I liked it, although the title characters make their appearance(somewhat) throughout the novel, its not until the closing chapter that the ghostly marines start to kick ass and take names. Other than that its a pretty straight forward Space Marine Battles novel, with some decent action and a somewhat unique threat. It did pretty much confirm who the Legion is or were, but it did little to explain how/why they got to what they are now, which was my primary drive to get this book. Sadly like the Lost Legions, we'll probably never know.
Also introduced something like a Rogal Dorn version of Sanguinius's genetic curse that afflicts this particular Chapter, which I thought was pretty neat and is central to the main characters predicament.
With that said, the Space Marine Battles format is getting tired. Its time to add some Chaos to the Space Marine Battles series. Or an actual battle where the Marines (gasp!) lose.
NELS1031 wrote:
With that said, the Space Marine Battles format is getting tired. Its time to add some Chaos to the Space Marine Battles series. Or an actual battle where the Marines (gasp!) lose.
While I sort of agree, the Fall of Damnos wasnt really what I would call a Space Marine victory. Grumpy smurf got kicked in the 'nads pretty well there!
Just now started reading the Gildar Rift...
Just finished Deliverance Lost. I enjoyed it. Not as good as the original 3 or First Heretic but enjoyable. Especially like the look at Alpha Legion and Corax who is now one of my favorite Primarchs.
And what a 2012 we have planned for you lovely folks…
• over 30 new novels
• Six new titles in the Horus Heresy series (including novels from the founding authors of the series: Dan Abnett, James Swallow and Graham McNeill)
• More audio dramas than ever before (including Space Marine action from the Raven Guard, Ultramarines and Dark Angels)
• Black Library Live! 2012
• Seven Games Days across three continents
• The biggest Black Library event ever this November
And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. 2012 promises to be awesome and you needn’t wait long: the first big release of the year is only three days away.
I finished deliverence lost yesterday as well. I really enjoyed it, I was never a big fan of the rg, but I was really feeling what they went through and liked the back story. I know some people did not like it, I was just glad that it was more my style.
I'll agree that the Alpha Legion fluff was significantly diverged from the IA article but I wouldn't say the Raven Guards did much. It really just seemed to expand on it. I'm pretty sure that the lock them up and execute them thing happened post heresy so the whole article could really still apply.
Not really though - as there wasn't really any of that tone and/or foreshadowing - certainly not enough to drive Corax to madness and off on his solo looney odyssey into the Eye....
Just a little over halfway through "Delivernace Lost", but I think it might be one of my favorite HH books so far, although I probably only read about half of them.
Comparing to the past books I have read, this one seems to have more actual conversations with the Emperor than I am used to seeing, so that was neat. And even though so far it doesn't actually answer any of the "what happened?" questions, it also seems to have some interesting focus on the lost legions. I wonder if there will be any explanation by the time the series is done.
It also seems that compared to the books I have read in the past, Corax seems to be the most humanized of the Primarchs so far. It seems to have less of the "people are in awe, can't look at him, trembling in his presence" type of language and seems more at ease when it comes to interacting with his legion. And the Space Marines seem comfortable interacting with him.
That's because earlier books went out of their way to set up the astartes, and the primarchs in particular, as awe-inspiring beings removed from humanity, with gravitas suitable to the events being covered. Deliverance Lost has marines and primarchs alike chatting like Joe the imperial guardsman, clumsily undoing the careful work of the more skilled authors in the series. Previous glimpses of the primarchs and the Emperor have been few and far between for good reason. The dialogue with the Emperor incautiously splurged out in this book was cringe worthy, and the generic and wholly unnecessary dungeon quest it set up was goofy in the extreme. I can do without reading interventions by the Emperor that have all the gravitas of a senior employee meeting with his line manager.
I don't want every book to be written from the perspective of a human onlooker, but if that technique is not to be used then there still has to be some attempt to properly portray the distance between the astartes and humanity, and the majesty of the primarchs. If authors incapable of doing this must be allowed to contribute to the series then they should at least be given limits on their access to the primarchs, and nobody outside the core authors should be allowed anywhere near the Emperor.
To me, ADB has set the bar for handling dialogue with the primarchs. His marines feel beyond humanity, and his primarchs feel like the legends that they deserve to be. He also manages this without restricting their participation, as has (wisely) been the default in other books. Dan Abnett and Graham McNeill have also handled their primarchs very well.
To be fair the only "Humans" who really interacted with the Primarchs in the story were suitably in awe/uncomfortable-ish in their pressence. The only human who wasn't completely in awe was one that literally grew up (albiet slower) with Corax. From the marine perspective I feel he did an even better job since I personally despise the whole marines go weak in the knees around their bosses thing.
I felt the meeting with the Emperor was fine. How do you expect the lord of mankind to speak with his sons in a private meeting?
On a side note regard ADB while I loved First Heretic Lorgar is my least favorite primarch in how he was written followed closely by Fulgrim. Lorgar didn't come off as a legendary figure in ADB's book. He came off as a petulant child. Granted the book was well written and I totally dug the actual main character but Lorgar definitely wasn't majestic.
I LIKED the fact that Lorgar came off as a petulant child. That's kind of always been the whole thing with the Primarchs: they're not all majestic, legendary figures. They're still (somewhat) human.
I loved the book overall. First time I held out to the end that the main character would pull back from the dark and that's one of the only books written like a true novel instead of trashy sci-fi.
