in a crime. Inquisitor Eisenhorn investigates, and finds that the trail laid by this unassuming servant of the Imperium leads to unexpected places and a dangerous showdown.
Regia Occulta On a world wracked by storms, Inquisitor Eisenhorn investigates a series of bizarre murders. Aided by local officials and using arcane methods of detection, Eisenhorn must decipher the secret of Regia Occulta and stop the bestial killer before it strikes again.
Thorn Wishes Talon (!)
Inquisitor Ravenor travels to a distant world, summoned by a mysterious message. Attacked by vicious Chaos cultists, Ravenor's faithful companions battle to survive, to meet their mysterious correspondent and to discover the meaning behind the message: Thorn Wishes Talon.
I'm really looking forward to the last one, which has been written a few years ago and is still one of my favourite short stories written by BL, right up there with Deathwing.
I'm sure someone will find something to moan about, but I really enjoyed it and was pleased that the Alpha Legion didn't come across all *Muhaha I am evil*
Hopefully Alpharius will enjoy this latest instalment of AL related fluff-ology. Plenty of glimpses into the Raven Guard and Deliverance, sadly not so much new stuff on the Alpha Legion
Yeah, as I said in another thread before:
"I thought Mechanicum was one of the best in the series. It's a great novel; lots of different varieties of action (Knights, Titans(!!!), Space Marines, 'Standard' battles), great non-action/dialogue sequences and some really interesting characters. It's one of the few novels that doesn't focus on the astartes and it adds a lot of insight into the Heresy and the split within the Mechanicum and between the Mechanicum and imperium. It also adds some extra insight into the Big E and his 'personality'. I really recommend it as an all-round great book and it's not really 'predictable' unlike some of the novels; I really couldn't predict how it would end - and it was great.
It was the 1st book in the series I read and I loved it. Most people seem to think it's a good book and I thoroughly agree, then again, some people do dislike it, but personally I can't see why... But it's written by McNiell. Frankly, pretty much any novel by Dan Abnett, McNiell or Demski-bowden will be good.
I can't recommend the book enough personally, possibly my 4th or 3rd favourite in the series (with Legion, First Heretic and one of the 1st 3 methinks)."
... But as Alphy said, different strokes for different folks.
Certainly. Not everyone is looking for the same thing in their entertainment. Also, it isn't the worst of the HH books. Legion was so disappointing to me. Where they hell was the Legion? Bah.
I am really getting into Outcast, though. I'll have more time to read it tonight! Yay, a free evening with no plans!
kronk wrote:Certainly. Not everyone is looking for the same thing in their entertainment. Also, it isn't the worst of the HH books. Legion was so disappointing to me. Where they hell was the Legion? Bah.
Jeeze man, say that kind of thing quietly; Alph may be listening!
Again though, personally I LOVED Legion.
To show I'm not a hater, I loved the first 2 books, (the third book was good not great), both Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns, Flight of the Einstein, and the First Heretic.
kronk wrote:Certainly. Not everyone is looking for the same thing in their entertainment. Also, it isn't the worst of the HH books. Legion was so disappointing to me. Where they hell was the Legion? Bah.
Jeeze man, say that kind of thing quietly; Alph may be listening!
Again though, personally I LOVED Legion.
The Legion is always listening...
...and watching!
Having said that, I certainly wanted more answers out of LEGION than I got!
And I am STILL waiting for the sequel to be announced!
kronk wrote:Certainly. Not everyone is looking for the same thing in their entertainment. Also, it isn't the worst of the HH books. Legion was so disappointing to me. Where they hell was the Legion? Bah.
Jeeze man, say that kind of thing quietly; Alph may be listening!
Again though, personally I LOVED Legion.
The Legion is always listening...
...and watching!
Having said that, I certainly wanted more answers out of LEGION than I got!
And I am STILL waiting for the sequel to be announced!
Just Dave wrote:Yeah, as I said in another thread before:
"I thought Mechanicum was one of the best in the series. It's a great novel; lots of different varieties of action (Knights, Titans(!!!), Space Marines, 'Standard' battles), great non-action/dialogue sequences and some really interesting characters. It's one of the few novels that doesn't focus on the astartes and it adds a lot of insight into the Heresy and the split within the Mechanicum and between the Mechanicum and imperium. It also adds some extra insight into the Big E and his 'personality'. I really recommend it as an all-round great book and it's not really 'predictable' unlike some of the novels; I really couldn't predict how it would end - and it was great.
It was the 1st book in the series I read and I loved it. Most people seem to think it's a good book and I thoroughly agree, then again, some people do dislike it, but personally I can't see why... But it's written by McNiell. Frankly, pretty much any novel by Dan Abnett, McNiell or Demski-bowden will be good.
I can't recommend the book enough personally, possibly my 4th or 3rd favourite in the series (with Legion, First Heretic and one of the 1st 3 methinks)."
Nice write-up, I agree. It also has I think the coolest line in the entire book series, one which sums up the entire 40k universe and everything that is happening with humanity.
At the end of the story:
Spoiler:
Following the massive, whole-sale destruction that happens
"And with their destruction, all hope of lifting the Imperium into a golden age of scientific progress, not seen since humanity set forth from its birthrock, was lost forever."
Legion was also the biggest 'page turner' for me so far in the series, I think I finished it in a couple of days! I loved the elements of mystery. You can make arguments about the ending being a bit soft (Alpharius/Omegon making that decision from simply having that vision), but then again the whole rationality behind the Heresy taking place is patchy so it's not like it's massively out of place.
I'm betting on a follow up where one of the Primarch twins follows Horus and the other the Emperor, illustrating the divisive nature of the Heresy (and also perhaps to explain some of the weird goings on re. the Alpha Legion in the Collected Visions books, which presumably the book series will follow).
... I don't know about a Legion follow up as such.. but
Spoiler:
Deliverance Lost carries on some of the ideas and themes a fair old bit.
... Cabal etc .. oh yes !
..meanwhile, elsewhere in Gotham City .. the interweb
The Underhive’s most notorious bounty hunter has been sighted.
The laspistol-toting, charismatic hit man is the star of the latest Black Library Direct Exclusive anthology. The Complete Kal Jerico collects together every novel and graphic novel featuring the lovable rogue into one massive 654-page tome.
Look at the size of it compared to one of our normal paperbacks.
The first 240 pages of the anthology contains every Kal Jerico graphic novel, following Kal as he journeys from the pits of the Underhive into the depths of space, from lowlife bounty hunter to Hero of the Imperium.
The rest of the anthology contains the Kal Jerico novel trilogy: Blood Royal, Cardinal Crimson and Lasgun Wedding.
There’s even a short ‘Warhammer: Warped Visions’ comic that sees Kal Jerico as a Tilean adventurer on the high seas of the Warhammer World.
Like all our Direct Exclusive books, you can only get The Complete Kal Jerico by ordering directly from blacklibrary.com
In my own opinion: no. The comics are fun and aware of what they do: poke fun at the whole setting. But the novels.. they try to be funny but utterly fail to.
We asked you to choose which angels of death you wanted to see on the blog today. After a close run vote, the winner is Malediction, the Dark Angels audio drama by author C.Z. Dunn. (The result was in no way influenced by Dunn’s social networking campaign of bullying people into voting for him.)
This image comes from the talented hands of Cheoljoo Lee, the artist who produced the awesome Salamanders covers and works on the Warhammer Heroes series. As we’ve come to expect from Cheoljoo, this new artwork is a stunning rendition of a Space Marine that really captures the essence of the Chapter.
The story focuses on an Imperial Guard veteran, Reagan Antigone, who is being honoured for his actions in a long-ago battle against the forces of Chaos.
But when his old comrade, a Dark Angels Space Marine, appears for the celebration, Antigone’s account of the victory is called into question. As is usual with the enigmatic Dark Angels, not all is as it seems, and shadowy figures from the past come back to haunt the veteran Guardsman.
Malediction will be released in August next year.
The vote was very close today, so we want to show you the Blood Angels cover soon. If you visit the blog next Wednesday, you’ll be able to see it, and believe me, it will be worth the wait.
Visit the blog tomorrow when we’ll be releasing some new digital bundles, the perfect Christmas gift for any Black Library fan.
Can't say I'm a fan of that Dark Angels art (and I voted BA)...
Also, am I the only one whose copy of The Outcast Dead has Golovko spelt as Golovko throughout the novel (so far, for me) but Golovka in the Personae section?
Black Library Christmas eBundles,
Every eBook, audio drama and audiobook from your favourite Black Library series, collected together into a single digital download.
If you want to convert your collection of Black Library books to digital, it’s never been easier.
there would appear, after a brief and cursory glance, a few savings to be made there. No stellar or outstanding deals as far as I can see, but I guess this is a great deal for the completists amongst us.
.. which, in my experience, is what the majority of hobbyists are.
Also, am I the only one whose copy of The Outcast Dead has Golovko spelt as Golovko throughout the novel (so far, for me) but Golovka in the Personae section?
No youre not. Maybe those names ending at "..A" everywhere lead to this.
there would appear, after a brief and cursory glance, a few savings to be made there. No stellar or outstanding deals as far as I can see, but I guess this is a great deal for the completists amongst us.
.. which, in my experience, is what the majority of hobbyists are.
Actually, this works really well for me...currently in the process of converting from paper...looks like my cc will be hurting again...
..meanwhile from Mr. Thorpe's ever entertaining blog
This Saturday, 19th November, I shall be making an appearance at the Warhammer Doubles tournament, to sign pre-release copies of Deliverance Lost. As Nottingham is a bit of a trip for many Horus Heresy fans – especially those in exotic places like the USA, the Czech Republic and Swindon – I am running a competition this week so that someone who won’t be able to attend can get their grubby little mitts on a copy before their friends (and it’s better than laying down two hundred notes on Ebay!). All you have to do is answer three questions, and send your answers to the quiz email address at the end of this post.
Oh, one other thing. You’ll have to find the other two questions on Twitter and Facebook… The lucky winner will be announced on Friday 18th November.
Question One: What would Corvus Corax call his pet hamster? (I will choose the best answer as a tiebreaker.)
Answers to all three questions on a postcard, or more properly an email, to mechanicalhamster (at) gmail (dot) com
I'm about 2/3rds of the way through this currently and am enjoying it mightily. Mr. Thorpe has easily stepped up to the plate -- really dig his Corax depiction, especially his flashback sequences -- and I think both RG and Alpha Legion fans will both be very happy.
That said, stealing a link from the author, it's not this good !.
Spoiler:
Oh,
Competition question two: Which mythical Eldar hero encountered the Maze of Linnian?
Competition question three: What type of creature does Ullsaard punch at the start of The Crown of the Blood?
I just finished Out Cast dead, then went back and read the spoiler tags here.
Spoiler:
In short, yep. Bit of a goof on the timeline. I was very confused, actually.
Still am, truth be told. Should all of the BL authors HAVE a freaking timeline of "on day x, this happened. On day Y, this happened." Not for every little thing i suppose, but the fall of Prospero and Istivaan V are pretty big events.
kronk wrote:I just finished Out Cast dead, then went back and read the spoiler tags here.
Spoiler:
In short, yep. Bit of a goof on the timeline. I was very confused, actually.
Still am, truth be told. Should all of the BL authors HAVE a freaking timeline of "on day x, this happened. On day Y, this happened." Not for every little thing i suppose, but the fall of Prospero and Istivaan V are pretty big events.
Sums it up nicely Seeing how each of them always says that they have long meetings discussing certain happenings, one would assume that they had a timeline handy ...
kronk wrote:I just finished Out Cast dead, then went back and read the spoiler tags here.
Spoiler:
In short, yep. Bit of a goof on the timeline. I was very confused, actually.
Still am, truth be told. Should all of the BL authors HAVE a freaking timeline of "on day x, this happened. On day Y, this happened." Not for every little thing i suppose, but the fall of Prospero and Istivaan V are pretty big events.
Sums it up nicely Seeing how each of them always says that they have long meetings discussing certain happenings, one would assume that they had a timeline handy ...
Overall, it was a good book though.
The biggest boo boo is Mr McNeil wrote 2 of the books where Prospero happens before Istvaan so yeah, must've had an amnesia attack or something.
Gav Thorpe is one of those authors I’ve been aware of for longer than I originally realised – I even read his first published short story (see below). He worked on White Dwarf magazine when I used to read it, and I’m very familiar with his work for Black Library. He’s had a pretty busy couple of years of late – with fiction releases through Black Library and Angry Robot – so I thought it would be a good time to get in touch and ask him a few questions about his writing, upcoming projects, and more.
You’re currently writing an Eldar series for Black Library. How would you introduce a new reader to the series, and where do you see it going in the future?
The Eldar are one of the major non-human factions of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and have been previously under-represented in Black Library fiction. My intent for the series was to take a definitive look at this strange race, examining their society, their warfare and, most importantly, their different mindset. The Eldar provide an opportunity to write and read a different sort of science-fantasy than commonly seen with the fiction that concentrates on the Imperium of Man. It is ultra-tech, highly psychic and embedded in a different mythos to the human race’s view of the galaxy. The three books look at the various aspects of Eldar life; the Warrior, the Seer and the Outcast, giving a variety of perspectives on a single chain of events.
It is a self-contained arc, so once the three books are done, the story will be told, but just like mankind, the Eldar are a broad race with many different stories to tell. I don’t think I’ll be returning to the main characters from this trilogy, but there has been a lot of interest in some of the secondary characters, and maybe I’ll explore their lives in more detail in short stories and future novels.
Your Eldar series is one of the few with non-humans as its protagonists. What (if any) were the challenges of writing from the Eldar perspective?
