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2012/02/03 09:36:07
Subject: Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
Today there’s something big going on in the Black Library office. The authors of the Horus Heresy have convened for a top secret meeting that will determine the fate of millions.
Over the past few days, you have been posting your questions on our Facebook page; here’s what they had to say.
How hard is it, as authors, reigning in artistic licence when bringing to life something that has been rigidly laid down in Warhammer 40,000 lore since its inception?
Graham McNeill: Part of the fun is that it’s not that rigid.
Dan Abnett: There is a lot of material to draw on and it’s about respecting that while trying to find the angle that you want to approach it from.
Graham McNeill: There are established events like Calth and Prospero that people know a bit about, but we can add in things that you didn’t know, so that you come away knowing more than you did before.
There have been hints at how the Grey Knights were founded, any chance of a full story into how the Inquisition was established and the great secret behind the ‘I’?
James Swallow: I was deliberately subtle with this, perhaps too subtle, as everyone seems to miss it. Malcador’s symbol was an eye, and that is what Garro wears on his shoulder. I was playing around with the fact that it is impossible to tell the difference between ‘eye’ and ‘I’ when you are listening to an audio drama. I was interested in exploring the concept of things twisting and changing over time.
As for the Grey Knights, Garro and the Knights Errant are the root of the chapter, but there is a long way to go before they become what we now know. I like to think that Codex: Grey Knights contains the very end of their creation myth, while the Garro series explores the very beginning.
How much does fan interaction help or hinder your own writing process?
James Swallow: I like talking to fans, because I am a fan of so many things myself, so I can really relate to their excitement and enthusiasm. I regularly drop into my local Games Workshop Hobby Centre and chatting to the staff and customers there can reinvigorate my passion and enthusiasm for my writing.
What, of all the things written, both by yourself or others, have you found to be the most heart-rending or soul searching of events or characters within the Heresy?
Graham McNeill: I definitely had a lump in my throat when Torgaddon died.
Gav Thorpe: Corax’s single tear in Raven’s Flight as he realises the galaxy has changed and doesn’t know where he fits in it anymore.
Dan Abnett: I don’t have a specific event, but I love the fact that, before he falls, Horus Lupercal is such a likeable character. It makes it much more tragic when he does turn.
James Swallow: I really liked the moment in Flight of the Eisenstein when the planet is virus bombed and Temeter nobly sacrifices himself.
Do you find it difficult to write scenes for the Primarchs because of their powerful stature in the Warhammer 40,000 universe?
Dan Abnett: I actually find it easier than writing dialogue for Space Marines. Primarchs are superhuman, but Space Marines seem to straddle both worlds. I suppose writing about superheroes for so long helps a bit.
James Swallow: You have to remember to be epic, but not all the time. You have to be able to give them depth.
Will you ever do a book from the Emperor’s point of view?
Dan Abnett: We have been tempted, but we don’t think it would work. The Emperor exists in both the warp and reality simultaneously… how do you even approach writing that?
Gav Thorpe: Throughout the series, you see many facets of the Emperor, but you never truly know what he thinks. If we did try, it might ruin the mystery behind him.
James Swallow: He’s a truly alien character, beyond trans-human.
Can the last line in the last Heresy book be “I was there the day the Emperor killed Horus”?
Dan, Gav, Graham, James: Maybe *laughs*
Thanks guys, I’ll let you get back to work now.
The latest Horus Heresy book, Know No Fear, is available now, and in June we will continue this epic saga with The Primarchs, an anthology of four novellas, each dealing with one (or in one case, two) of the Emperor’s sons.
Finally, join us tomorrow on the blog where we will spend some time with the sons of Fenris as we slip the leash and unleash Lone Wolves on the world.
Looks like we've found the picture we'll use for the next Dakka Dakka caption competition too.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2012/02/23 12:23:39
2012/02/04 08:29:51
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III : hey at least there's no dwarfs dressed as bears.
I'm about 3/4s of the way through and am very happy with how things are shaping up.
I think the style and format fits the scale of the event very well indeed, Mr. Abnett's deft touch quickly gives you a feel for even minor characters so that you feel something for them and are keen to see what happens to them.
Spoiler:
And I must admit I totally wasn't expecting the appearance of .... a certain pious fellow .. here and done like this. Can't wait to see where they're going with this.
And in BL news..
This rather imposing chap will be gracing the front cover of Nick Kyme’s Tome of Fire anthology, a collection of stories featuring characters you may recognise from the Salamanders trilogy.
Tome of Fire is on sale in December and is sure to be a hot favourite for Christmas (do you get it? ‘HOT favourite’ because he’s on fire- sometimes I even amaze myself), but those of you lucky enough to come to the Black Library Weekender will be able to get your hands on a copy early. If you’re really lucky, Nick might even sign it for you. Tickets for the Weekender go on sale at 20:00 GMT on Friday the Tenth, that’s only four days away.
For more information, check out the Black Library Weekender event page.
2012/02/10 20:21:40
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III : hey at least there's no dwarfs dressed as bears.
The current issue of Hammer and Bolter contains a sample of Gav Thorpe's forthcoming "The Lion" novella.