I just didn't care for Lorgar. It had nothing to do with ADB's writing. It just had to do with the character himself. Only Fulgrim and Ferrus Manus are even close to as bad. I'm actually not looking forward to any Iron Hands novel that might include Ferrus simply because he has to be the most boring Primarch ever!
I haven't chipped in for a wee while, I was planning to finish Deliverance Lost before I said anything about it, but....
Have to say, very disappointed so far. I got my copy the day after it was released in my local GW (which was what, two, three weeks ago?). I am only on page 204. This does not happen for me. When I pick up a book, I read it. I read it to death. I read it, SO HARD, it can't sit back on the shelf for a week. I read the five books of A Song of Ice and Fire in 6 weeks. I read the Ravenor Trilogy over a single weekend. I even managed Battle For The Abyss in a single sitting ( verylong train journey) despite having other books with me I could have read.
I'm not saying Deliverence Lost is a bad book. I consider the plot interesting, it deals with characters and situations I want to know about, the characterisation and dialogue are, in my opinion, reasonable. My problem is that I can put the book down. I can go away, and just leave it for three days before coming back to read a chapter, then abandon it again. I'm not counting down the minutes before I can go back to it, I'm not relishing bus journeys as an excuse to read it to pass the journey. I just can't bring myself to care. I don't know what it is, but it's not gripping me, and it's unique among my last five years' reading material in this fact.
So, I'm afraid I shall be joining those in the "Please Gav, don't touch the Heresy again" camp. I don't trust him not to do whatever he'sdone to another novel I ought to care about and enjoy.
We'll give this thread a few more pages before we lock it and start a new one.
First up, from Thursday BL blog...
The dark eldar are a vicious lot. When they’re not conducting brutal raids on Imperial worlds, killing and maiming innocents, they’re taking part in horrible bloodsports in Commorragh. Even their sporting events are deadly, as this extract from the soon-to-be-released Path of the Renegade shows.
The race was entering its final stages. The contra-rotating packs of Reavers had thinned to include only the luckiest and most skilful riders. The gleaming strip of the raceway began to ripple and twist to test their nerve and coordination even more, sending the speeding jetbikes even closer to the cliff-like walls. One Reaver was struck by splinter fire from behind and careened straight into the crowd, plung¬ing into the screaming mass like a fiery comet before exploding in a shower of white-hot fragments.
The vicious g-forces exerted by the twisting track were now flinging out both packs of riders so far that they passed through each other before plunging on their separate courses. Explosions of blood and vis-cera marked each pass. Some machines plunged straight into each other and fell locked together as a single flaming mass of tangled wreckage.
Soon only two Reavers were left, a jade-green cara¬paced jetbike with a bare-headed rider that threw itself against a glittering black one in a rolling dive. Bladevanes flashed as the two came together head-on, the jade-green vehicle jinking at the last second to sweep a sharpened wing above the other’s curv¬ing prow. The black-clad Reaver had anticipated the move and jerked below the onrushing jetbike, laying open the guts of his enemy with an upthrust dorsal blade. The jade-green cycle spiralled away spitting smoke and flames, disappearing out of sight. The vic¬tor roared around the track in triumph accepting the acclaim of the bloodthirsty crowd.
Now, wouldn’t Formula One be a lot more interesting with splinter rifles...? Path of the Renegade, the first volume in Andy Chambers’s dark eldar trilogy, will be released in March, and if you're keen to read the first Dark Eldar novel, set a reminder now and you’ll be the first to find out when it goes on sale. If you can’t wait for dark eldar action, you can buy the eBook of a short story by Andy, Midnight on the Street of Knives, that forms a prequel to the series.
and in Salamander related news..
Going back to the Sallies, I mentioned that the Tome of Fire trilogy wasn’t completely done with. That’s because there’s going to be a fourth volume that will come out between Nocturne and the next book in the new trilogy (tentatively titled Rebirth at the moment, which may change if the sales and marketing daemons don’t like it…). It’s actually going to be a collection of all the short stories (including the audio) that tie-in to the series and include some of the main characters (oh, The Burning will be in there too – I know a few people have contacted me on FB about how to get hold of that one).
Contents (but not running order) looks something like this, I believe:
Vulkan’s Shield
Hell Night
Fires of War
Fireborn
Prometheus Requiem
The Burning
I’ll also be writing an exclusive novella for the book. Hopefully, this will come as welcome news to fans of the series who want a complete collection for their bookshelves. It’ll have the same artwork style as previous volumes and fit in nicely with the three main books of the series.
In other BL news Mr. William King has been nominated for David Gemmell award for his ( very good) Teclis/Tyrion novel, see if he can " pull a McNeill" and win one. Both the cover srtist for that book and ( my favourite of all the BL cover artists) Jon Sullivan have been nominated for the Ravenheart award for best cover.
... I guess -- confirmed by a quick glance at the GW financial figures -- this caps off a good year for BL.
I'll agree that the Alpha Legion fluff was significantly diverged from the IA article but I wouldn't say the Raven Guards did much. It really just seemed to expand on it. I'm pretty sure that the lock them up and execute them thing happened post heresy so the whole article could really still apply.
Alpharius wrote:Not really though - as there wasn't really any of that tone and/or foreshadowing - certainly not enough to drive Corax to madness and off on his solo looney odyssey into the Eye....