The challenge with writing any alien perspective is the tension between creating strange, different viewpoints and beliefs, and making the characters at least partly understandable and their motives credible to us human readers. Go too far one way and the narrative will be incomprehensible; too far the other and we end up with humans with pointy ears. For the Eldar, the challenge was to present three particular facets of their society and personality: their Path lifestyle, their psychic nature, and their extreme emotional state.
The whole series deals with the Path, in which an Eldar focuses on a single facet of their personality to the exclusion of everything else, perfecting not only physical and temporal skills, but also dealing with some aspect of their inner nature, whether that is anger, fear, ambition, sense of mortality or whatever. In regard to their psychic nature, I wanted to embed this into their day-to-day life, so that it is not just spectacular battlefield pyrotechnics (of which there are plenty in Path of the Seer!) but also an innate bond between the Eldar and their Craftworld. The last facet, their extreme emotional state, is perhaps the trickiest. The Eldar feel in a way that is far grander than humans, experiencing highs and lows at every opportunity. This meant dialing up their emotional responses to eleven, so that every setback might be a disaster and every victory is the greatest triumph ever, every slight the worst insult possible, every friendship a bond that goes deeper that simple comradeship. It can verge on melodrama at times, so I have to make sure the emotional journey feels credible within the Eldar mindset, even if it sometimes seems excessive to the readers.
Your Deliverance Lost novel is out in January. It’s your first full-length Horus Heresy novel. What can you tell us about it? What was it like writing for the series?
Working on the Horus Heresy has been both joyful and fraught. Getting to play in the huge sandpit of the Heresy, with Primarchs as characters and whole Space Marine Legions fighting it out, is a wonderful opportunity for a type of storytelling not found in the ‘present day’ 40K fiction. Against that is measured the huge expectations of the fans; when previous novels have become New York Times bestsellers you feel some pressure to deliver!
The story of Deliverance Lost expands on an event that has been established previously in the background of the Heresy, that of the terrible losses suffered by the Raven Guard Legion and the attempts of their Primarch to rebuild their strength with some profound consequences. The new twist on this known background is the involvement of the enigmatic Alpha Legion, who are experts in stealth and manipulation. The fates of both Legions become entwined, and so there are revelations for fans of the Raven Guard and Alpha Legion, as well as moving the greater story of the Heresy forward.
Alongside your fiction for Black Library, you have written a fantasy series wholly your own. Can you tell us a little bit about this series, and what new readers will find? Also, where do you see it going in the future?
The Crown of the Blood is published by Angry Robot, and my short pitch for it was: A fantasy version of HBO’s Rome. It takes place in a Bronze Age world, very different from the medieval style of Warhammer. The main character, Ullsaard, begins as a general of the Askhan Empire, which is a blend of ancient Rome, Macedonia and Persia (mostly…). Ullsaard gets drawn into some serious politicking by the Blood, who are the ruling family of the empire, and eventually realizes his own ambitions. There is a broad cast of characters, some of them vying for power and position, others simply trying to survive these tumultuous times.
If we think of Black Library books as a sort of PG-rated fiction, this is definitely an 18 certificate. There is swearing and sex, and the violence is brutal and bloody, but that’s as much a reflection of the society the characters live in – especially the military – than any deliberate attempt to make it a more ‘adult’ book.
The first arc is planned for three books, with the third instalment planned for release next summer. It’s hard to talk about future developments without giving away too much about the grand finale, but I have been chatting to Marco from Angry Robot and it would be cool to expand upon the world created in some way, though probably not continuing directly from the narrative of The Crown of the Blood.
What inspired you to write the Crown series (Crown of the Blood and Crown of the Conqueror)?
As well as the HBO series Rome, my main inspirations come from ancient history. Ullsaard is a blend of Phillip and Alexander of Macedonia, with a healthy lump of Julius Caesar thrown in. I wanted to create a world that wasn’t propped up by the standard pseudo-medieval fantasy archetypes – knights, castles, elves and dragons – and so the fantasy elements are low key, though as the series progresses their importance becomes clear. I didn’t want to shine a big spotlight on the fantastical but just assumed it into the background, trying to make it feel everyday. With that said, I’m also a fan of whimsy in fantasy fiction, so couldn’t stop myself having giant cats being ridden by the characters, massive dinosaur-like behemodons and there is a strange caste of wizardy-priesty types behind the scenes. It’s fantasy, but not overly magical, if that makes sense.
Where do you draw your inspiration from generally, and who or what would you say are your greatest influences?
I have drawn inspiration from all over the place, in terms of the people I was reading when young (and still read). On the whole, the genuine inspiration comes from our own history, which quite often contains characters, encounters and episodes more entertaining and unbelievable that the fictional creations of others. I read something – that the ancient Greeks had steam engines as ‘toys’, for example – and I think of how that could be changed slightly for a fantasy story. There are several key events in The Crown of the Blood that are directly inspired by reported actions of Phillip, Alexander of Julius, which are so suitably legendary or heroic that they didn’t need much alteration to fit in with an epic fantasy story.
How do you enjoy being a writer and working within the publishing industry? Do you have any specific working, writing, researching practices?
I love being a writer! I get to work from home, I have tremendous freedom to choose my projects and I get to make up stuff for a living. There are some downsides – lack of a regular pay packet being an obvious one – but it would be very hard for me to return to a stable office environment again. I’ve been lucky to work with great editors, both at Black Library and Angry Robot, and have enjoyed a charmed path to being published; I have avoided the trauma of slush piles and rejection letters that lots of writers have to endure.
I schedule my projects to write 3,000 words a day, and that’s always what I aim for. In theory, I start in the morning and finish by the evening, working regular hours, but often I won’t get started until after lunch. Sometimes I come up short, other days I’ll write 5,000+ words. The hardest part is balancing time spent planning and thinking about future projects and time at the keyboard actually writing current works. However, I have learnt that the more effort put into preparation, the less problems arise when it comes to the long typing part.
When did you realise you wanted to be an author, and what was your first foray into writing? Do you still look back on it fondly?
I’ve always been creatively-focused, from my early days wanting to be an illustrator, through to being a games developer for Games Workshop. Lacking the required skill and patience to be an artist, writing seemed to be a good fit. Even at school I would try to twist every English or Art assignment into something fantastical, and I was always creating rules, characters and scenarios for roleplaying and miniature games.
I got my break by being part of Games Workshop’s design studio when the Black Library was founded. My first short story was published in Issue #2 of Inferno! Magazine, and everything built from there. As an indication of my ambition, it is worth noting that my story detailed the meeting between Sigmar and King Kurgan of the Dwarfs, one the most pivotal events in Warhammer history! I got lots of great feedback on that – the manuscript came back with more red than back ink – and it was on those first short stories that I learnt about constructing a narrative. The writing itself is a bit clunky, and I am always learning what I can do to hone my writing craft, but the essential elements of character and storyline are there.
What’s your opinion of the genre today, and where do you see your work fitting into it?
I am terrible at answering these sorts of questions! I really don’t spend too much time thinking about other writers or the wider genre, I just concentrate on my contributions. I think that there is no single genre of fantasy or sci-fi these days, it is constantly dividing, growing, sub-dividing and developing. I’d love to dabble in all of them, trying my hand at urban fantasy, alternate history, steam punk, sci-fantasy, hard sci-fi (perhaps not paranormal romance!). There’s never enough time, and though I hope I’ve got thirty years more writing ahead of me, there will always be a new area and new characters to explore. I’m looking for a challenge every time I start a new project, and genre writing has plenty of scope for that.
For my Black Library work, I hope that it shows that tie-in fiction (and writers) has merit in its own right, so that as well as giving established fans what they know and love it can also bring in readers who have no relationship with the tabletop games and no existing experience of the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 worlds.
With The Crown of the Blood, I just wanted to create a storyline that is all about ambiguity and realpolitik. Good and evil aren’t external concepts imposed on people by righteous kings and dark overlords, but are defined by the actions of characters and the morals of their societies. Also, I wanted to write an extended narrative that had nothing to do with the well-worn quest storyline, but had a more evolving, amorphous goal. I have nothing against ‘classical’ fantasy of this type, and have read lots of it, but I wanted something that felt more akin to a fictional history than a romance adventure.
What projects do you have currently in the pipeline?
I have just finished a couple of novellas for Black Library, and am about to start Path of the Outcast, the third Eldar book. I have The Crown of the Usurper coming up to finish off the trilogy for Angry Robot, and I’m embarking on a new Warhammer 40,000 series following the Dark Angels Space Marines. There’s also plenty of short stories and audio dramas to fit into my coming schedule. I also have a couple of other irons warming in the fire at the moment, for novels, but it’s too early to talk about them.
Who are you reading at the moment (fiction and/or non-fiction)?
Iain M. Banks’ Matter – I’m a massive fan of the Culture in particular. Just finished The Warded Man (I picked up the U.S. version on a recent trip, it’s called The Painted Man in the UK) by Peter V. Brett. I’m also dipping in and out of The Fall of Empires by Cormac O’Brien, a non-fiction study of the causes of the collapse of the great civilizations of antiquity.
What’s something readers might be surprised to learn about you?
I am a pro-wrestling nerd. It might not surprise folks that I cheer the bad guys more often than the good guys… You’ve gotta love a quality villain.
What are you most looking forward to in the next year?
I’m looking forward to a host of new things. 2010/11 sees several of my current series ending, so I’ll be starting on a bunch of fresh work, which means lots of thinking time, scribbling ideas on flip charts and Making Up Stuff, which is my favourite part of the whole process.
I will unreservedly recommend his own setting fantasy book, enjoyed both immensely.
.. but he ain't kidding about the 18 certificate however !
Wowza. Not sure I'm a fan of either of their faces, but otherwise that seems a pretty spiggin' awesome cover. Wow.
Working my way through Outcast Dead (just been introduced to the 'Thunder Lord'), so I hope to get in on this discussion soon, but so far my thoughts are 'good, but flawed', after finding it REALLY good in the 1st half...
Kanluwen wrote:I don't know about that...the Dark Angels one was pretty bad.
I actually rather liked the style of that one, with the more veteran version of the marine in robes in the background overlooking the younger one with the guardsmen.
Kanluwen wrote:I just dislike that artist's style. It's "not 40k", if that makes sense.
To each his own I guess. I can see maybe why you'd say it's not 40kish as its a bit more cartoony and light on the Blanche grimdarkness. I guess I've been playing Space Marine too much and that style is growing on me.
I don't like Blanche either, so that's kind of strange...
To give you an idea:
I prefer Neil Roberts'(the guy who did the Sanguinius art) stuff. He's done the art for most of the HH covers, and he does a good job of making it look "grimdark" without going Blancheian. He and Jon Sullivan do a fantastic job of making good art without making it cartoony.
It also owes a lot of its grimdarkness to the grunge movement.
That doesn't mean it needs to stick to it.
Blanche's art is, IMO, best taken in small doses. He does well with the stylized or what I like to call "in-universe" artwork, but outside of that it's very irksome to look at.
Kanluwen wrote:I don't like Blanche either, so that's kind of strange...
To give you an idea:
I prefer Neil Roberts'(the guy who did the Sanguinius art) stuff. He's done the art for most of the HH covers, and he does a good job of making it look "grimdark" without going Blancheian. He and Jon Sullivan do a fantastic job of making good art without making it cartoony.
I'd say the vast majority of the BL cover art has been nice (including the ones you mention above). The only one I'm not a huge fan of are the Hunt for Voldorius (mainly for the WTF?? vehicle and armor designs that don't match anything else) and maybe the salamander novels (which are ironically done by the same guy who did the DA pic I'm praising). As for John Blanche, I realize that he was seminal to the design of 40k and that it matched the grimdark world of Rogue Trader where marines were just brainwashed thugs collecting tribute for the emperor. Unfortunately, his style just irks me... he's consistently the least favorite artist in any 40k art book I look at. Maybe I'm liking the cartoony look so much since its the exact opposite of the scribbles he'd come up with.
Having had another look at the blog post, I'm not actually sure whether it's an audio drama or a novel. It doesn't actually say which it is in the post, but the products advertised at the bottom are all audiobooks, and this was revealed at the same time as Malediction, which is an audio drama...
Still, I'm hoping it will be a proper novel, I'm not all that keen on BL audio stuff personally. I like to come up with voices myself, and I tend to find the sound effects more distracting than enjoyable.
.
With regards to the title, presumably Sanguinius is the 'angel', does it perhaps refer to the Legion rushing down to Signus Prime (somewhat foolishly?)
KamikazeCanuck wrote:Grunge? Wasn't 40k about the grim darkness before Nirvanna?
Hahahaha!!! That's funny.
Actually, Rogue Trader was HEAVILY influenced by the whole PUNK scene. (For those of you not born before 1990, the Punk Rock scene was during the 1980's). Look at the artwork in the Rogue Trader book...mohawks, studded leather, baseball bats with nails in them, and all that good stuff. It was a reflection of the "end of the world" literature and media that was out at the time. Mad Max meets Judge Dredd meets Dune. It predates the whole grunge scene by a decade...
Now, don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE Fluffy Nutter. I play 40K BECAUSE of the Fluff. It has evolved into a very unique and diverse setting, but it wasn't always that way. GW stole from the best, because they were fans of the best. Over time, the whole setting has become something special, even though it was based on elements taken from numerous sources. Kind of like how the Lord of the Rings setting has influenced so many fantasy settings.
KamikazeCanuck wrote:Grunge? Wasn't 40k about the grim darkness before Nirvanna?
Hahahaha!!! That's funny.
