Black library news and rumours (including Horus Heresy stuff)...

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**Kanluwen**

Hey Alpharius, I didn't do it! Black Library did!

He's been sacked, and those responsible for the sacking have been sacked!

**Alpharius**

Since you also seem to know that in order to shop smart, you need to shop S-Mart...

...I'll let it slide!

But seriously, Goto is still in the BL stable, right?

**BrookM**

I doubt it, otherwise they would've tossed him a new project by now. He wrote too many novels in my humble opinion, all so he could write a horrible, convoluted one about his big fetish that he manages to slip into each and every novel in some form: Space Elves.

Pity that it took Goto 6+ novels to get removed, whereas the horrible Lucian Soulban could only crap out two novels before he got sacked.

**Kanluwen**

Good fething riddance to Goto I say.

I've seen better writing on Fan Fiction Fridays on toplessrobot.com

And FFF is evil.

**Flachzange**

Kanluwen wrote:Good fething riddance to Goto I say.

I've seen better writing on Fan Fiction Fridays on toplessrobot.com

Ill sign that any day!

**BrookM**

The Return Of Bill King

William King has signed a major new deal with the Black Library, for a trilogy based on the high elf characters Tyrion and Teclis.

Twin brothers Tyrion and Teclis are the greatest heroes of an age, and their like will never be seen again. Prince Tyrion's skill with a blade unmatched by any living swordsmen, whilst Teclis is the most powerful mage of his generation. Set over two hundred years before the current Warhammer timeline, the new trilogy tells an origin story of these two phenomenal champions.

Head of Black Library, George Mann, said of the deal: “I’m overjoyed to be welcoming Bill King back to the Black Library, particularly with such an exciting and auspicious series. Bill has a real flair for a good story and his writing really brings the Warhammer world to life. I know people are going to adore these books.”

William King was born in Stranraer, Scotland, and is one of Black Library's best-selling authors, with sales in excess of half a million books. He started writing for Games Workshop in 1988, and later he worked in the design studio. His swords and sorcery series Gotrek & Felix and his Space Wolf novels have become a staple in the Black Library range. His short fiction has appeared in Interzone, Zenith, and a Year’s Best SF collection. He currently lives in Prague.

The deal was conducted with agent John Jarrold, and the first novel in the trilogy will be published in 2011.

**fullheadofhair**

reds8n wrote:
BrookM wrote:Hmm, I wish I could comment but I won't. But there are some pretty good big twists and insights into the 1k Sons. Also, delicious hubris and arrogance.

QFT. This book is well up there as one of their best IMO, tightly plotted, characters not plot devices -- hell Ahriman is interesting ! -- back story makes sense and he's folded in several existing/previous plots neatly as well.

.. Very impressed with the portrayal of the Primarchs too, and some nice red herrings..

Spoiler:

especially all the "Shrike" stuff .. or do people think that might actually come to mean something later on then ?

Well I thought it was fair to middling at best. Frankly the first 5 or 6 chapters were a struggle. And people, putting an apostrophere in the middle of a name does not, I repeat, does not make it sound interesting - ask J'oe Sm'ith.

The actually attack was quite well written, but the suck factor in many parts of this book is quite high. Does BL pay by the word, because that would explain the length of the novel.

**reds8n**

from Warseer, thanks to Mr. Ph4lanx

Black Library have some stunning stuff coming up that I thought you would all appreciate:

- They are re-releasing "The Dark King/The Lightning Tower" audiobook in May.
- They are releasing "Fireborn" (Salamander audiobook) in June.
- They are releasing "Throne of Lies" (Night Lords audiobook) in August.
- There is going to be a middle of the year release on a VERY special Sabbat Worlds book in which Dan Abnett invites some of his closest friends in author circles to pen a short story to go into an anthology based on the worlds that have been covered so far in the Gaunt's Ghosts series.
- There are going to be new LIMITED EDITION novellas released in 2010 at random intervals which will be signed by the author by hand, limited in number (manually numbered), have colour and/or sketchwork included, come in hardback form and will never again be released. So far the two confirmed are "Iron Warrior" by Graham McNeill in February and "Daenyathos" by Ben Counter in June.

Aaron Dembski-Bowden revealed that there is a planned trilogy of Night Lords books in the works following on from Soul Hunter, but ideally he has pencilled 6 for the series! (This was found out during a very personal sitting with him (only 15 of us got to meet him on a personal level)).

James Swallow also revealed that he is working on not one, not two, but THREE audio books. The first is called "Iron & Bone" (working title) and is an audio book designed as a prequel to his Sisters of Battle book, "Faith & Fire". The second and third audio books deal with the Horus Heresy, and what happened to Captain Garro at the end of "Flight of the Eisenstein". Apparently it's far too good to put on one audio book.

There is also more general news that Black Library is considering full length novels in the form of audio books.

**BrookM**

They've really acquired a taste for audio books.

**sonofruss**

The last White Dwarf had something about a space wolves audio book as well.

**Alpharius**

fullheadofhair wrote:
reds8n wrote:
BrookM wrote:Hmm, I wish I could comment but I won't. But there are some pretty good big twists and insights into the 1k Sons. Also, delicious hubris and arrogance.

QFT. This book is well up there as one of their best IMO, tightly plotted, characters not plot devices -- hell Ahriman is interesting ! -- back story makes sense and he's folded in several existing/previous plots neatly as well.

.. Very impressed with the portrayal of the Primarchs too, and some nice red herrings..

Spoiler:

especially all the "Shrike" stuff .. or do people think that might actually come to mean something later on then ?

Well I thought it was fair to middling at best. Frankly the first 5 or 6 chapters were a struggle. And people, putting an apostrophere in the middle of a name does not, I repeat, does not make it sound interesting - ask J'oe Sm'ith.