I have to agree with Alpharius here. The old fluff was very much "Crap, I created monsters, I'll just kill them. But instead of killing them I will just turn them towards the nearest enemy so they can slaughter and get killed at the same time".
The new fluff seems very much "We will not execute them, above all they are still Raven Guard" in tone, and it seems like the focus is on finding a cure.
Pragmatism only goes so far, I can't see the Raven Guard keeping bloodthirsty monsters(regardless of whether or not they were Raven Guard at one point) around if they didn't think they could cure them.
They never do say what happened to the ones who weren't functional mentally and physically. I doubt Corax left them on the planet when the Ravenguard went a huntin.
..Well -- predictably enough -- the new BL limited edition book has been.. and ( rapidly) gone, leaving the howls of those denied behind and the exact same complaints as before.
... reassuring in a way yes ?
.. meanwhile..
Make room in your calendar folks, because this November we will be holding our biggest event ever. The Black Library Weekender is THE place to be for anybody who’s anybody who enjoys Warhammer or Warhammer 40,000 fiction.
The weekend is so packed with activities that we had to hire out an entire hotel and adjoining conference centre to contain it!
Here’s just a taste of what will be happening across the weekend:
• Every Black Library author we can round up, over 20 confirmed thus far
• Dozens of seminars on every aspect of Black Library
• Event exclusive hardback novella, you won’t get this anywhere else!
• A preview for the next year of Black Library releases
• Sneek-peeks of new artwork and seminars by the artists
• Books signings throughout the weekend with every author
• Evening entertainment including Quizzes, author panel shows, competitions and more
• New release products , on sale for the first time, months in advance
• Not one, but two event only chapbooks (one on sale each day!)
• A Space Marine Battles audio drama, available six months early with a collectable cover
• An event goodie bag that includes a Black library weekender t-shirt
And that’s just for the silver tickets.
There are 18 golden tickets available, for an experience that would make a trip through a fictitious chocolate factory look like a mundane stroll through a sewage recycling plant.
The gold tickets will include an extra day of activities on Friday the 2nd of November held in Black Library HQ.
• Three exclusive author seminars on the Friday in the Black Library offices:
In groups of six, spend an hour with Dan Abnett, Graham McNeill and James Swallow and find out everything there is to know about writing for Black Library.
• A 20-minute chat with a Black Library editor:
Pitch your idea for a Black Library short story, and we’ll help you craft it into a great submission.
• Finish of the day with a dinner attended by authors and Black Library staff
Not only that, but the two event exclusive chapbooks, the Weekender novella and the limited Space Marine Battles audio drama are all included with your gold ticket (not to mention your weekender t-shirt)
How cool is that! Almost enough to make me wish I didn’t work at Black Library towers and could attend myself!
The Nottingham Belfry hotel has great transport links to both Nottingham, and East Midlands International Airport, and a preferential room rate will be available to Weekender attendees (just call the hotel on 0115 973 9393 and say you’ll be attending the Black Library Weekender).
Tickets will be available on the 10th of February and are expected to sell like hot cakes on Fenris. Set a reminder now, and you’ll be the first to hear event news and receive an e mail when tickets go on sale.
There is, seemingly, a preferential hotel rate for ticket buyers, but..
well...
Accommodation
The cost of your accommodation is not included in the ticket price. The Nottingham Belfry is 20 minutes from the centre of Nottingham and there are many other hotels close by.
Alternatively, join the Black Library staff and authors and take advantage of a preferential rate in t
Not sure why the Catechisms of Hate thread got closed >.>, but I picked this thing up... and was shocked that it went out so fast... is this normal for that sort of thing?
I picked it up because apparently Cassius is the focal point, and I was looking for more info on him then the blurbs in the Space Marine Codex...
Also, I saw Aurellian went for boat-loads on ebay after it sold out... is this thing gonna be round the same thing... would love to get my money back after reading it, lol... $50 was a lot to learn about Cassius... lol.
Revarien wrote:Not sure why the Catechisms of Hate thread got closed >.>, but I picked this thing up... and was shocked that it went out so fast... is this normal for that sort of thing?
I picked it up because apparently Cassius is the focal point, and I was looking for more info on him then the blurbs in the Space Marine Codex...
Also, I saw Aurellian went for boat-loads on ebay after it sold out... is this thing gonna be round the same thing... would love to get my money back after reading it, lol... $50 was a lot to learn about Cassius... lol.
Already covered in this thread.
Yes, they do normally go that fast, if not quicker...
... is 5 minutes the current record ?
No idea as to resale value.
the tale will, eventually, be reprinted. IIRC they normally pledge to leave at least 2 years before they reprint -- usually in a collection of other shorts.
WEbsite says that any issues/remaining copies/over charges etc etc will be sorted out on Monday.
Allow me to rescue this thread from the ignomy of forum page 2 with the following update from the Black Library blog:
Thursday 12th of January, 2012
To Infinity (well, December), and beyond!
As we mentioned yesterday, today is the day that we announce all of next season’s titles. So, without further ado, here’s what you’ll all be wanting for Christmas next year...