Actually, Rogue Trader was HEAVILY influenced by the whole PUNK scene. (For those of you not born before 1990, the Punk Rock scene was during the 1980's). Look at the artwork in the Rogue Trader book...mohawks, studded leather, baseball bats with nails in them, and all that good stuff. It was a reflection of the "end of the world" literature and media that was out at the time. Mad Max meets Judge Dredd meets Dune. It predates the whole grunge scene by a decade...
Now, don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE Fluffy Nutter. I play 40K BECAUSE of the Fluff. It has evolved into a very unique and diverse setting, but it wasn't always that way. GW stole from the best, because they were fans of the best. Over time, the whole setting has become something special, even though it was based on elements taken from numerous sources. Kind of like how the Lord of the Rings setting has influenced so many fantasy settings.
Also has a lot of Heavy Metal influence. Noise Marines are straight up Glam Metal marines of doom.
Only really of interest to those in the UK/Nottingham area, but..
Black Library will have a stand at the Warhammer Doubles event in the gaming hall at Warhammer World.
You can get your hands on limited edition, prerelease and Direct Exclusive Products.
On sale this weekend:
• Prerelease books on sale up to three month early,
Including ‘Deliverance Lost’, the new Horus Heresy novel by Gav Thorpe and ‘The Gildar Rift’ the new Space Marine Battles novel by Sarah Cawkwell.
• Limited edition signed art prints. Selection of this year’s collectable Black library art prints including work by Neil Roberts and Clint Langley.
• Direct Exclusive products, a range of books usually only available online including the award winning graphic novel ‘Daemonifuge’ and the art book ‘Inquis Exterminatus’.
• A limited number of our collectable Horus Heresy novellas.
We will also have an appearance from two Black Library authors. Gav Thorpe and Sarah Cawkwell will be signing copies of their latest novels from 12:00 until 14:00 on Saturday, so once you’ve got your books weeks before its on sale you can even get ithem signed.
The Black Library stand will be open on Friday from 18:00 – 21:00, and Saturday from 8:00 – 14:00.
I can recommend both of the above 40K novels, both very good indeed.
Moving onto next year, we have some details about Bl Live !
AUTHORS ANNOUNCED FOR BLACK LIBRARY LIVE
It’s only 37 sleeps until Christmas, but here at Black Library we’re counting towards an even more exciting event: Black Library Live! 2012 (106 sleeps, just in case you were wondering).
Black Library Live! Is our annual celebration of all things Black Library, held in Warhammer World. It’s your chance to meet authors, get your hands on prerelease books and exclusive products and generally spend a whole day immersed in all things Black Library.
Here’s a list of some of the authors you can meet this year.
Graham McNeill, along with copies of his new Iron Warriors The Omnibus and his first audio drama Eye of Vengeance
Andy Chambers, signing copies of his new Dark Eldar novel, Path of the Renegade
Josh Reynolds, author of the Warhammer novel Knight of the Blazing Sun
Rob Sanders, with prerelease copies of his new Space Marine Battle Novel, Legion of the Damned
William King, will be attending to sign copies of his new Warhammer Novel Blood of Aenarion
George Mann, author of the Raven Guard audio drama series
Sarah Cawkwell, author of Space Marine Battles novel, The Gildar Rift
Andy Smillie, author of numerous tales in Hammer and Bolter
John French, author of the short story ‘The Last Remembrancer’ from the Age of Darkness anthology
And there are more authors still to be announced. We’re going to run out of tables! (only joking, it’s chairs we’re short of).
As well as meeting your favourite Black Library authors, this event is a great chance to pick up some Black Library limited edition products. This year we will have 100 copies of the Horus Heresy Novella Aurelian, both gold and silver editions. This will be the final time this book is sold anywhere in the world, so if you want one this is your last chance.
There will also be a huge range of Black Library Direct Exclusives including the game book Hive of the Dead and the graphic novel Daemonifuge.
Tickets for this event sold out a month ago, but we’ve managed to track down six tickets that were stashed away for a rainy day, and, since it has been unseasonably dry this month, we’ve decided to put them back on sale. They will be available to buy tonight from 6:00, so if you haven’t got a ticket yet, be sure to check back then.
If you can’t make it to Black library Live! 2012, don’t worry – there will be another Black Library event coming up later in the year that will make the ultimate awesomeness that is Black Library Live! seem merely fantastic. What could it be? Details will be announced next month.
Tomorrow on the blog, an interview with Gemmell Award winning, New York Times bestselling author: Graham McNeill.
Astonishingly enough those 6 tickets sold out rather quickly.
Am intrigued greatly by the new event they'll be announcing, guessing it must be something along the lines of BL Live, just perhaps one that goes on a bit longer. Is the world ready for the Black Library Weekender ?
He has Black Hair in Horus Rising and a Thousand Sons apparently
Maybe it changes colour when he is Angry
Yes, did a Google search and he did indeed have black hair in Horus Rising / A Thousand Sons. How odd. He definitely has pretty blonde locks in all the Collected Visions stuff. Has he had any other appearances in the HH series?
On an unrelated note, Mr Rice, you sound delicious. In as non-creepy a way as is possible, I'd really like to eat you.
Finished Outcast Dead last night (probably give it a 7 or 8 out of 10 personally), so my contribution to the current spoilered conversation:
Spoiler:
I agree with the timeline predicament, however Temujin, you mentioned a couple of times about Horus' relation to getting Russ to attack Magnus/"How could Horus have leant on Russ to go rough on Magnus when his treachery was already common knowledge?" and I feel I should point out how (IIRC) in Prospero Burns/ A Thousand Sons this isn't actually mentioned and this may now be old fluff/inaccurate. It does describe however how apparently Valdor encouraged Russ to be a bit heavy-handed, which I think may also be hinted at in Outcast.
Nonetheless, IIRC Magnus' 1st psychic naughty was to try and prevent Horus from turning to Chaos whilst in the Davinite temple. Whilst this isn't a naughty as such, it didn't occur that long before his message to the Emperor IIRC, so when he sent his message to the Emperor - to warn the Emperor of the betrayal - it shouldn't have been common knowledge like Outcast suggests.
I can't remember however, but it should mention or suggest in Prospero Burns whether or not Russ knew of Horus' betrayal when he attacked Magnus - which old(er) fluff suggests he should not have - but I think it mentions it in Prospero Burns that he finds out after the battle.
The only way I can see that this may make sense is if Magnus was indeed 'delayed' in the warp or something, but I never got the impression that was the case and that wouldn't explain how Russ may not have known of Horus' betrayal.
Hopefully that all made sense and at least added something to the discussion...
Oh, and someone mentioned Curze being dead which allowed the Dark Angels to return to Terra. IIRC, Curze's death didn't occur til post-heresy.
As to my thoughts on Outcast Dead:
I think I'd give it a 7/10, possibly an 8. This would indeed make it one of the lower 'ranked' HH novels for me, which surprised me too.
At first I loved the novel and it was a real page-turner. The intrigue of Kai and what he would find, the growing knowledge of Istvaan (such as when they receive the news of the betrayal and Ferrus' death, and the portrayal of Ferrus here is REALLY GOOD), I also found at this point that Graham did a sterling job of making the Astropaths and their abilities and what goes on within them/the warp make sense, which is what I was most concerned about within the novel before I had read it. Up until about Chapter 13/14 I couldn't put the book down. But it was then that things got dubious for me. I found the course of events largely very predictable, with who would die and such forth, with the action being fairly routine and almost unrealistic (within 40K). For example, that one of the outcast dead wasn't named in the Personae at the beginning, it was clear he was going to die and he got battered and bruised (unlike the others) for seemingly little reason. Furthermore, some characters were really stereotypical, such as Severian, Nagasena, Golovko, Subha etc.
Overall, it really let me down towards the end, beginning to feel predictable and scripted and not really explaining properly many points/hints and revelations. There were a few nice revelations and some insight into the Emperor, but these didn't really make up for it IMHO and in their own way often didn't make sense. In true HH style it raised a lot of questions (which is good), but unlike usual, it seemed to fail to give a hint of the answer or when they could be answered. For example:
Spoiler:
- Severian (the overly stereotypical lone wolf), when can we expect to find out what happened to him? (I'd assume in the next short story collection)
- What was up with the vacant angel?
- How did Dhakal A) make it out of the temple and B) whos geneseed did he take?
- How did Ghota (who may or may not have been a Thunderwarrior, I'm not sure) manage to take on almost the entire outcast dead? Including Tagore, who...
- ... managed to rip the spine out of a fully armoured and armed Custodian, but then get beaten by Ghota and Nagasena?!
- What was the Crusader Host? Why were they imprisoned? How come there were astartes from loyalist Leigons imprisoned with them too?
- Artharva's making the brain reanimate was pretty dire IMHO. Furthermore, he could create a kine shield to deflect A LOT (100's?) of Autocannons, but couldn't do more than flick a fireball at Ghota or couldn't rip the enemy to pieces within the Temple?
- Light cutter chase scene was pretty weak IMHO.
- Why did Rogal Dorn seem to contradict himself when talking about the Imperial Truth at the end?
- I also was not sure what to make of the Emperor and what some of the visions said about him?
We have three new eBooks for you this Friday, brought to you straight from the hallowed libraries in the Temple of Hera. The three eShorts, available separately for the first time, feature Ultramarines Captain Uriel Ventris battling against a variety of foes across the Imperium.
We caught up with Ultramarines author (and honorary son of Macragge) Graham McNeill to chat about the creation of one of Black Library’s most enduring characters.
Where did the idea come from for Uriel Ventris – an Ultramarines captain who stretches the teachings of the Codex Astartes?
The idea for Uriel came out of a desire to show the teachings and doctrines of the Ultramarines by contrasting them against someone who doesn't follow the Codex exactly. Ordinarily, I'd never kick off a series with a character who doesn't exemplify the group he's part of, but since the Ultramarines were such a well-established part of the 40K background, I figured I could get away with it and hit the ground running. Though to be fair, Uriel's deviation from the Codex doesn't really begin in full until Warriors of Ultramar, so there was some groundwork done in Nightbringer to establish his archetype before I went on to break it. And, when all's said and done, Uriel has gone on to learn that the teachings of Roboute Guilliman are there for a reason. Seeing the Iron Warrior Honsou in Medrengard showed Uriel where his path of deviation would inevitably lead, so that was a wake up call to him to mend his ways. But that's not to say he won't be tested again in the future, though that might come in a rather unexpected way...
Did any characters or events evolve unexpectedly over the course of the series, or did it all follow a “grand plan”?
In the first three books, I was pretty much going from story to story, without much thought for how they might all link together. As my confidence as a writer increased (and the books grew more popular) I began to think of the stories as an ongoing series that needed to work together, and that's when I started working out the novels in terms of how they worked over the course of a number of book as opposed to being standalone tales. The second arc of stories were very definitely planned as a whole, and a lot of what I've done with the characters in those (and still to come) books has been developed bearing in mind what went before, so it all appears like a seamless, flawless plan I evolved a decade ago. As with all things writing, the best ideas comes out in the writing, not the planning, so I'm always being surprised by what ends up in the novels, so much so that I'm looking forward to seeing how it all pans out in the next book, even though I kind of know how it's going to end.
And the obvious question – what’s next for Uriel and Pasanius?
Uriel and Pasanius will march again, though given my brutal schedule it might be a couple of years before I get the chance to tell their next adventure. I have the next three books planned in outline form, and after the grand finale of The Chapter's Due, I'm going to take it back a notch or ten to focus on a tight group of characters thrust into a situation where the battle's already lost on page ten, and the rest of the novel will be a nailbiting tension ride to see who lives or dies. It'll likely be called The Swords of Calth, and I can't wait to get busy on it.
Thanks Graham, we can’t wait.
Also out today, another addition to our range of eBundles with the full collection of Space Marine Battles novels collected into one massive volume. Download this bundle today and you can read Sarah Cawkwell’s new novel The Gildar Rift and two novellas from the Architect of Fate series before they are available anywhere else.
Next week on the blog, we’ll be back with more previews, news and an exclusive peek at some new Neil Roberts art on Wednesday.
Replies to a couple of Just Dave's questions. Just my humble opinion, naturally...
Spoiler:
- Severian (the overly stereotypical lone wolf), when can we expect to find out what happened to him? (I'd assume in the next short story collection)
- How did Dhakal A) make it out of the temple and B) whos geneseed did he take?
(B) I assume that Dhakal killed Severian and stole his geneseed. Recall how he needed the geneseed to be "fresh". All of the other Outcast Dead died in the temple or were cremated before the big show-down. That only leaves Severian.
(A) He slipped out when the show-down started, I assume.
-How did Ghota (who may or may not have been a Thunderwarrior, I'm not sure) manage to take on almost the entire outcast dead? Including Tagore, who...
- ... managed to rip the spine out of a fully armoured and armed Custodian, but then get beaten by Ghota and Nagasena?!
I do think that Dhakal and Ghota are the last of the Thunderwarriors. Recall when the two are talking, one of them says something along the lines that the Emperor abandoned "us".
He was able to fight to a stale-mate in the first encounter because the entire outcast dead just fought 30 modified humans and were spent/wounded at the time.
Also, Nagasena didn't beat Tagore. He held him off until Tagore was shot from behind. Nagasena played keep-away until Tagore finally got his hands on him, then BLAMMO.
- What was the Crusader Host? Why were they imprisoned? How come there were astartes from loyalist Leigons imprisoned with them too?
Yeah, I would have liked a bit more information on that.
I'm pretty certain that the gene seed was taken from the marines who died in the temple at the end, IIRC there's a line about how Dorn sees they've been torn open/similar and then he gets distracted.
I reckon ( ) this isn't the last we'll see of the Luna Wolf astartes.