What?!?

They copied this tired gimmick from the Salamanders book?

Lame.

Please tell me that he doesn't also use the word "pauldron" one thou'sand times too!

**fullheadofhair**

Alpharius wrote:
fullheadofhair wrote:
reds8n wrote:
BrookM wrote:Hmm, I wish I could comment but I won't. But there are some pretty good big twists and insights into the 1k Sons. Also, delicious hubris and arrogance.

QFT. This book is well up there as one of their best IMO, tightly plotted, characters not plot devices -- hell Ahriman is interesting ! -- back story makes sense and he's folded in several existing/previous plots neatly as well.

.. Very impressed with the portrayal of the Primarchs too, and some nice red herrings..

Spoiler:

especially all the "Shrike" stuff .. or do people think that might actually come to mean something later on then ?

Well I thought it was fair to middling at best. Frankly the first 5 or 6 chapters were a struggle. And people, putting an apostrophere in the middle of a name does not, I repeat, does not make it sound interesting - ask J'oe Sm'ith.

What?!?

They copied this tired gimmick from the Salamanders book?

Lame.

Please tell me that he doesn't also use the word "pauldron" one thou'sand times too!

Not so much, but there is a fair reuse of the world "great ocean" for the warp.

**Alpharius**

Each author does seem to get stuck on a 'favorite' word or phrase in many BL books.

It may not seem obvious to them, but it does to us!

And probably would to an editor too...

**Kanluwen**

...Are you really complaining about comparing a vast emptiness of space which has Void Whales to an ocean?

**Lord of battles**

reds8n wrote:
- There are going to be new LIMITED EDITION novellas released in 2010 at random intervals which will be signed by the author by hand, limited in number (manually numbered), have colour and/or sketchwork included, come in hardback form and will never again be released. So far the two confirmed are "Iron Warrior" by Graham McNeill in February and "Daenyathos" by Ben Counter in June.

I guess it is going to be the Catechisms Martial he is always referencing in the soul drinker books
cool!

**Kid_Kyoto**

Nice to hear Bill King is back, he was one of the originals along with Ian Watson and think GW was poorer for his departure.

**chaplaingrabthar**

I wonder if Bill King is going to do any more Space Wolf or Gotrek & Felix Novels after the Elven twins trilogy (will that be Time of Legends?)

**Kanluwen**

It'd be more recent than Time of Legends.

Teclis/Tyrion came into their own in(I think) the time of Magnus.

**Lord of battles**

chaplaingrabthar wrote:I wonder if Bill King is going to do any more Space Wolf or Gotrek & Felix Novels after the Elven twins trilogy (will that be Time of Legends?)

Kanluwen wrote:It'd be more recent than Time of Legends.

Teclis/Tyrion came into their own in(I think) the time of Magnus.

No it will probably be with the warhammer heroes series, They are too new to be time of legends

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

chaplaingrabthar wrote:I wonder if Bill King is going to do any more Space Wolf or Gotrek & Felix Novels after the Elven twins trilogy (will that be Time of Legends?)

I bloody hope not. The Slayer series has been all the better for his departure. Good books like, but so, so formulaic. They get in a fight. Gotrek gets stuck in. Felix stabs up under the ribcage, gives a twist, enemy falls on him, Gotrek rescues him. Nathan Long has imho breathed new life into the series. Looking forward to Zombieslayer!

**reds8n**

I agree, I dig the earlier F & G books, but by the time Giantslayer came about I felt they were a bit phoned in, so to speak.

Mr. Long has done fine work with the characters IMO, few misteps along the way in his first couple of books but after that it's all pretty good.

YMMV of course.

**Kanluwen**

Lord of battles wrote:
chaplaingrabthar wrote:I wonder if Bill King is going to do any more Space Wolf or Gotrek & Felix Novels after the Elven twins trilogy (will that be Time of Legends?)

Kanluwen wrote:It'd be more recent than Time of Legends.

Teclis/Tyrion came into their own in(I think) the time of Magnus.

No it will probably be with the warhammer heroes series, They are too new to be time of legends

"More recent than Time of Legends", mate.

**reds8n**

Proper chaos marine !

**BrookM**

I do wonder how he will portray them.

**Flachzange**

That looks good!
I have yet to read a Henry Zou book, but feedback for him has been pretty good so far.

**reds8n**

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnv2vVDqWqo

**MeanGreenStompa**

Good to hear Bill King is back.

"I like your idea of fun manling, maybe I'll have some of my own..." remains a favourite line of mine (from the short story Wolf Riders, first introducing G&F).

Now...
Bring back Jack Yeovil (Kim Newman). Drachenfels was a work of genius.

**Flachzange**

MeanGreenStompa wrote:Good to hear Bill King is back.

"I like your idea of fun manling, maybe I'll have some of my own..." remains a favourite line of mine (from the short story Wolf Riders, first introducing G&F).

Now...
Bring back Jack Yeovil (Kim Newman). Drachenfels was a work of genius.

Best G&F moment was when Gotrek lost his memory and some old guy was trying to help Felix fix it. When it didnt work out, Felix started beating the fella up when Gotrek regained his sense.

"Not that Im not a fan of senseless acts of violence, but why exactly are you beating up that old man?" Priceless.

**BrookM**

MeanGreenStompa wrote:Good to hear Bill King is back.

"I like your idea of fun manling, maybe I'll have some of my own..." remains a favourite line of mine (from the short story Wolf Riders, first introducing G&F).

Now...
Bring back Jack Yeovil (Kim Newman). Drachenfels was a work of genius.

Yes, only keep the Genevieve series as they are: with a happy ending!

**Malika2**

Hmm, not so fond of audiobooks, they make me feel really dorky (dorkier than normal), I'd prefer if they would also release it in paper or pdf form...