Horus Heresy: Shadows of Treachery edited by Christian Dunn & Nick Kyme
From the battlefields of Phall and Isstvan, to the haunted shadows of Terra itself – the Horus Heresy rages on across the galaxy in this collection of short stories and novellas
Schwarzhelm & Helborg: Swords of the Emperor by Chris Wraight
With the province of Averland consumed by rebellion, two of the Empire’s greatest heroes unite to defeat the Chaos traitors and restore Imperial rule.
The Sundering by Gav Thorpe
Scarred and embittered by his failure to seize the crown of Ulthuan, Prince Malekith starts a conflict that will destroy the mystical isle and forever divide the race of elves.
Treacheries of the Space Marines edited by Christian Dunn
Even among the superhuman warriors of the Adeptus Astartes, there are those who turn their backs on their brothers. An all-new collection of short stories from the 41st Millennium.
Perfection by Nick Kyme
More information coming soon. It is confirmed as a Salamanders audiobook later in the post.
Chosen of Khorne by Anthony Reynolds
More information coming soon.
Pariah: Ravenor vs Eisenhorn by Dan Abnett
Inquisitor Ravenor hunts a dangerous fugitive, a former inquisitor driven by obsession to consort with heretics and daemons: his old mentor, Gregor Eisenhorn.
Van Horstmann by Ben Counter
Turning to the worship of the Dark Gods, Imperial wizard Egrimm van Horstmann must serve his new masters by releasing an ancient dragon imprisoned beneath the College of Light.
Sword of Caledor by William King
High elf heroes Tyrion and Teclis venture into the deadly jungles of Lustria on a desperate hunt for the lost sword of Caledor Dragontamer, the fabled Sunfang.
Space Marine Battles: The Siege of Castellax by CL Werner
Keeps 404ing on me when I attempt to click the link for more details.
Tome of Fire by Nick Kyme
A prophecy from the dark age of the Horus Heresy threatens to bring the Salamanders to ruin unless they can unlock the secrets of their primarch’s greatest work: the Tome of Fire.
Garro: Sword of Truth by James Swallow
More information coming soon.
Time of Legends: Neferata by Josh Reynolds
The vampire queen Neferata sets out to create a new empire to replace lost Lahmia, bringing her into conflict with the dwarfs as she sets her sight on the Silver Pinnacle.
Ravenwing by Gav Thorpe
More information coming soon.
Time of Legends: The Rise of Nagash by Mike Lee
Nagash, priest king of Khemri, embarks upon a quest for immortality that will spark a war, destroy an empire and unleash a plague of undeath that will haunt the world forever.
Bloodquest: Prisoners of the Eye of Terror by Gordon Rennie
Travelling the Eye of Terror in search of a stolen artefact, a band of Blood Angels exiles encounter another group of Space Marines on a similar quest – but is all as it seems?
Pretty pictures may be found in the following spoiler tags:
With less than two months to go until our annual celebration in Warhammer World, it’s time to reveal what Black Library Live 2012 will have in store for lucky ticket holders, and how to get the most from your day.
As soon as the doors for the event open, your first port of call should be the sales area, where you can pick up a huge range of pre-release books and audios including: Legion of the Damned, Gotrek and Felix: The Anthology, Void Stalker, Dead Winter and Eye of Vengeance to name but a few. You can even get your hands on the next instalment of the Horus Heresy series, the highly anticipated The Primarchs anthology: be the envy of Horus Heresy fans everywhere and get your copy before it’s on sale anywhere else in the world.
We’ll also have the last 100 copies of Aurelian, the limited edition Horus Heresy novella, and four brand new event exclusive art prints. Get to the stand early though; these limited goodies always sell out fast.
So you’ve got your new books, what now? You get them signed of course!
It wouldn’t be Black Library Live without a host of authors, and this year we have a great line-up. We’re very pleased to have William King attending his first ever Black Library Live, after his triumphant return to Warhammer fiction with the fantastic Blood of Aenarion in December. You can also get your brand new copy of The Primarchs anthology sighed by authors Graham McNeill, Gav Thorpe and Nick Kyme. You can also meet Josh Reynolds, Sarah Cawkwell, Andy chambers, Rob Sanders, Andy Smillie and John French.
There is one book that everyone will want to get signed: the Black Library Live event exclusive Chapbook. You can get this book on entry to the event by handing in your ticket stub. The Chapbook contains a new Valkia the Bloody tale from Sarah Cawkwell and a Dark Eldar story from Andy Chambers that ties into his novel Path of the Renegade (which you can also buy on the day).
The highlights of many people’s day are the seminars covering all kinds of Black Library topics. This year we have a packed schedule including the following:
Gotrek and Felix: bringing together William King, the original author of Gotrek and Felix, and new authors from the Gotrek and Felix: The Anthology.
Coming Soon: Find out about what we’ve got planned for your favourite series and characters, and what new books are on their way.
Writing for Black Library: have you ever wanted to write for Black Library? Find out, from the editors who pick the stories, what it takes to be a Black Library author.
If you’re coming to Black Library Live on the 3rd of March you’re going to have a great day. But what if you didn’t get a ticket? Don’t worry; you have another chance to enjoy an amazing Black Library event this November at the Black Library Weekender. Tickets for this two-day science fiction and fantasy extravaganza are available on February 10th. Set a reminder now and we’ll give you a heads up when they go on sale.
Got my ticket for BL Live last year... going to wait and see about the weekender, although I think we can safely rule out the £250;00 golden ticket anyway.