As to the Crusader Host.. dunno really. Could just be a throw away idea which they may, or may not, return to later. Or I wonder if in fact they might wind up being involved in the founding of the Grey Knights in some way perhaps ?
I enjoyed Outcast Dead, but I think it was solid rather than stellar. Deliverance Lost is better IMO.
Speaking of which, Mr. Thorpe has selected a winner for the aforementioned competition, congrats to him, and posted the following snippet from Deliverance Lost to tease and tantalise us..
.. it's a pretty cool bit too IMO.
Spoiler:
There was almost no light at all. Something glittered through a crack in the rocks, providing just enough of a glow for him to make out the outline of the objects around him. There was something half-buried in the rubble behind the boy, cracked and distorted by an immense impact, shattered glass spread across the uneven floor.
The light glinted from one thousand and eighty-six shards.
He wondered if that was important, and decided it wasn’t. What was important was that the air was breathable, well within tolerable limits, and the gravity a little less than… Less than what? What did ‘Earth-normal’ mean? His thoughts were still scattered. He understood gravity, and if asked could have written out many long equations regarding the calculation of its strength and effect, but it was just one fragment of information tossed haphazardly across his mind, like the shining glass pieces strewn over the floor.
There was quite a lot of nitrogen in the air.
How did he know that? He took another deep breath, and came to the same conclusion. He just knew it to be true, just as he also detected a higher concentration of carbon dioxide. Both of these facts hovered in his thoughts, before a connection was made and a conclusion surfaced.
An artificial atmosphere.
It was by no means a definitive conclusion, but seemed a safe assumption given the other environmental factors his body had been steadily assessing in the few moments since he had awoken in this dark place.
There was definitely a generator close by; he could sense the electromagnetic disturbance emitted from its coils.
The source of the light strobed at a particular frequency that resonated with the generator coils. That was how he knew the light was electrically generated, which was confirmed by his analysis of the spectrum of light falling onto his enhanced retinas.
It was very disturbing.
He had no memory of this place at all. In fact, all he could recollect was soft warmth, some muffled background whirrs and clicks, and a dull light permeating a layer of liquid. Not at all like this cold, dry, black place.
And some voices; disturbing, demented voices that hovered on the edge of memory. He could not recall what they had said, but was left with an uneasy feeling of defiance and distrust.
Air moisture was also quite high. Combined with the low temperature, he was forced to conclude that he was close to ice of some kind. He noticed his breath formed vaporous tendrils against the flickering gleam.
He remembered his ears, surprised that he had not paid attention to them sooner.
There were sounds nearby; sounds that did not seem artificial in origin; sounds that reminded him of occasional visitations while he had been growing and learning. Human sounds.
Voices.
He could understand the concept of language. He knew seven-thousand six-hundred and forty-one languages, dialects, argots and cants from across the Old Empire. He was not sure how he knew them, and was trying work out into which of them the words he heard could be categorised. There was something of a Pan-Sannamic lilt to the words, but their expression was harshly pronounced. He could not identify the particular sub-strand of the idiom, but it was not so great that he could not form a cognitive appreciation. In short, he decided what they were speaking and listened in.
“Near four hundred dead, at least.”
“Four hundred less mouths to feed,” said another voice. “Least, that’s the way they’ll see it.”
“These arc-drills are not meant for icework,” said another. “This was bound to happen.”
“Quit gossiping and start digging!” This was spat, filled with false authority. He could hear the trembling beneath the vehemence, the edge of fear that lurked in the speaker’s subconscious.
There came a high-pitched whining, and a flickering red light shone through the tiny gap while the rock started to vibrate fractionally more.
He waited, apprehensive but intrigued.
The laser drill – of some design of which he was not certain – crept closer and closer. Rock splintered and the light flooded in as the chamber was breached. He took in the scene in an instant. A crowd of humans dressed in shabby blue overalls, seven male and three female, were directing the laser, five of them steering its head, another five on the tracked cart behind. Their age was indeterminate, obliterated by obvious signs of malnourishment and hard labour. Creased, leathery skin, cracked lips, sunken eyes gave them all an aged appearance that was probably beyond their chronological existence.
There was also a child with them. A female infant, clinging to the leg of one of the women riding on the traction cart that propelled the drillhead. She had long blonde hair and a narrow face with large lips and bright blue eyes. She seemed very thin, as fragile as an icicle. She was covered in rock dust like all of the others, but had smeared it away from her forehead with a wipe of her hand, revealing skin that was unhealthily pale.
Every one of them had ceased working and was now staring at him. He swiftly concluded that they had not intended to find him, and he wondered why his presence here was a surprise. It was another vexing question.
“What’s stopping you?” Another male, bigger built and better fed than the others, stepped from behind the mining cart. He wore trousers and jacket of dark blue, covered with a film of dust. His feet were booted, the thick footwear capped with metal at toe and heel. His face was concealed behind the tinted visor of a helmet, and in his hand he carried a whip whose handle was heavy enough to serve as a cudgel. The man stopped in his tracks as he also saw what was in the pocket chamber that had been breached. “How the…?”
The adults, the ones in the coveralls with the tools, started jabbering amongst themselves, almost too fast for him to understand. The one with the whip, the one with the false authority in his voice, pushed to the front. The small girl had dropped down from the cart and was walking through the breach into the chamber.
“Get back,” said the uniformed man, snatching hold of the girl’s hair to drag her from the gap.
He decided he did not like the man with the whip. The girl’s shriek was full of pain and fear, cutting through his thoughts, like a hot knife touching a nerve.
He stood up and walked towards the group. They backed away from him, still whispering and muttering in fear. The man who had hurt the girl stood his ground, pushing the infant aside. The man lunged forward to grab him, but he moved so slowly it was easy to avoid the outstretching hand. The boy nimbly stepped around the flailing grasp of the guard and grabbed the wrist in both hands. It snapped easily, bringing a howl of pain from the man.
The bullying man reared up as his shattered hand flopped loosely at the end of his arm, bringing back the whip in the other. The barbed tip of the lash cracked forward, but it was a simple enough matter to elude it and snatch up the end of the whip in his fist. The man laughed, partly in hysteria, and yanked, trying to unbalance him. The boy spread his legs and held firm, jarring the guard’s arm, before pulling back. Rather than release his grip, the guard was hauled from his feet, landing face first in the dust and rocks in front of the others.
Pacing forward, the boy saw the look of surprise, terror and hope in the eyes of the workers. The little girl smiled at him, even as tears streaked the grime on her face. He wanted to make her happy, to give her something as a sign that everything would be alright.
“What’s your name?” she asked. “Mine is Nasturi. Nasturi Ephrenia.”
He grabbed the helmeted head of the guard, twisted and gave a pull, ripping it free. He offered it up to the girl, who laughed even as the adults started to cry out in panic. He saw himself reflected in the visor and realised the reason for the alarm he had caused.
He was nude, and clothed in the body of a child, no older than Ephrenia. Blood was spattered across his snow-white skin, his crimson-splashed face framed with a shock of coal-black hair. His eyes were utterly black, darker than night.
He searched for an answer to the girl’s question, as blood dribbled down his naked arms. Only one reply seemed appropriate, drawn up from the depths of embryonic memory.
I agree with Just Dave, it was a great read and an absolute page turner at first. However, it did become a little formulaic at the end, almost like McNeil just slipped into cruise control, and there are various inconsistencies. The timeline issue is an absolute howler, especially when you consider that McNeil wrote False Gods and Thousand Sons, the other 2 books that reference the event (funny that all the factory workers and plebians are walking around on earth at the start saying, "oi guvnor, you 'eard that 'orus has renounced 'is oaths to the Emperuh and is on 'is way 'ere?" - meanwhile, Magnus sits in his tower constructing the most powerful spells of all time to tell the Emperor about this fact! ) You can imagine a Monty Python sketch of that bit with Terry Jones as the high-voiced cleaning woman, and John Cleese as Magnus.
Spoiler:
I have read that this section was meant to be a glimpse back into the past (and in fact the sequence of Magnus sending the message is copied word for word from A Thousand Sons). However, that explanation doesn't work as subsequent events in the books (everything going mental on Terra as a result of Magnus' spell, and ultimately Kai being given the secret), are all part of the later time line. Also, this is nothing done in the narrative to indicate that we are looking back through the mists of time. I hope they aren't going to insert any time-travelling tomfoolery into the series, as in the words of O'Brian, "I hates temporal mechanics".
Having said that I did enjoy it. I think the moment where Targore, the World Eater Sergeant, is sat next to a young boy in the temple and is uncomfortable because he doesn't know how start a conversation - I think the image of that is quite possibly one of the best moments in the series so far, and a nice break from the avalanche of horrific deaths this book contains (I've noticed a trend with McNeils books, I think he is basically the John Woo of Black Library, the kill count in just this or something like Iron Warrior are more than the rest of every other BL book combined )
So point by point on Just Dave and Kronk's comments
Spoiler:
kronk wrote:Replies to a couple of Just Dave's questions. Just my humble opinion, naturally...
[spoiler]
(B) I assume that Dhakal killed Severian and stole his geneseed. Recall how he needed the geneseed to be "fresh". All of the other Outcast Dead died in the temple or were cremated before the big show-down. That only leaves Severian.
(A) He slipped out when the show-down started, I assume.
I agree with reds8n, I would be very surprised if Severian didn't feature in a future story (or more likely, an audio book, which we will now all be obliged to buy )
++EDIT++ sorry fouled up the quotes a bit here, my comments are the ones in the bigger grey box.
[spoiler]
-How did Ghota (who may or may not have been a Thunderwarrior, I'm not sure) manage to take on almost the entire outcast dead? Including Tagore, who...
- ... managed to rip the spine out of a fully armoured and armed Custodian, but then get beaten by Ghota and Nagasena?!
I think definitely an (ex) Thunderwarrior. We haven't really read much about these guys before, but presumably they are as hard as an Astartes going on the combat in this book. It mentions that they were as suited for war on Terra as the Astartes were suited as fighting between worlds.
I actually thought this brought up some interesting comparisons to the reasons for the traitors turning against the Emperor. The thunderwarriors had fought for Terra, and then been discarded afterwards, and if the Astartes Legions had been aware of this then they must surely have started to be concerned as the Crusade neared its end. Great to see McNeil brought this issue up, and I hope more is made of it in the future.
Artharva's making the brain reanimate was pretty dire IMHO. Furthermore, he could create a kine shield to deflect A LOT (100's?) of Autocannons, but couldn't do more than flick a fireball at Ghota or couldn't rip the enemy to pieces within the Temple?
Going on the power of the Thousand Sons in the different books that have been written so far, I'm amazed the Emperor just didn't use them instead of the other 20 legions.
I also was not sure what to make of the Emperor and what some of the visions said about him?
Yes this is possibly the most detailed look we have had of the Emperor so far. Also, that were others who had had similar powers to him (I forget the name), but they had been destroyed in war thousands of years previously, during the 'psi-wars'.
Just Dave wrote:Finished Outcast Dead last night (probably give it a 7 or 8 out of 10 personally), so my contribution to the current spoilered conversation:
Spoiler:
I agree with the timeline predicament, however Temujin, you mentioned a couple of times about Horus' relation to getting Russ to attack Magnus/"How could Horus have leant on Russ to go rough on Magnus when his treachery was already common knowledge?" and I feel I should point out how (IIRC) in Prospero Burns/ A Thousand Sons this isn't actually mentioned and this may now be old fluff/inaccurate. It does describe however how apparently Valdor encouraged Russ to be a bit heavy-handed, which I think may also be hinted at in Outcast.
Nonetheless, IIRC Magnus' 1st psychic naughty was to try and prevent Horus from turning to Chaos whilst in the Davinite temple. Whilst this isn't a naughty as such, it didn't occur that long before his message to the Emperor IIRC, so when he sent his message to the Emperor - to warn the Emperor of the betrayal - it shouldn't have been common knowledge like Outcast suggests.
I can't remember however, but it should mention or suggest in Prospero Burns whether or not Russ knew of Horus' betrayal when he attacked Magnus - which old(er) fluff suggests he should not have - but I think it mentions it in Prospero Burns that he finds out after the battle.
The only way I can see that this may make sense is if Magnus was indeed 'delayed' in the warp or something, but I never got the impression that was the case and that wouldn't explain how Russ may not have known of Horus' betrayal.
Hopefully that all made sense and at least added something to the discussion...
Oh, and someone mentioned Curze being dead which allowed the Dark Angels to return to Terra. IIRC, Curze's death didn't occur til post-heresy.
Spoiler:
Horus' encouragement is not mentioned in A Thousand Sons or Prospero Burns, but it is mentioned in False Gods, and takes place before Istvaan. You might be able to worm your way out of direct contradictions in A Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns by basically writing off all of the characters involved as idiots, but False Gods and The Outcast Dead completely contradict each other, with no room for doubt. The authors of these books should really have worked together more closely *brain explodes*.
Horus' encouragement is not mentioned in A Thousand Sons or Prospero Burns, but it is mentioned in False Gods, and takes place before Istvaan. You might be able to worm your way out of direct contradictions in A Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns by basically writing off all of the characters involved as idiots, but False Gods and The Outcast Dead completely contradict each other, with no room for doubt. The authors of these books should really have worked together more closely *brain explodes*.
Both of those books (and also A Thousand Sons) are written by Graham McNeil!
I'm at a loss to explain it, but God knows how many books a year he is putting out (at least a 7 or 8 on the 'StephenKingometer'?) he must have just lost track of what he is writing or will write..
Horus' encouragement is not mentioned in A Thousand Sons or Prospero Burns, but it is mentioned in False Gods, and takes place before Istvaan. You might be able to worm your way out of direct contradictions in A Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns by basically writing off all of the characters involved as idiots, but False Gods and The Outcast Dead completely contradict each other, with no room for doubt. The authors of these books should really have worked together more closely *brain explodes*.
It's not out right stated in a Thousand Sons but it is heavily implied, nothing at all in Prospero Burns though
Spoiler:
"He saw the honeyed words of Horus and the sinister urgings of Constantin Valdor, each spoken with very different purposes, but designed to sway Leman Russ towards a destination of total destruction." - A Thousand Sons, Page 535.
Pacific wrote:
Both of those books (and also A Thousand Sons) are written by Graham McNeil!
And he wrote Fulgrim too, which has it mentioned a few times in.
Lets have a look what ones I can find it mentioned in. Not just ones by Mr McNeil, although he seems to be them main person referring to it.
The section from False Gods
Spoiler:
"But what of Magnus?" asked Maloghurst urgently. "What happens when Leman Russ returns him to Terra?"
Horus smiled. "Calm yourself, Mal. I have already contacted my brother Russ and illuminated him with the full breadth of Magnus' treacherous use of daemonic spells and conjurations. He was... suitably angry, and I believe that I have convinced him that to return Magnus to Terra would be a waste of effort." - False Gods Page 405.
In Galaxy in Flames
Spoiler:
‘Magnus lives,’ snarled Horus. ‘Then he may yet be a danger.’ ‘No,’ assured Erebus. ‘The spires of Prospero have fallen and the warp echoes with the powerful sorcery Magnus used to save his warriors and escape.’ - Galaxy in Flames Page 135.
And finally in Fulgrim
Spoiler:
‘I see,’ said Horus, ‘and the Council’s concern is simply with Angron’s bloodlust?’ ‘Not entirely,’ he replied. ‘As I said, the Wolf of Fenris has been despatched to Prospero in order to bring Magnus back to Terra, though for what purpose I do not know.’ - Fulgrim Page 278
Spoiler:
Soon, only the Sons of Horus remained in orbit over Isstvan V. ... ‘What do you bring me, Mal?’ asked Horus. ‘A communication, my lord,’ replied his equerry. ‘From whom?’ Maloghurst smiled. ‘It’s from Magnus the Red.’ - Fulgrim Page 411
Pilau Rice wrote:I do hope Mr McNeil clears it up.
Just to add to the quotes that you made, it's important to consider when they occurred in relation to the two key events we're discussing.
Spoiler:
They all unambiguously place Magnus' warning before the dropsite massacre.
I don't anticipate any comment on this mess from Graham McNeil or Black Library. What would they even say? When I first read the book I hoped that I could go online and discover that my confusion could be cleared up and everything would slot into place again, but that's clearly impossible once you take the time to lay everything out from the timeline established by the rest of the series. Aaron Dembski-Bowden's disappointing attempt to deflect it with the old 'the warp did it' routine was the first time I ever disliked something he wrote. That kind of approach would be difficult to bear even if it did account for the discrepancy, which even in the most sympathetic reading it does not and cannot. On the one hand I would like to see someone from the Horus Heresy team address the issue frankly, but I don't think there's anything they could say that would undo the harm that this (I must repeat, otherwise enjoyable) book has done. McNeil could come clean and admit to making a collosal error, or the whole business could be completely ignored and filed under things that will simply not be referred to in any future book. I would settle for either approach, as long as future books don't defiantly cling to some doomed attempt to assert this botched timeline as the new canon.
They all unambiguously place Magnus' warning before the dropsite massacre.
All bar the last comment in Fulgrim, which is received after Istvaan V.
Temujin wrote:On the one hand I would like to see someone from the Horus Heresy team address the issue frankly, but I don't think there's anything they could say that would undo the harm that this (I must repeat, otherwise enjoyable) book has done. McNeil could come clean and admit to making a collosal error, or the whole business could be completely ignored and filed under things that will simply not be referred to in any future book. I would settle for either approach, as long as future books don't defiantly cling to some doomed attempt to assert this botched timeline as the new canon.
Perhaps he'll address and correct it in another book, or maybe it will change to during the dropsite massacre or maybe after the Heresy
It’s time once again to show some fantastic new artwork, and today we return to Craftworld Alaitoc and the cover of Gav Thorpe’s forthcoming Path of the Outcast. Like the first two books in the series, this is by Neil Roberts and focuses on one of the characters from the series, in this case the eponymous outcast Aradryan.
While the muted colour palette is a departure from the bright colours of the previous books in the series (Path of the Warrior and Path of the Seer), this is very much a follow-on from those pieces and is full of incredible little details. I particularly like the beautifully-patterned (and blood-spattered) hood, and the utterly alien look in Aradryan’s eyes...
If you like Neil’s work (and why wouldn’t you?), don’t forget that several of his equally brilliant Horus Heresy covers are available as massive glossy posters from blacklibrary.com.
Very much looking forward to the next eldar book. While the seer book turned out to be alright in the end, I just wasnt a big fan of that whiny main character!!
The dark eldar one has potential as well...
Still catching up on my atlas infernal ... pretty good read so far.
Alpharius wrote:I'm still not sure where I stand on DELIVERANCE LOST and what I think about it.
It changes a lot too - especially Corax's post Heresy actions, I'd think.
I've just finished it and I did like it. The only thing that I can criticize about Mr Thorpes work is that his writing isn't very colourful and feels a bit over factual to me, maybe a little boring at times. I enjoy his writing style in the Chaos Codex as it feels like it should be in a codex, kind of the encyclopedia for the army, if you get my meaning, but it's a bit flat for an actual novel.
It was enjoyed though and thought out well. The Alpha Legion were done well I thought and it was good to see the continuation on from Legion. I was a bit baffled at the relationship between Horus and Alpharius as they were supposed to be pretty close, after Horus being the one to discover him and all. I suppose it could be down to Horus being all broody and eeeevil.
They've changed a lot of what we used to know - the old Index Astartes article doesn't fully apply anymore.
Also,
Spoiler:
it is good to see the Alpha Legion working for themselves, and not in lock step with the Cabal. Though right now their end game seems a bit obvious, confusing and against what I think they are/should be really aiming for.
Alpharius wrote:They've changed a lot of what we used to know - the old Index Astartes article doesn't fully apply anymore.
I dunno, we'll have to wait and see what happens. Omegon might have a different take on what to do from Alpharius and the outcome of the Heresy might lead to the Alphas of the Index Astartes. Hopefully as I really like the IA articles
We’ve heard a lot about Gav Thorpe this week. On Monday we showed a trailer for his new Horus Heresy novel. An extract from one of his Age of Legend tales appeared on Tuesday, Wednesday brought you the artwork for his next Path of the Eldar novel. We thought it was about time we heard from the man himself.
We prised him away from his typewriter for long enough to bring you this interview.
Your first Horus Heresy novel is out soon and you’ve been writing a novella for next year’s The Primarchs anthology. How do you approach the Horus Heresy setting as opposed to the more firmly established universe of Warhammer 40,000?
First of all, you have to remember that everyone is a lot less dogmatic and superstitious. When you are steeped in the ritual and doctrine of Warhammer 40,000, it's easy to forget that these are more enlightened times (on the whole), but also somewhat naive times too. As the series progresses, the Imperium's knowledge of, and reaction to, Chaos will be evolving, and so one thing that I have spent some time thinking about is just how much the Space Marines and Primarchs know about the warp and the relationship it has with their universe. They have navigators and astropaths and other psykers, and in ‘The Lion’ there is an encounter with a foe they do not expect or know at all, which leads to some awkward questions about the Dark Angels Librarius and the Edict of Nikaea...
The ‘Path of the Eldar’ series is coming to a close with Path of the Outcast. What can we expect from this final book in the trilogy?
Folks who have read the series so far will know that Aradryan leaves Alaitoc and, through means unknown, manages to annoy a bunch of humans so much that they attack the craftworld. In Path of the Outcast fans will learn why he has to leave Alaitoc, and just what it is that Aradryan gets up to to bring down the wrath of the Imperium on his home. As the conclusion to the trilogy, Path of the Outcast draws together all of the threads of the series, and ultimately resolves the battle for Alaitoc. His adventures take in exodites, dark eldar, harlequins and corsairs, not to mention a few rangers - I tried to get in pretty much everything that isn't craftworld-based.
The most important job of any Horus Heresy book is to add a layer of character and narrative to the existing storyline, examining not just what happened but why. You have to make sure the readers get caught up in the story enough that even those who know how the wider tale plays out can forget that for a while and just enjoy the ride. It is a time of growing darkness, an innocence lost in some ways, and that darkness has to settle on every character caught up in the fallout of Horus's actions.
The blog earlier this week mentioned a top secret novella project. What (if anything) can you tell us about this?
Sorry Gav, if I let you tell them about the new novella, Marneus Calgar will have my head...
Deliverance Lost is available to preorder now. If you order it today, you’ll get it in time for Christmas. What could be more Christmassy than cosying up by the fire and reading about the greatest tragedy in human history, twenty-eight thousand years before it happens? It sure beats eating sprouts. (There are no sprouts in the 41st Millennium. The main sprout-growing human colony was destroyed by an ork Waaagh in the year 13,000 and the vegetable became extinct.)
Be sure to check back with the blog on Monday, because we’ll have a video interview with author Graham McNeill.
Have a good weekend.
This weekend sees the Planetary Empires event at WW, during which..
If you're in Warhammer World this weekend, be sure to check out the Black Library stand in the gaming hall.
This is your first chance to get your hands on prerelease copies of upcoming products:
Blood Angels: The Second Omnibus, collecting the Blood Angels novels Red Fury and Black Tide, by New York Times Bestselling author James Swallow
Labyrinth of Sorrows, a Warhammer 40,000 audio drama in which the Raven Guard swoop back into action alongside their suspicious allies, the Brazen Minotaurs.
The new Ciaphas Cain novel from Sandy Mitchell, The Last Ditch, as well as the softback edition of The Emperor’s Finest.
Chris Wraight’s new Warhammer novel Luthor Huss will be on sale, featuring the Empire’s most pious champion and his stand against the forces of Chaos.
Also on sale: a selection of limited edition and Direct Exclusive products.
The Black Library stand will be open Friday from 18:00 – 21:30
And on Saturday from 08:00 – 14:30
A group of Space Marines breaking out of a jail that makes Alcatraz look like a well fortified sandcastle, and escaping with a message that will doom and/or save mankind…
If that isn’t awesome, call me a heretic.
I’m sure many of you have already eagerly read The Outcast Dead, the seventeenth instalment in the Horus Heresy series (and if you haven’t, I’d add it to your Christmas list pronto). We caught up with the author, Graham McNeill, to chat about writing in the epoch-shattering times of the Horus Heresy, as well as a couple of other projects on the horizon.
If you’ve already read the Outcast Dead and can’t wait for more, you can preorder the next novel in the Horus Heresy series, Gav Thorpe’s Deliverance Lost, which will be shipping within a week.
Finally a quick reminder, if any were needed, that Christmas is fast approaching. Here are the last shipping dates for those of you wanting your books in time for the 25th of December.
Last Shipping dates for Christmas
Standard Delivery:
Thursday 1st December – Australasia, Asia, Far East (including Japan), Africa, the Caribbean, South & Central America,APO addresses and static BFPOs
Monday 5th December – Eastern Europe, USA and Canada
Thursday 8th December – Western Europe
Tuesday 13th December – UK and Operational BFPOs
Express Delivery:
Tuesday 13th December – Worldwide
Thursday 15th December - UK
Angel Exterminatus sounds interesting, it'll be good not only Perturabo, but his relationship with another primarch.
Emperor's Children performing an exorcism? This sounds almost amusing (THE POWER OF VICE COMPELS YE!), but I look forward to having another look at how the III Legion behave after their Slaaneshification (it's a real word, honest!). Obviously, we got to see a bit of it at the end of Fulgrim, but we never really got to see how the newly Slaaneshified astartes interact with one another, as the focus of the last couple of chapters was what the noise marines were like in battle, rather than what they were like in their down-time.
Pilau Rice wrote:I do hope Mr McNeil clears it up.
Just to add to the quotes that you made, it's important to consider when they occurred in relation to the two key events we're discussing.
Spoiler:
They all unambiguously place Magnus' warning before the dropsite massacre.
I don't anticipate any comment on this mess from Graham McNeil or Black Library. What would they even say? When I first read the book I hoped that I could go online and discover that my confusion could be cleared up and everything would slot into place again, but that's clearly impossible once you take the time to lay everything out from the timeline established by the rest of the series. Aaron Dembski-Bowden's disappointing attempt to deflect it with the old 'the warp did it' routine was the first time I ever disliked something he wrote. That kind of approach would be difficult to bear even if it did account for the discrepancy, which even in the most sympathetic reading it does not and cannot. On the one hand I would like to see someone from the Horus Heresy team address the issue frankly, but I don't think there's anything they could say that would undo the harm that this (I must repeat, otherwise enjoyable) book has done. McNeil could come clean and admit to making a collosal error, or the whole business could be completely ignored and filed under things that will simply not be referred to in any future book. I would settle for either approach, as long as future books don't defiantly cling to some doomed attempt to assert this botched timeline as the new canon.
I thought that was the point...
Spoiler:
I thought the time line was as follows:
A) Nikea Council disbands the use of psychers and sorcery.
B) Horus gets struck by a Demon Sword and lay dying. He is transported to Davin where the "people" (they were described as Beastmen) and Erebus were able to perform some dark rites to commune with the chaos gods.