Got my ticket for BL Live last year... going to wait and see about the weekender, although I think we can safely rule out the £250;00 golden ticket anyway.
But if you buy a golden ticket you get a special tour of the Black Library book factory, led by none other than the reclusive Christian Dunn himself. They say there are truly wondrous things within that factory... waterfalls made out of rejected proposals, rooms full of Horus Heresy books which have never felt the touch of an editor's pen, even legions of little people, with fright wigs and fake tans so orange they light up the room around them, who mysteriously chant the word "Goto... Goto... Goto..." over and over again. You may even earn the chance to become Mr Dunn's heir, and inherit his lofty position as editor of anthologies and publisher of eBooks!
Thamor wrote:Top heading for Black Library is "In four days, Calth will burn"
Already? Wasn't it set for March?
In theory it is. Presumably there is indeed some sort of countdown going on, because yesterday it said "In five days, Calth will burn". Might they have altered the release schedule? Or perhaps it's only a countdown to a promotional thing, like an excerpt or the option to pre-order it?
Thamor wrote:Top heading for Black Library is "In four days, Calth will burn"
Already? Wasn't it set for March?
In theory it is. Presumably there is indeed some sort of countdown going on, because yesterday it said "In five days, Calth will burn". Might they have altered the release schedule? Or perhaps it's only a countdown to a promotional thing, like an excerpt or the option to pre-order it?
automatonsleuth wrote:Horus Heresy: Shadows of Treachery edited by Christian Dunn & Nick Kyme
Whoop, New Heresy!
automatonsleuth wrote:Treacheries of the Space Marines edited by Christian Dunn
Whoop, new Chaos!
automatonsleuth wrote:Pariah: Ravenor vs Eisenhorn by Dan Abnett
Whoop, New Eisenhorn!
automatonsleuth wrote:Garro: Sword of Truth by James Swallow
Whoop, new Garro!
automatonsleuth wrote:Bloodquest: Prisoners of the Eye of Terror by Gordon Rennie
Travelling the Eye of Terror in search of a stolen artefact, a band of Blood Angels exiles encounter another group of Space Marines on a similar quest – but is all as it seems?
An extract from "Know No Fear" has been available on the Black Library website for a couple of days it appears, but for people like me with a talent for missing such things, I present you with a link to the PDF:
and the extract itself, hidden in spoiler tags since it is rather large:
Spoiler:
Sorot Tchure walks back to join the others. His men are mingling with the men of Luciel’s company
on the company decks of the Samothrace. They have finished the formal dinner that Luciel
had arranged. None need to eat, certainly not the fine foodstuffs that Luciel provided, but it is
a symbolic gesture. To dine as allies, as warrior-kings. To bond ahead of the coming war.
‘Problem?’ asks Luciel.
Tchure shakes his head.
‘Some question about loading platforms.’
Tchure looks at Luciel.
‘Why have you changed your markings and armour field?’ asks Luciel.
‘We are remaking ouraselves,’ Tchure replies. ‘A new scheme to celebrate our new beginning.
Perhaps it is down to the character of our beloved primarch, may the cosmos bless him. We
have never quite found ourselves, Honorius. Not like you. We have struggled to realise a proper
role for ourselves. I do not believe you appreciate how fortunate you are. The clarity of your
purpose and position as Ultramarines. From the start you had a reputation that never needed
to be questioned, and a function that never needed to be clarified.’
He pauses.
‘For years, I have despised Lorgar,’ he says quietly.
‘What?’
‘You heard me.’
‘Sorot, you mustn’t–’
‘Look at your primarch, Honorius. So singular in aspect. So noble. I have envied you, envied
the Imperial Fists, the Luna Wolves, the Iron Hands. And I am not alone. We struggle with a
mercurial mind, Honorius. We labour under the burden of a brilliant but fallible commander.
We no longer bear the word, my friend. We bear Lorgar.’
‘Some fall into their roles quickly,’ says Luciel firmly. ‘I have thought about this. Some fall
into their roles quickly. Others take time to evolve, to discover what their purpose is to be. Your
primarch, great Lorgar, is a son of the Emperor. There will be a role for him. It may turn out to
be far greater than any that falls to Guilliman or Dorn. Yes, we’re lucky to have clarity. I know
that. So are the Fists, the Hands, the Angels. Terra above, so are the Wolves of Fenris and the
World Eaters, Sorot. Perhaps the lack of clarity you have laboured under thus far is because
Lorgar’s role is yet unimaginable.’
Tchure smiles.
‘I can’t believe you’re defending him.’
‘Why can’t you?’
Tchure shrugs.
‘I think we may be finding our purpose at last, Honorius,’ he says. ‘Hence our new resolve.
Our change in scheme and armour colour. I… I was asked to join the advance.’
Luciel frowns, quizzical.
‘You told me that.’
‘I have things to prove.’
‘Why?’ asks Luciel.
‘I have to prove my commitment to the new purpose.’
‘And how do you do that?’ asks Luciel.
Tchure doesn’t answer. Luciel notices how the Word Bearer’s fingers stir, tapping the tabletop.
What agitation is that? Nerves?
‘I learned something,’ Tchure says suddenly, changing the subject. ‘A little piece of warcraft
that I thought you would appreciate.’
Luciel lifts his cup, sips wine.
‘Go on,’ he smiles.
Tchure toys with his own cup, a straight-sided golden beaker.