C) During the dark rites to revive Horus, Magnus confronts Horus in his dream as a wolf. He is trying to lead away from the path of chaos. Eventually, Erebus/chaos gods are able to drive Magnus away from Horus in the dream. Horus falls and becomes a traitor. He awakens and is healed from his injuries and leaves Davin. At this point in time Magnus knows of Horus's treachery. He works on a spell to contact the Emperor.
D) Horus begins to cull his legion unbeknownst to the Mournival. There were at least 2 battles mentioned prior to the Legion moving to the Istavaan System. Loken even commented that the casualties and objectives were poorly planned. During this time, he has contacted other primarchs whom he feels he can sway to his side and specifically contacts Mortarion, Lorgar (via Erebus), Angron, and Fulgrim and these Primarchs begin secretly culling their legions. He has contact with the Night Lords, Alpha Legion, and Iron Warriors as well as these.
E) Magnus warns the Emperor and sets off all of the bells and whistles on Terra.
F) The Emperor sends Logan and the Space Wolves to bring Magnus to the Emperor.
G) Horus convinces Logan that bringing Magnus back to Terra would not be the right thing to do and convinces him to openly fight Magnus and the Thousand Sons.
H) Horus hears of the rebellion in the Istavaan System and orders the Death Guard, World Eaters, and Emperor's Children to join him in putting the rebellion down.
I) Istavaan III is attacked. Horus makes his move and culls the remaining loyalists from his and the other legions with him. The Emperor knows something bad has happened but is unsure as to what has transpired.
J) Prospero is attacked and destroyed by the Space Wolves and Magnus uses his sorcery to suck his legion into the eye of terror.
K) The 4 legions that have renounced the Emperor begin to fortify Istavaan V.
L) A small contingent of Death Guard are able to break away from the fleet on the Eisenstein. They are able to meet up with Rogul Dorn who brings the dire news to the Emperor.
M) Dorn begins to fortify Terra. The Emperor plans to send 7 Legions to put an end to Horus's Treason. The Emperor commands the Iron Hands, Salamanders, Raven Guard, Word Bearers, Alpha Legion, Night Lords, and Iron Warriors to end Horus's Rebellion.
N) The Iron Hands, Salamanders, and Raven Guard were the first to arrive due to the warp storms. These three Legions made first contact. When the 4 other Legions arrived and started to join the fight, Horus's trap had sprung and the loyalist Legions were caught and sustained heavy casualties.
O) Eventually these Legions were able to break through and return back to the Emperor but did not play a substantial part in the Heresy due to the Drop Site Massacre.
P) Horus gets word of Magnus's Legion being disabled. In one fell swoop, Horus was able to remove 4 loyalist Legions from taking a major parts in the Heresy. Also at this time, he had spread the loyalist primarch's forces thin by having them spread out amongst several systems or engaged in multiple crusades.
Q) The Word Bearers and Alpha Legion were responsible for keeping the Ultramarines out of the fight as much as possible. The Night Lords were responsible for keeping the Dark Angels out of the fight as much as possible. This left the remaining 5 traitor legions (Sons of Horus, Emperor's Childredn, Death Guard, World Eaters, and Iron Warriors) to contend with 3 loyalist legions (Imperial Fists, White Scars, and Blood Angels) as they made their way to Terra. The Space Wolves move to help the Dark Angels so both Legions can join the fighting on Terra.
Maybe I'm wrong but this is the time line I've got in my head at least...
Pilau Rice wrote:I think he's pretty much on the mark. Nikaea wasn't long after Ullanor.
Unless you're Dark Angels as written by Mike Lee, in which case, Event A never ever happened.
I guess we're referring to Fallen Angels?
Does it just not get mentioned at all in that. My reasoning was that the Dark Angels on Caliban were pretty much left in the dark (heh) on pretty much everything that the crusading Dark Angels were doing or were told to do. If I remember correctly then the Lion doesn't have an Librarians with him?
"It’s not often you feel sympathy for a transdimensional manifestation of mankind’s darkest desires, but it’s hard not to feel a little bit sorry for these daemonettes.
This latest piece of artwork from the talented Jon Sullivan is the cover for the forthcoming Space Marine Battles novel, Wrath of Iron.
Jon’s artwork is always dynamic and visceral and the Iron Hands Space Marines are really dishing out the pain to those daemons. Have a look at this kitted-out Space Marine, wielding two boltguns and blasting warp-spawn apart by the dozen!
And check out this Terminator, wading through the lesser servants of Chaos with the cold, methodical awesomeness we’d expect of the Iron Hands.
Wrath of Iron is being written by Chris Wraight, author of the Battle of the Fang, so it’s a fair bet that the content of the novel will be every bit as awesome and action-packed as the cover. This novel will be released in July next year, but you can set your reminder for this novel today.
Tomorrow on the blog, we’ll have an extract from another Space Marine Battles novel: Legion of the Damned by Rob Sanders (where some more daemons get blasted apart by heartless power armoured superhumans. It’s not a good week to be a minion of Chaos!)"
Christmas is here! Sure you might have started your seasonal shopping and put up your decorations, but now you have the Black Library advent calendar, meaning its official!
Every day we’ll be revealing another section from a brand new Horus Heresy artwork, as well as giving you a fiendishly difficult question, set to test the true Black Library fan.
alphaomega wrote:I thought event A happens after Event C.
As I remember that Horus is disgusted at Magnus' use of sorcery and realises he could become a very large problem.
And as such it is Horus and Erebus who lean on Terra to bring the council of Nikea to ban psykers in the legions.
That may be the case but if Nikea happens after Horus becomes a traitor, why wouldn't Magnus tell the Emperor himself at the meeting? Nikea has to happen prior Horus's fall. Magnus didn't warn the Emperor about Istavaan III thereby bringing the 7 legions in to quell Horus's rebellion on Istavaan V (that was Gareth), he warned the Emperor that Horus had fallen at Davin. When Gareth returned from Istavaan III, it confirmed what Magnus had told him. Its a bit convuluted but that is pretty much the only way the events could have played out. If Horus was a traitor, Magnus already knew and already outed him to the Emperor. The Emperor received his message and didn't believe him. Horus could have used a mouth piece from another Legion to drive his point home but he couldn't do it himself. If someone says you're a traitor, your word would hold less weight until it can be proven otherwise. On top of that, the Emperor only tells Leman Russ to return him to Terra, he doesn't relay the message to Russ. Just that he violated the Council of Nikea and he needed to be returned to Terra to account for his actions. Horus was the one who convinced Russ that bringing Magnus back to Terra would not be the right thing. The only way Horus could influence Russ would be prior to Istavaan III as shortly thereafter, it was common knowledge he was a traitor. Shortly after Istavaan III and V, Horus receives word that Magnus has been taken care of.
Thats my two cents at least. I don't recall the part about Erebus and Horus leaning on Terra to ban the use of Librarians. It is possible that I missed that part - these two books I expected to be some of the best but I was proven wrong :(
Christmas is here! Sure you might have started your seasonal shopping and put up your decorations, but now you have the Black Library advent calendar, meaning its official!
Every day we’ll be revealing another section from a brand new Horus Heresy artwork, as well as giving you a fiendishly difficult question, set to test the true Black Library fan.
I had a lot of fun reading 'The Gildar Rift' (have a look at my review over Here) and, once I'd finished, found that I had a few questions that I would have loved to run past Sarah given half a chance. Well, not only did I get that chance but a whole load of answers came flying back; thanks Sarah!
Check it out...
In what’s becoming a question that I ask Black Library authors... Do you have your own army of Space Marines and (if so) did you use them to enact key scenes when writing ‘The Gildar Rift’?
I’m in the process of building my first full army. At the current rate, I might actually have a game-ready force by around 2017. My entire army presently consists of a Terminator Librarian and two-and-a-half Devastators. But you know. They could probably fight off a couple of angry squirrels.
I happily admit to using a couple of figures to block out certain scenes. More fun though was the blocking of the space battles. ‘This stapler is the strike cruiser… and this hole punch is the Wolf of Fenris, these pencils are…’ Things were swept off the desk and the battle of office stationery was waged.
I do something similar with my office stationery, the big difference though is that I'm not writing a book... On your blog you mention that you get to ‘write about super-human, 7ft tall, heavily armoured killing machines with BIG guns, bigger swords and a collective mental age of about 15’. How do you go about making an emotionally stunted post-human character someone that a reader wants to spend time with (when he’s not blowing stuff up)?
I enjoy creating characters that people feel something about. Whether that ‘something’ is sympathy, dislike, affection or whatever. Contrary to other people's beliefs, I don’t think that Space Marines are flat and emotionless. They fascinate me. Everything about them is exaggerated – and that includes the way they interact, particularly with each other. They're only flat and emotionless if you write them that way. Of course, there's always a need for 'red shirts'.
If you aren’t emotionally invested in your own characters whilst writing about them, you can’t expect readers to care about what happens to them. If I have a character I don’t enjoy writing about, I tend to assess their behaviour and try to make them start behaving the way I would want to read about them behaving.
There must be countless Chapters of Marines fighting their way across the Imperium, what led you to focus on the Silver Skulls? Can you see yourself writing more about this Chapter in the future?
I’d developed some stuff about the Silver Skulls alongside some friends on the old Bolthole forums and over time have grown very fond of them. My fellow forumites were very supportive of my pursuing getting some of our stuff into canon. Of course, some of the things that were originally developed were thrown out for being too radical and stringently anti-codex, but many other things have remained. Above anything else, I like the tribal, superstitious nature of the Silver Skulls.
I also like that they are going through a vital period of change in their history, a change that they may have left too late.
I’d definitely like to write more about them. There are too many characters in my head I want to give screen time to.
Huron Blackheart is a pretty major character in the Warhammer 40K universe. What was it like to have him stride around in your novel? Were there any constraints that you felt in writing about a character that may yet have a part to play in future books written by other authors?
It was wonderful. He took on a life of his own. Whilst I was writing The Gildar Rift, Aaron Dembski-Bowden was also completing Blood Reaver, so we spoke a bit about how our different realisations of the same character could marry up properly.
It was definitely a great honour to get hold of a character like Huron. There’s just something so immensely satisfying about being able to write for a character who is as mad as a box of frogs, but who still possesses the remnants of one of the most brilliant strategic minds ever.
‘The Gildar Rift’ ends with one particular story left unfinished (and it just had to be about the guy I was rooting for the most...), are you planning on tying up any loose ends in a future book?
I most definitely hope so. The character I’m guessing you are talking about is one who actually survived the original draft cull. He was scheduled to die somewhere around page 300, but I’d gotten too attached to him (see previous comment about investment in characters). So his over-arcing story changed completely during the process of storytelling.
I’m shamelessly stealing this question from my interview with Chris Wraight... You’re writing in a universe that isn’t just shared between writers but also between thousands (at least) of wargamers. How has this second group of people taken to your work so far? How does it feel to be the one depicting cities and even entire planets that have been fought over for years now?
Feedback so far has been brilliant. It’s an unnerving experience watching your first novel go out into the wild, particularly amongst an audience with as much enthusiasm and eagerness as the Warhammer fandom. I’ve been to several signing events now and without fail, people have been highly encouraging, having read one of the several Silver Skulls stories that have appeared throughout the ‘life’ of Hammer & Bolter. Now that the book has gone on more general release, with a full release very shortly, I’ve started getting a trickle of feedback. And it’s all been encouraging stuff.
I love this universe. I have researched and read until my eyeballs bleed and I am glad to be seen to be doing it some justice. If I can continue produce stories people enjoy reading… then that’s good enough for me.
If you could be any other Black Library writer, which one would you be and why?
Aaron Dembski-Bowden. Nobody can rock the beanie like that man.
Actually, every other one of the BL authors has 'something' going for them that I envy in one way or the other. But being fundamentally pragmatic, I'll just have to carry on learning from them - and believe you me, these folks are very generous with their time and advice.
Why should someone who has never picked up a Black Library book give them a go?
It’s too easy to dismiss Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy books as ‘just more tie-in fiction’. But the universes are both so stunningly unique. There is so little that’s meh… generic… about the fantasy/40K verses. For the most part, there is a great mix of character-led stories and high energy action set pieces. And they’re just plain fun to read.
The ‘Horus Heresy’ books are a pretty big deal for Black Library at the moment, have you got your eye on writing one in the future?
That’s the dream of any author who gets taken into the Black Library fold, I’m sure. It would be an absolutely brilliant opportunity should it arise and I’d leap at it. To be able to contribute to such a rich series would be amazing.
And finally, you have another Black Library book coming out next year, who is Valkia the Bloody?
This lovely lady is the consort of Khorne and one of the most notorious Warriors of Chaos of the Old World. She’s a former barbarian queen who has something of a penchant for doing things her own way and dishing out fast punishments to any who dare challenge her. After a bit of a heated discussion with a daemon prince of Slaanesh who suggests that she might be more suited to being one of his slave girls, she dedicates herself to Khorne and…
And lots of things happen… mostly involving blood, decapitation, pitched battles and all the other things you'd expect of a Champion of Khorne.
Thanks Sarah!
Thoroughly enjoyed Gildar Rift, thought the space battles were especially well done.
And, assuming they mean who I think they do, I'm also glad that a certain person's story isn't quite over yet.
Read "Age of Legend" last/this week and enjoyed the stories immensely. The Valkia one bodes well for that tome and I was also impressed with how she wrote the Dwarves as well. Successfully made them dignified and brave without making them comedic or light relief.
re: timeline in TOD; the question that some are not asking is this, why was the thousand son marine imprisoned already? the magnus pebcak didnt happen until mid-book.
Picked up "Hammer and Anvil" at my local B&N a couple of days ago. Partway through I started getting the impression that it was using the Sororitas characters as framing devices to show off the new Necrons...
xcasex wrote:re: timeline in TOD; the question that some are not asking is this, why was the thousand son marine imprisoned already? the magnus pebcak didnt happen until mid-book.
I'm not sure that's too relevant; there were a multitude of astartes imprisoned, originating from both traitor and loyal legions (except Artharva only released the traitor legionnaires).
Obviously it didn't describe why they were imprisoned, but I'm sure this will be picked up upon in a later novel, which is fine with me. I do think the author should've given some kind of hint/indication why they were there though.
xcasex wrote:re: timeline in TOD; the question that some are not asking is this, why was the thousand son marine imprisoned already? the magnus pebcak didnt happen until mid-book.
I'm not sure that's too relevant; there were a multitude of astartes imprisoned, originating from both traitor and loyal legions (except Artharva only released the traitor legionnaires).
Obviously it didn't describe why they were imprisoned, but I'm sure this will be picked up upon in a later novel, which is fine with me. I do think the author should've given some kind of hint/indication why they were there though.
HA!
I'm not so sure...
Again, I just wish that BL had a bit more/tighter editorial control.
xcasex wrote:re: timeline in TOD; the question that some are not asking is this, why was the thousand son marine imprisoned already? the magnus pebcak didnt happen until mid-book.
It was something to do with his involvement in "The Crusader Host". Precisely what this means is unknown, but there were marines from both lyalist and non-loyalist legions, so it was presumabley nothing to do with the Nikaea edict. I dare say "The Crusader Host" plot will be expandedupon at some point, although I don't expect an answer immediately.
Kanluwen wrote:"The Crusader Host" refers to Sigismund's branch of the Imperial Fists, which would later become the Black Templars IIRC.
The Crusader Host mentioned in The Outcast Dead included at least one of the Thousand Sons, Sons of Horus, Emperor's Children and Death Guard, and at least three World Eaters, along with an unspecified number of members from other legions, both loyalist and non-loyalist, so it seems unlikely that the two organisations are the same. What this Crusader Host actually was and what they did to merit incarceration in Terra's most secure prison is at present a mystery until further information is recieved from later novels.
Vampires have gone soft. It seems like nowadays they’re as likely to sweep you off your feet in a gesture of undying love as they are to drain your frail human form of arterial fluid.
If you like your vampires to be predatory creatures of the night rather than pallid, twinkling romantics, fear not. Actually, be afraid, because on Friday you’ll be able to order the massive new Vampires omnibus, packed with grisly vampire tales to really sink your teeth into.
The book itself is immense, as befits a dark tome that chronicles the great vampire bloodlines of the Old World. Check out the size of it, looming over Age of Legend like a monolithic tome from some archaic mausoleum.
The omnibus contains six blood drenched tales (two novels, three short stories and a comic), covering vampires from the repulsive Necrachs to the bestial Strigoi.
Here’s a look at one of the pages in the comic Blood Brothers:
You can order your copy of Vampires this Friday. If you’re anything like me and your memory is worse than a zombie with concussion, you can set a reminder so you’ll receive an email when it goes on sale.
But that’s not all that happens this Friday. We’ll also be announcing exciting details of the next in our range of limited edition collectable novellas. We can’t tell you too much just now, but what we can say is that, like all Black Library collectable novellas, it will written by one of our top authors and printed in a lavish hardback format. To be the first to know all about it, sign up for the newsletter now.
The hallowed ranks of Black Library limited edition novellas will soon have a new addition.
Catechism of Hate is set to join other coveted titles like Aurelian, Iron Warrior and The Bloody Handed when it is released on the 6th of January 6pm (GMT).
This novella will be first Space Marine Battles story to be printed in this lavish format and, like the novels in that series, it will feature stunning cover art by Jon Sullivan and detailed tactical maps (we’ll take a closer look at these on next week’s blog).
All collectors’ novellas also have a custom hardcover design, and Catechism of Hate is no exception, proudly bearing the symbol of the Ultramarines in glorious shining blue on a white background.
Author Gav Thorpe is no stranger to writing Space Marines, having penned The Purging of Kadillus and the perennial favourite Angels of Darkness, but this is his first book to star the zealous Chaplain Cassius of the Ultramarines. This grizzled veteran is as tough as old artificer-armoured boots, and where other Ultramarines are honourable and noble warriors, Cassius has nothing but hatred and contempt for the enemies of the Imperium. ( Okay, that’s not quite true; he also has copious quantities of burning promethium for the enemies of the Imperium.)
This novella will be released on the 6th of January and numbers will be strictly limited to 1,500 copies (in English). To make sure you don’t miss out, set your reminder now.
And for you horror fans out there, count (ahem...) on us to bring you great books this winter. The new direct exclusive book Vampires is on sale now. This massive 640-page tome should see you through the long, dark December nights. And if your unholy thirst isn’t quenched by that, there are three new Von Carstein vampire eBooks for you to enjoy: Inheritance, Retribution and Dominion. All of these are by Steve Savile, who also wrote one of the novels in Vampires.
Be sure to visit next week when we’ll be bringing you extracts, new art and news of an exciting Black Library event.
Christmas is here! Sure you might have started your seasonal shopping and put up your decorations, but now you have the Black Library advent calendar, meaning its official!
Every day we’ll be revealing another section from a brand new Horus Heresy artwork, as well as giving you a fiendishly difficult question, set to test the true Black Library fan.
Check it out each day on the run up to Christmas.
Check back on the 25th for a Christmas surprise!
Going by the first reveal, it looks like it's either an Iron Warriors novel or a very good red herring.
Pilau Rice wrote:Looks to be Tyranids and Ultramarines.
Indeed, the chappy on the cover is none other than the Ultramarines' Master of Sanctity, Ortan Cassius, strutting his funky stuff against the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Behemoth.
Noisy_Marine wrote:What is up with BL and the special edition novels? I'd really like to read "Aurelian", but it sold out before I even knew it existed ...
Well, they know their sales numbers, I guess.
3000 * $50 (+ ridiculous shipping) - costs must equal more than $8 - x average number of copies of books sold in HH series - costs, or some such formula...
Either that or it just makes them a silly amount of cash for a less than silly amount of outlay?
Or, even more likely, some formula or reasoning that I have no knowledge of is being used here.
Clearly it appears to make sense for BL/GW, and it isn't going away anytime soon.
Noisy_Marine wrote:What is up with BL and the special edition novels? I'd really like to read "Aurelian", but it sold out before I even knew it existed ...
Well, they know their sales numbers, I guess.
3000 * $50 (+ ridiculous shipping) - costs must equal more than $8 - x average number of copies of books sold in HH series - costs, or some such formula...
Either that or it just makes them a silly amount of cash for a less than silly amount of outlay?
Or, even more likely, some formula or reasoning that I have no knowledge of is being used here.
Clearly it appears to make sense for BL/GW, and it isn't going away anytime soon.
Sad, but true!
Is there anything in the prior press releases that specifically prohibit them from eventually releasing a cheap amazon or barnes and noble version of the same books? If not, then they're leaving the door open for getting the best of both worlds (limited run "collector" print of the book for huge profits and then the mass market version).
The times where I've seen a timeline mentioned paints it as "two years".
They might be going a bit vague though so they don't mislead someone,even accidentally, if they do not have an "acceptable" anthology to publish it within.
Black Library cover artist Jon Sullivan works at a frankly alarming rate. As well as the many covers he produces for the Space Marine Battles series, he also creates the majority of the stunning artwork for the Time of Legends novels like this brand new art for the first book in the War of Vengeance series, The Great Betrayal.
Dwarf versus elf in a duel to the death, with dragons flocking the skies… I do believe that Jon has redefined “epic” with this piece. My favourite details are on the dwarf’s helmet and beard. Let us know on Facebook what you like most about this art.
The Great Betrayal will be out in August 2012. If you want to read up on the events that come before the War of Vengeance, check out The Sundering series by Gav Thorpe, where the seeds are laid for the conflict between the dwarfs and the elves. And speaking of Gav, tomorrow’s blog will have an exclusive extract from Catechism of Hate, his new Warhammer 40,000 novella. See you then.
One last thing, some good news for our UK customers:
We’ve managed to wrangle a few extra days of free Christmas shipping. It was just a matter of sending Rogal Dorn down there motivate the post office staff, that guy’s a real taskmaster.
You now have until the 16th of December to take advantage of our free shipping offer and still get your books in time for Christmas.
Yah i know, in one book on Custodes ganks 4 marines in a blink of an eye, only to get ganked by the one he missed and in another, Custodes can deflect bullets but gets thoroughly beaten by a single unarmored and unarmed marine.
And who knows how many died in the attack on Prospero.......
I try to ignore it as much as i can, but it still gets to me at times
lol @ trusting the BL editorial staff, that's funny
Alpharius wrote:I agree with you on the Custodes point, but then there's a lot of inconsistencies throughout the HH series, and really in everything BL.
Best to just trust in BL Editorial (or not!) and enjoy the ride!
There's really not much "inconsistency" when you're talking about the Custodes. Every time they've been brought down, it's by people working together and who are familiar with the Custodes. It's been noted, multiple times in the Horus Heresy novels no less, that the Custodes are not "soldiers". They are "warriors".
Listening to Thorn and Talon right now, most enjoyable and of great quality, well worth a listen and oh yes, the actor voicing Eisenhorn is a perfect match for the job.
Alpharius wrote:I agree with you on the Custodes point, but then there's a lot of inconsistencies throughout the HH series, and really in everything BL.
Best to just trust in BL Editorial (or not!) and enjoy the ride!
There's really not much "inconsistency" when you're talking about the Custodes. Every time they've been brought down, it's by people working together and who are familiar with the Custodes. It's been noted, multiple times in the Horus Heresy novels no less, that the Custodes are not "soldiers". They are "warriors".
...
BrookM wrote:Listening to Thorn and Talon right now, most enjoyable and of great quality, well worth a listen and oh yes, the actor voicing Eisenhorn is a perfect match for the job.
I might have to pick this up then, on your recommendation!
Alpharius wrote:I agree with you on the Custodes point, but then there's a lot of inconsistencies throughout the HH series, and really in everything BL.
Best to just trust in BL Editorial (or not!) and enjoy the ride!
There's really not much "inconsistency" when you're talking about the Custodes. Every time they've been brought down, it's by people working together and who are familiar with the Custodes. It's been noted, multiple times in the Horus Heresy novels no less, that the Custodes are not "soldiers". They are "warriors".
...
BrookM wrote:Listening to Thorn and Talon right now, most enjoyable and of great quality, well worth a listen and oh yes, the actor voicing Eisenhorn is a perfect match for the job.
I might have to pick this up then, on your recommendation!
I think Kan is pointing to First Heretic, where they point out each Custodes fights at a high level, but as a single warrior, not a part of a unit, and that being their weakness.
Just finished listening to the last story, the classic "Thorn Wishes Talon" and it really ups the ante for future audio dramas by BL. Having a voice cast made up of more than two actors works wonders. Buy it, buy it today!
BrookM wrote:Just finished listening to the last story, the classic "Thorn Wishes Talon" and it really ups the ante for future audio dramas by BL. Having a voice cast made up of more than two actors works wonders. Buy it, buy it today!
Words cannot describe how much I want to (First came across the Eisenhorn books in my local library at the tender age of nine, and have loved him ever since), but I fear that it shall have to be a post-Christmas purchase for me...
It may interest people (or not at all, but hey, whatever) to know that today's Black Library blog post (http://www.blacklibrary.com/Blog/Hate-the-Alien.html) contains an extract from the novella 'Catechisms of Hate', in which Ortan Cassius violently molests an innocent, terrified Lictor. Takes all sorts, I suppose.
Alpharius wrote:I agree with you on the Custodes point, but then there's a lot of inconsistencies throughout the HH series, and really in everything BL.
Best to just trust in BL Editorial (or not!) and enjoy the ride!
There's really not much "inconsistency" when you're talking about the Custodes. Every time they've been brought down, it's by people working together and who are familiar with the Custodes. It's been noted, multiple times in the Horus Heresy novels no less, that the Custodes are not "soldiers". They are "warriors".
...
BrookM wrote:Listening to Thorn and Talon right now, most enjoyable and of great quality, well worth a listen and oh yes, the actor voicing Eisenhorn is a perfect match for the job.
I might have to pick this up then, on your recommendation!
I think Kan is pointing to First Heretic, where they point out each Custodes fights at a high level, but as a single warrior, not a part of a unit, and that being their weakness.
Very much so.
Being an unstoppable demigod of war doesn't save you when you're facing a well-trained and disciplined foe who knows how you fight.
What are you doing on the 3rd of November next year?
What are you doing on the 3rd of November next year?
The correct answer is attending the biggest Black Library’s event ever!
The Black Library Weekender will be the first of its kind, a two day extravaganza of an event. If you’re a Black Library fan (and good odds you are, since you’re reading this blog) you’ll want to be there. Join us for a full weekend of Black Library activities: over 20 hours of seminars and signings with more authors than any previous event, and from across the world. The Weekender will last from Saturday the 3rd to Sunday the 4th of November 2012.
The Venue will be the lavish Nottingham Belfry Hotel. This huge complex will play host to 700 Black Library fans for the full weekend, you’ll even be able to book a room at this four-star hotel at a preferential rate that would put budget B&Bs to shame.
There will be a huge range of Black Library products on sale, including:
• Limited edition novellas, exclusive to the Weekender
• Pre-release novels and audiobooks
• Two exclusive chapbooks
• Copies of the 2012 event exclusive signed art prints
• The full Direct Exclusive range
We’ll let you know more details as the event approaches. For now, just keep the weekend of the 3rd of November free and sign up to our newsletter to be the first find out when tickets go on sale.