‘It was on Isstvan, during the fight there.’
‘Isstvan? There’s been fighting in the Isstvan system?’
Tchure nods.
‘It hasn’t been reported. Was it a compliance?’
‘It’s recent,’ says Tchure. ‘The full reports of the campaign are still being ratified by the Warmaster.
Then they will be shared.’
Luciel raises his eyebrows.
‘Guilliman won’t appreciate being left out of the loop for any length of time. Is this how
the Warmaster intends to conduct the Great Crusade from now on? Guilliman insists on
sharing all military data. And Isstvan was compliant–’
Tchure holds up his hand.
‘It’s recent. It’s fresh. It’s done now. Your primarch will hear all about it in due course. The
point is, the fight was bitter. The Imperium faced a foe that had discovered the mortal power
of treachery.’
‘Treachery?’ asks Luciel.
‘Not as a strategy, you understand. Not as a tactic to surprise and undermine. I mean as a
property. A power.’
‘I’m not sure I know what you mean,’ smiles Luciel. slightly disarmed. ‘It’s as though you’re
talking about… magic.’
‘I almost am. The enemy believed that there was power in treachery. To win the confidence
of your opponent, to mask your animus, and then to turn… Well, they believed that this
actually invested them with power.’
‘I don’t see how.’
‘Don’t you?’ asks Tchure. ‘The potency, they believed, depends on the level of betrayal. If
an ally suddenly turns on an ally, that’s one level. But if a trusted friend turns on a friend.
That was the purest kind of power, because the treachery ran so deep. Because it required that
so many moral codes be broken. Trust. Friendship. Loyalty. Reliance. Honesty. Such an act
was powerful because it was beyond belief. It achieved a potency that was akin to the most
powerful blood sacrifice.’
Luciel sits back.
‘Interesting, certainly,’ he says. ‘For them to believe that. Culturally, it speaks a great deal
to the strength of their honour codes. If they believed this invested them with power, then it
seems like an act of superstition. It has little strategic merit in terms of warcraft or technique,
of course. Except, I suppose, psychologically.’
‘It certainly worked for them.’
‘Until you crushed them, of course.’
Sorot Tchure does not reply.
‘What’s the matter?’ asks Luciel.
‘It’s like a sacrifice,’ says Tchure. ‘You identify and commit the greatest betrayal possible,
and it is like a sacrifice to anoint and begin a vast ceremony of victory and destruction.’
‘I still don’t understand. It has no tactical methodology.’
‘Really? Really, Honorius? What if it does? What if there is an entirely other kind of warfare,
one that extends beyond all practical techniques, one that defies and eclipses all the martial
law codified by the Ultramarines and recognised by the Imperium? A ritual warfare? A kind
of daemonic warfare?’
‘You say that as if you believe it,’ Luciel laughs.
‘Think about what I’m saying,’ says Tchure quietly. He looks around the chamber, at his men
talking and drinking with Luciel’s. ‘Think of this… If the Word Bearers turned against the Ultramarines,
wouldn’t that be the greatest betrayal of all? Not Lorgar turning on Guilliman, for they
dislike each other anyway. Here, in this chamber, between two men who have actually managed
to become friends?’
‘That would be the most atrocious deceit,’ Luciel agrees. ‘I concede it would have some power.
As shock value in the Legion. We are immune to fear, but horror and surprise might unman us
briefly at the unimaginable nature of the act.’
Tchure nods.
‘And it would be the centrepiece,’ he says. ‘The sacrificial spark to ignite the ritual war.’
Luciel nods gravely.
‘I suppose you’re right. It would be well to understand, and allow for, an enemy who carried
such conviction in the power of infamy.’
Tchure smiles.
‘I wish you understood,’ he says.
‘Understand what?’ asks Luciel.
‘I was asked to join the advance,’ says Tchure.
‘And?’
‘I have to prove my commitment to the new purpose.’
Luciel stares at him.
For just a second. A second. And in that second, he finally realises what Sorot Tchure has been
trying to tell him.
That in order not to betray one impossible bond, Sorot Tchure is required to betray another.
The goblet falls from Luciel’s grip. His hand is already moving, through instinct alone, for his
sidearm. Only sheer, disfunctioning shock is slowing him down.
Tchure’s plasma pistol is already in his hand.
The goblet hasn’t even hit the tabletop yet.
Tchure fires. Point blank, the plasma bolt strikes Honorius Luciel’s torso. The bolt is as hot as
a main sequence star. It vaporises armour plate, carapace, reinforced bone, spinal cord. It annihilates
meat, both hearts, and secondary organs. It turns blood into dust. The shot’s hammer
blow impact knocks Luciel down, through the table, smashing the tabletop up to meet the falling
goblet, spinning it into the air in a semi-circle of wine.
Luciel’s men are turning, caught by surprise, not understanding the noise and motion, not
understanding the weapon discharge or the violent collapse of their captain. Tchure’s men simply
draw their guns. They are not distracted by the gunfire. Their eyes never leave the men they
are talking to, men who are turning away in confusion.
Luciel rolls on the deck, limbs thrashing, as the smashed table falls around him. The goblet
bounces off the deck plate beside his head. His eyes are wide, straining, staring. The plasma
shot has burned a massive hole clean through him. His body is cored. The deck plating is visible
through his twitching torso. The edges of the gaping damage are scorched and cooked by
superheating. His armour is likewise punctured, the cut edges glowing. Larraman cells cannot
hope to clog or close a wound quite so catastrophic. Tchure is on his feet, his chair tipping
backwards behind him, toppling. He swings the plasma weapon down, aims it at Luciel’s face,
and fires again.