In other news: you can now download all of January’s new releases as ebooks today,including Deliverance Lost, Age of Legend and the latest edition of Hammer and Bolter, our online monthly fiction magazine.
Hammer and Bolter Issue 15 features the third instalment in the serialised novel Gilead’s Curse by Nik Vincent and Dan Abnett, and the first in a two-part Flesh Tearers story by Andy Smillie. There’s also the short story Torment (also on sale separately today) and a Silver Skulls story by Sarah Cawkwell.
For you audio fans out there, Galaxy in Flames is now available as a six-hour abridged MP3, perfect for long drives or to listen to while you paint some Citadel miniatures.
Join us next week on the Blog to read an extract from a new Dan Abnett novel, see some awesome new artwork of a two-headed dragon and find out more about the upcoming Ultramarines novella Catechism of Hate.
All Imperial Fists carry boarding equipment and yes, they are fighting Iron Warriors. The big surprise would be who the warrior is lashing out with his chain sword, as the square with his face is saved until last.
I always thought it was Iron Warriors VS. Imperial Fists; which I think is really interesting considering their history, the amount of destruction occuring to the fleet(s) in the background and I don't recall any heresy-era stories of the IW VS. IF...
Cheers Brook!
Just Dave wrote:I always thought it was Iron Warriors VS. Imperial Fists; which I think is really interesting considering their history, the amount of destruction occuring to the fleet(s) in the background and I don't recall any heresy-era stories of the IW VS. IF...
Cheers Brook!
Could be Post-Heresy "Scourging" or it could be something new that they made up and added in to explain it.
I'd be pretty surprised if it was either of those. Seems like we're not that far along yet. Probably some previously unknown battle between them that'll make the Battle for the Palace extra grudge matchey.
A quick look at Mechanicum confirms that you are right. I'm pretty sure Flight of the Eisenstein has Dorn dispatching Sigismund to Istvaan though, so I don't think this event has been retconned. He'll just have to make it back in time to be present when Mars gets uppity. A bit of a stretch perhaps, but not a total kick in the nuts to the timeline like Outcast Dead was.
Would seem likely then that we're seeing the cover for "The Crimson Fist", a HH novella/tale by Mr. French which features "the Imperial Fists, Perturabo and a whole lotta spaceships" according to what we were told at GD : UK.
.. and moving on...
Double (headed) dragon
It’s a well known adage that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. But how could this book not rock your socks off? It’s got a two-headed dragon on the front!
This art by Cheoljoo Lee is for the forthcoming Warhammer Heroes novel Van Horstmann, telling the story of the infamous Chaos Champion’s fall from grace. As you can see, it also involves a large and terrifying dragon.
Excitingly, Van Horstmann is the first Warhammer novel from veteran Warhammer 40,000 author Ben Counter, best known for his Soul Drinkers and Grey Knights series. It will be released towards the end of 2012. You can check out a short Warhammer tale from Ben in Age of Legend, which is available to pre-order now.
Looks good, Horstmann is a good choice for this series too IMO.
Begel Dverl wrote:Who is Van Horstmann? Should I know about him?
One of the old Chaos SCs. Basically a former head of the College of Light (in the Empire) who proceeded to become somewhat corrupt, wound up freeing a bound Chaos Dragon and flying around burninating the countryside.
“We are coming up on 6 years since the first Horus Heresy book was published, I know the series is very popular, but being in the know, any idea how much longer it will stretch out before they get to the end?”
Gav Thorpe. You write a description of what is happening without myself either feeling immersed or overly interested. I managed to not really care nor be really impressed by the overly long scenes on either Terra or anywhere else, to that matter. The only part that interested me was the Alpha Legion, and that was more due to the ... average nature of the story. The same happened in the Age of Legend series. Lots of description with less feeling, and a few ideas which were decent but not shattering.
Note - this was better than the Purging of Kallidus. However, that is not a compliment. Overall I think he should stick to Eldar/Elves, which he seems to write better, rather than Marines whom he seems to write below par for.
Review - Age of Legend.- I'm done reading Nick Kyme. Now Nick seems to have more potential often than Gav, but ends up delivering as little most of the time. After Grimblades, Fall of Damnos and the finale of the Salamanders series, I'm pretty much ensured that I'm not buying anything more of his unless the press is astonishingly good.
On a good note, CL Werner and most of the other authors were extremely good in the Age of Legends series.
Phillip Adams did well in what was a first read of him for me, and Sarah Cawkwell build from a solid start in The Gildar Rift.
I'm really starting to wish Rob Sanders, ADB, Dan Abnett, GMN, CL Werner, Chris Wraight and the James Swallow who wrote The Flight of the Eisenstein would write some more, and some of the others whose work is less than stellar either get the editorial or managerial assistance they require.
Anyway, after all that venting, still can't wait for Calth to arrive. Plus I'm interested to see the new stuff they reveal during the next phase of HH books.
Ok so I pretty much made up most of the above sentence, but read his diplomatic language and decide for yourself.
I read that yesterday. Didn't get any sense of "hate" from it about him.
He seems to imply that some of it does not agree with his perception of Grey Knights, but that's the nature of the beast.
Alpharius wrote:Help - I'm work blocked!
What does he say here:
In short: That the Horus Heresy will not end any time soon. When he joined the team, he was advocating to "end it sooner" but he was shown that they have a chance to fully flesh out the Horus Heresy and it's something that should be done not simply just blitz through it as a way to do a cashcow.
Ok so I pretty much made up most of the above sentence, but read his diplomatic language and decide for yourself.
I read that yesterday. Didn't get any sense of "hate" from it about him.
He seems to imply that some of it does not agree with his perception of Grey Knights, but that's the nature of the beast.
I think it is fairly apparent that he's NOT happy with quite a bit of the new GK background.
Kanluwen wrote:
Alpharius wrote:Help - I'm work blocked!
What does he say here:
In short: That the Horus Heresy will not end any time soon. When he joined the team, he was advocating to "end it sooner" but he was shown that they have a chance to fully flesh out the Horus Heresy and it's something that should be done not simply just blitz through it as a way to do a cashcow.
Which is funny because dragging it out is more of a 'cashcow' move then if they'd just move it along already!
I'm not complaining though as I love the setting and the more the merrier for me...
Kanluwen wrote:He doesn't make a secret of it when he's "not happy" with something.
How curious that you should say so, from what I have seen of Mr Dembski-Bowden's contributions to the internet he is a subtle, hopelessly polite and as non-abrasive as they come. Why, his discourse on the unusually-shaped faces of certain Star Trek in-universe races was so peacable as to put the Dalai Lama and Mother Theresa both to shame.
Kanluwen wrote:He doesn't make a secret of it when he's "not happy" with something.
How curious that you should say so, from what I have seen of Mr Dembski-Bowden's contributions to the internet he is a subtle, hopelessly polite and as non-abrasive as they come. Why, his discourse on the unusually-shaped faces of certain Star Trek in-universe races was so peacable as to put the Dalai Lama and Mother Theresa both to shame.
Oh I'm aware of his contributions. However, my point is that it's still blindingly obvious when he does not like something. The fact that he named the book after a line in the Grey Knights codex and the most "irked" piece he seemed to have was a big rant about how the Dreadknight does not fit his vision of the Grey Knights(which I'm with him on, for the most part) bodes fairly well for the GK book.
I've been having a bad run with books recently. I'm hoping something will blow me away soon before I start to associate my Kindle with disappointment and boredom (when are the next ADB and Abnett novels due?)
1Q84 (Haruki Murakami) - Oops wrong forum. My favourite author but it sucked and it was looooooooooong.
Thorn and Talon (Dan Abnett) - The first story, Master Imus' Transgression, was AWESOME. The second story was not on the same level but still enjoyable. The third was kind of a special case. I've read the story already, and it doesn't really work as a standalone story - ideally you'd read/listen to this between the relevant books in the Ravenor series. That said, the production on this one was spot on. If you're not totally sold on audiobooks this will purge your petty reservations with righteous flames.
Deliverance Lost (Gav Thorpe) - I'm halfway through and considering calling it quits. I finished Battle for the Abyss. It's not as bad as that cursed tome, but this is covering events that I should be interested in and it's just enormously disappointing. The thing that makes me want to quit is that it's been getting steadily more goofy as the book progresses, and I don't want my lasting impression of the characters or legions involved to be permenantly tainted. I've been dreading the events covered in <redacted> being picked up by a weaker author, but now it's happened and all the interesting possibilities for one of my favourite legions have come to nothing.
xcasex wrote:i'm halfway through Deliverance Lost and i'm going to the bookstore to get my money back. utter tripe.
Interesting... I did the same with Last Chancers and refused to read anything by him for a while. His Dark Angel stuff was mediocre at best (but not abysmal like the Last Chancers) but his more recent Eldar books were actually good reads. Apparently he's got quite the rollercoaster talent (or lack thereof depending on which part of the ride he's on at the time).
Officially he didn't exactly earn that title until after the Heresy, when mister angry-face personally broke up his own Legion in a hissy bitch fit. Could be wrong though, fluff gets taken out back by uncle so and so with a purty dress and make up a lot these days.
BrookM wrote:Officially he didn't exactly earn that title until after the Heresy, when mister angry-face personally broke up his own Legion in a hissy bitch fit. Could be wrong though, fluff gets taken out back by uncle so and so with a purty dress and make up a lot these days.
An extremely colorful AND apt analogy!
I hope it isn't about the angriest of angry marines... but even if it is, in ADB we trust!
Typhus, it has to be typhus. Not only was he a betrayer to the Emperor, but also to his legion and it kindof "fits" into where they are at in the timeline... Although i have been drinking so....
bhsman wrote:I don't think this'll cover the splintering of the World Eaters, but instead perhaps covers his downfall to madness?
That's pretty well covered already. Everyone knows that Kharn went a bit loopy after Khorne took away his khat. Kharn loooved his khittey, and khittey loooved his Kharn, so when Khorne took Kharn's khittey Kharn went khrazy and khilled many of his khlosest friends. Maybe if Kharn had just sat down and had a talk with Khorne, maybe brought some apple khrumble and khustard as a peace offering, Khorne would have khonveyed the khat back to Kharn, and his life since would have been khonpletely different.
Of khourse, it'll be interesting to see what sort of spin ADB takes on this story, if that is indeed what the khontents of this book will khover.
I still cannot believe they allowed Gav Thorpe anywhere near a computer to write a HH novel. After trying to read several of his novels I am not wasting money taking a chance on his latest offering. May pick it up at "half price books" if there is nothing else I want to by with the a 25% discount.... possibly.
When it comes to betrayer - maybe betrayer is a term used for describing Emperor. Angron always thought that his father betrayed him, first not allowing him to die with his fellow gladiators, second abandoning the crusade. Maybe then this novel is about what brought World Eaters to heresy and into Khorne arms?
fullheadofhair: they allow Nick Kyme and James Swallow to write HH books and you wonder about Gav Thorpe [who btw is much better then both of them together]?
Having taken a couple of days off to enjoy the company of my family (who are now variously back at work or still in bed as I type this!) just wanted to drop in and hope that you all had a great Christmas and to add wishes for a Happy New Year!
That's pretty well covered already. Everyone knows that Kharn went a bit loopy after Khorne took away his khat. Kharn loooved his khittey, and khittey loooved his Kharn, so when Khorne took Kharn's khittey Kharn went khrazy and khilled many of his khlosest friends. Maybe if Kharn had just sat down and had a talk with Khorne, maybe brought some apple khrumble and khustard as a peace offering, Khorne would have khonveyed the khat back to Kharn, and his life since would have been khonpletely different.
Of khourse, it'll be interesting to see what sort of spin ADB takes on this story, if that is indeed what the khontents of this book will khover.
I think your being a bit flippant here, Kharn is quite a deep character. His story is one that a lot of people can relate to...
I hope ADB has the skull to Khonvey this Khoncept.
That's pretty well covered already. Everyone knows that Kharn went a bit loopy after Khorne took away his khat. Kharn loooved his khittey, and khittey loooved his Kharn, so when Khorne took Kharn's khittey Kharn went khrazy and khilled many of his khlosest friends. Maybe if Kharn had just sat down and had a talk with Khorne, maybe brought some apple khrumble and khustard as a peace offering, Khorne would have khonveyed the khat back to Kharn, and his life since would have been khonpletely different.
Of khourse, it'll be interesting to see what sort of spin ADB takes on this story, if that is indeed what the khontents of this book will khover.
I think your being a bit flippant here, Kharn is quite a deep character. His story is one that a lot of people can relate to...
I hope ADB has the skull to Khonvey this Khoncept.
Shadow Walker wrote:When it comes to betrayer - maybe betrayer is a term used for describing Emperor. Angron always thought that his father betrayed him, first not allowing him to die with his fellow gladiators, second abandoning the crusade. Maybe then this novel is about what brought World Eaters to heresy and into Khorne arms?
fullheadofhair: they allow Nick Kyme and James Swallow to write HH books and you wonder about Gav Thorpe [who btw is much better then both of them together]?
You may be on to something there. It could refer to The Emperor but the book itself would still be about Karn.
It is more than a bit of a stretch to claim the Emperor is the betrayer in the story and a bigger stretch to think the book will be about him, cast in such a light!
I am reading Deliverance Lost now, about halfway through... I must say, the last few Heresy books have been really top notch IMO, their stable of authors has been steadily improving and it has been a pleasure to read them, warts and all. Granted, it's still a 40k book and I am not comparing them to the pinnacle of literary achievement, but a darn fun read for a fan all the same.
) You can imagine a Monty Python sketch of that bit with Terry Jones as the high-voiced cleaning woman, and John Cleese as Magnus. 