Around him, the chamber shakes with a sudden storm of gunfire. Twenty or thirty boltguns
discharge almost simultaneously. Armoured bodies, blown backwards, fall. Blood mist fills the
air.
The goblet lands on the third bounce, rolls in a circle, and comes to rest on its side next to
Honorius Luciel’s seared and shattered skull.
Hasn't been confirmed yet, but it costs £15 so presumably will be.
If I remember correctly, Swallow confirmed another 2 Garro audiobooks at GD Germany ...
'ere we go:
James Swallow confirmed at the GD Germany that there would be 2 more Garro audiobooks.
He's now putting the last touches on his second sisters book. Afterwards he will be writing the HH-Blood Angels book called "fear to tread".
Picked up this from the GW Masterplan thread, thought it might be fun to try and figure out the thinking behind the hints, but probably more appropriate for this thread...
I havent't figured it all out, but this is the list Dan Abnett posted on his blog, and my info/ideas on what they may relate to.
The Motorway into Bristol. This is the m32, so referring to 32nd millenium I suspect
Twatted By A Bloodthirster. Suspect this refers to Sanguinius' first battle with the daemon, believe this will become Fear To Tread
[rude word I really can't write here on a public blog] Attack. Got nothing!
C*ckblocked Again, have very little, was there a situation where a traitor nearly turned loyalist if not for the intervention of another traitor?
Hammer In The Face. Can only think will be based on a chapter with a liking for Thunderhammers, so, with whats gone before in mind, Iron Warriors, Iron Hands or Salamanders?
Bastards Of Evil. Think this may be Night Lords
Fungus And Poo. Got to be Nurgle, so a Death Guard novel
Traitor To The Traitors. Might fit with my theory of C*ckblocked, if that pans out
Wobbly Rum Baba In A Big Pond Of Chaos. Well, rum baba is a desert, often served in a sauce, the mental image I have is a GUO sat in its own filth, also Rum Baa Baa was the villain in an old 80s cartoon called Henry's Cat (he was an evil sheep) read into that what you will! Perhaps another Horus focused book?
Khorne Worshipping Asshats. World Eaters surely? ADB has confirmed a novel is in process.
Big Crystal B*ner. Ok, big glass phallic symbol, could easily be a Slaaneshi association, but could also be referring to the architecture on Prospero and therefore be a 1K Sons follow up?
I may have missed something very obvious, but throw it open to Dakka to see if any more can be gleaned.
Hammer in the Face could refer to Ferrus Manus also, who's had little time in the limelight so far (but has been a common feature due to the current HH series situation/date/time), but this could contradict their more chronological progress...
Big Crystal Boner could refer to a novel/bit about the Emperors Childrens attempts to get the Daemon outta Fulgrim as I recall this being mentioned, but I think this is in a novella.
Very cryptic overall.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Also, I don't know if "Cockblocked" has the same usage in the US, but over here (where the writers are also) it refers to someone being 'denied' sex by someone else (other than the desired partner); heck knows how that relates to the HH though!
Automatically Appended Next Post: Oh and Traitor to the Traitors could be the Alpha Legion?
Just Dave wrote:
Also, I don't know if "Cockblocked" has the same usage in the US, but over here (where the writers are also) it refers to someone being 'denied' sex by someone else (other than the desired partner); heck knows how that relates to the HH though!
Erm, yeah, check my flag dude! I'm UK based and that's exactly how I took it, but in the absence of any major female players I looked for something a little broader, so thinking about a third party stopping another two parties getting what they want. Stopping a primarch "getting back together" with the Emperor if you like. Its weak, I admit, but all I can think of.
Otherwise, good points. The more I think, the more Hammer in the Face has to be Iron Hands/Ferrus Manus or Salamanders/Vulkan, perhaps with a slant towards Salamnders with all the smithing/forging aspects to their background plus I think that there is a confirmation that a book is in process somewhere, but can't recall anything confirming Iron Hands (yet!)
Traitor's Traitor = Alpha Legion? Yep, have to say that fits better than my idea, and Legion could use a follow up.
Stoffer spotted this and posted it in it's own thread, believing it to be an Black Templars codex announcement, However, since it's from the Black Library blog, it is presumabely a book, rather than a codex, and as such I am reposting it here:
On the 25th of February our beloved Warhammer 40,000 celebrates its 25th birthday, which leaves us thinking, where has the time gone? As we begin our preparations for this momentous occasion, we thought we’d go all the way back to the beginning and see just how far we’ve come.
Spoiler:
In 1987, ‘Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader’, contained the first pieces of background about the war torn galaxy of the 41st Millennium and was responsible for introducing the world to Space Marines. Six years later, Ian Watson wrote Space Marine, cementing the reputation of the Adeptus Astartes as the towering, death-dealing, armour clad warriors of the Imperium that we know today. It seems that gene-bred, super-human warriors are everywhere in sci-fi now. Space Marine is an old novel and not exactly up to date with the current view on the Warhammer 40,000 universe, but if you want an insight into what got the ball rolling, check it out here.
The first ever Black Library novel released was Dan Abnett’s First and Only, way back in 1999. In fact, the name of the book was a bit of a joke, as we weren’t sure that it would be popular enough to warrant a second one! Thankfully that wasn’t the case and since then, we’ve released two hundred and seventeen Warhammer 40,000 titles, featuring every race in the game (and more besides) and spanning ten thousand years of war. We thought it would be cool to find out how many words that would be, so we set to work, and after scouring every book, we can confidently say that this makes up a total of seventeen billion, three hundred and sixty thousand, one hundred and three words (give or take a fairly huge amount)!
We mentioned earlier that we were planning something special to mark the birthday. By order of the Inquisition, we can’t tell you much about it at the moment, but we have managed to sneak this preview past the guards. Let us know what you think it might be on our Facebook page.
Spoiler:
Join us here on the 25th when we will announce what’s coming out and make sure you bring cake!
Posted by The Black Library Team
So, what do we think? To what end is The Emperor's Champion striding towards?
Continuing this week's theme of power-armoured superhuman killing machines, we've got some awesome new artwork of the toughest, most skull-takingest, bloodlettingest Berzerker this side of the Eye of Terror.
Those of you who have been scanning upcoming releases might have noticed the audio drama 'Chosen of Khorne' by Anthony Reynolds (of Word Bearers fame). Who else was it going to be about but Kharn the Betrayer?
Look at that guy! You don't want to mess with him. He was so excited about lopping off heads that he didn't even bother to finish putting his armour on.
Gorechild is one mean looking chainaxe! Even those other Berserkers in the distance know to stay well clear of that thing. I'm not sure who the decapitated warrior underneath Kharn is, but clearly no one told him that if you face the Betrayer then you won't be needing your collection of vintage hats anymore...
I think you'll agree another excellent piece of artwork from Hardy Fowler.
Visit the blog tomorrow when we'll have a new video from BLTV.
Not a huge fan of the art, its a thousand times better than what I could do, but doesn't exude the gory or glory of the world eaters to me. Good, just not my style. Can't wait for more story to fluff out the legion.
Yeah, I'm definitely not fan of the artwork either to be honest, particularly the head and what look almost like twin pony-tails.
I do also wonder what a post-heresy novel/audiobook about Kharn could really contain, short of bloodshed/violence etc...
Just Dave wrote:
I do also wonder what a post-heresy novel/audiobook about Kharn could really contain, short of bloodshed/violence etc...
Well, the game profile is kind of a thumb nail sketch of the character, a novel could go into a lot more depth obvs.
If it was me, I would look at the fact it is probably really hard to actually find things to kill all the time, and the pain and anguish he has to deal with when he is simply unable to kill things, his down time must be a living hell for him, alternatively perhaps he regrets his actions, but much like Fulgrim was too far down the road by the time realisation dawned and he is now trapped on his path with no way back?
Both concepts would need a lot of meat on those bones, but I think there is scope for a novel focused on him. Not waiting with baited breath for it mind you.
Just Dave wrote:Yeah, I'm definitely not fan of the artwork either to be honest, particularly the head and what look almost like twin pony-tails.
I do also wonder what a post-heresy novel/audiobook about Kharn could really contain, short of bloodshed/violence etc...
Yes!
He needs to lose the lucky rabbit feet hanging off of his Khorne Bunny Ears of Doom.
And double yes on what the hell is a post-Heresy book about Berzerkers going to be about?
This is the book you’ve been waiting for: Dan Abnett brings to life the most pivotal event in the Heresy since the fall of Horus, and sees the two biggest Legions the galaxy has ever seen fight to a bloody standstill across a dying world – awesome.
Unsurprisingly, we’ve received an absolutely huge number of orders for this book, so many in fact that the warehouse is bursting at the seams trying to contain them.
So we’re going to start shipping on Tuesday, a week earlier than normal. This means that if you pre-order it now, you’ll be one of the first in the world to get a copy. What’s more, any other pre-orders in the same basket as Know No Fear will ship out at the same time.
And because we don’t want to anger the eBook reading tech adept of Mars, were also going to bring forward the date of the digital launch to Tuesday. That’s only 100 hours away!
If you haven’t already, get your pre-orders in now.
Join us on the blog tomorrow for an interview with the author of a new eBook exclusive short story featuring the most barbaric of Sanguinius’ sons. That should satiate your bloodlust until Know No Fear arrives next week.
ABOUT THE WALLPAPERS
The cover art from Dan Abnett’s new Horus Heresy novel Know No Fear is now available as a set of wallpapers for desktops and mobile devices. Download Neil Robert’s stunning artwork for your PC, laptop and tablet today.
INCLUDED VERSIONS
Within the download you will receive wallpapers of the following sizes:
320x480 - iPhone & other mobile phones
1024x1024 - iPad
1024 x 768
1280 x 800
1280 x 1024
1440 x 900
1680 x 1050
1920 x 1080
1920 x 1200
2560 x 1440
Terms and conditions of purchase.
January 2012 • ISBN 996501810012
hmm... well... get the £ where you can I guess. And Mr. Roberts' work is, as ever, pretty stunning.
Do we know when exactly it'll be arriving in shops?
The book that is. I know it's dated for release in March, but does thou know of a more specific date, Red?
..I'll pass on that then.
.. ohhh a bit of mystery !
I'm 