On their blog they posted a snippet from part 2
Lashing out withan armoured boot, the Lion sent the hound-like beast tumbling down the corridor. Taking half a dozen strides, the primarch brought both of his swords down across its back as it tried to right itself, carving it into three pieces that spattered into gore across the decking.
He stopped for a moment to assess the situation. The flight of stairs down to the main core chamber was only fifty metres ahead, and the passageway was free of enemies. He could hear his company fighting behind him, the retort of bolters echoing up from the stairwell he had just left. Though he knew his little brothers were in a dire situation, he had to focus on his objective: regaining control of the core so that the warp engines and Geller field could be engaged.
The comm buzzed as he stepped forwards, and he heard Corswain’s voice. The seneschal sounded strained, as if speaking through gritted teeth.
‘My liege, the way is clear to the warp core. You must come at once. There is something else here, something we cannot destroy.’ The comm-link hissed for a few seconds. ‘It… It wants to speak with you.’
Spoiler:
... a certain character ... well... off with his head !
Mr. Swallow was kind enough to share a few details about his eagerly anticipated "Fear to Tread", which sees the BA get some HH loving
1) there will be word bearers in novel.
2) the Red Angel will be explored.
3) Amit, founder of the flesh tearers, plays an important role in novel. as well as other successor characters.
4) the story will cross many worlds in the Signus cluster besides Signus Prime
5) Roldoron will also play a major role.
6) The BA libarians will have plenty to do in the novel.
And they also unveiled the cover for "The Sundering" omnibus, which collects Mr. Thorpe's Elven trilogy.
2012/02/20 13:55:19
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III : hey at least there's no dwarfs dressed as bears.
Gotta say I disagree entirely , strokes for folks I guess.
The following interview with Mr. Thorpe probably won't be of interest then, although DA fans could well be pleased...
Spoiler:
TSC: Gav, thanks for taking the time to chat with The Shell Case. During your 14 years at the Games Workshop, am I right in saying you worked on 18 books across the 40k and Gothic? Which one are you most proud of and why?
Gav: Codex: Sisters of Battle. It was my first Codex and is still my favourite. It was a chance to delve into an area of the Imperium that had only been mentioned previously in passing – the Ecclesiarchy. These days the imagery and background of the Adeptus Ministorum is well-established and has seeped into other armies of the Imperium, but at the time the possibility to write mad Confessors and Missionaries and, of course, shape the Sisters of Battle was an incredible opportunity. Not only that, I was allowed to detail the rise and fall of one of the Imperium’s best megalomaniacs, Goge Vandire.
TSC: It was a cracking book. For me it was a big leap forward towards creating 40k as a Universe. You’ve also had the opportunity, and challenge, of writing Black Library novels for the Imperial Guard, Eldar, Space Marines and the Horus Heresy series. Which book was your biggest challenge and which was the biggest achievement?
Gav: Each has its own challenges and rewards. Deliverance Lost for the Horus Heresy came with the burden of expectation, given the success of the series as a whole, but I would say that Path of the Warrior was the greatest challenge. Eldar had not been that well-served from BL previously, and I had taken it upon myself to rectify that, so I put quite a lot of pressure on myself to deliver not only an interesting story, but a narrative that could only be based on an Eldar character, as well as wanting to delve into the roots and background of the Eldar as I went. The fact that I also then decided that three inter-woven novels was the best way to go, with each giving a unique viewpoint on the same sequence of events, pretty much moved the challenge level up to eleven in terms of writing the actual books.
TSC: Three books retelling the same story about an incomprehensible Alien race from three different totally different perspectives on existence does sound like quite the challenge. Deliverance Lost, the 18th Horus Heresy novel, came out not so long ago, written by your good self. For those that haven’t read it, give us an overview of what we can expect?
Gav: Deliverance Lost focuses on the Raven Guard Legion, who have fallen victim to the traitor ambush at Isstvan V. Suffering about 95% casualties, the Raven Guard seem to be out of the war, but thanks to divisions in Horus’s followers they are able to escape from Isstvan. Their Primarch, Corax, travels to Terra to seek advice from the Emperor and eventually takes possession of an important gene-resource that will help him rebuild his Legion for the war to come. This task is made all the more complicated by the fact that the Alpha Legion have infiltrated the Raven Guard and plan to steal the gene-data for themselves and destroy Corax’s Legion.
The book concentrates on the Raven Guard post-Isstvan, but readers also get to see flashbacks of Corax’s early days during the uprising that took him to power, as well as the continuing story of Alpharius and Omegon.
TSC: Sounds awesome. Everything I’ve read or heard about the Raven Guard makes me crave an army so Deliverance Lost hasn’t helped and it’s no surprise that reviews have been hugely positive. How did you go about tackling the task of writing about the Raven Guard and how much freedom were you given to develop the legion’s background compared to Dan Abnett with Prospero Burns?
It all started when I was thinking about the Raven’s Flight audio drama. The extant background of the Heresy doesn’t deal with the Raven Guard very much – the Collected Visions book barely mentions them and their old Index Astartes article doesn’t explain how they managed to survive the massacre (TSC: That’s easy – they’re space ninjas!) or what they got up to other than Corax’s misguided attempts to rebuild the Legion. So the first thing I did was to compile a list of questions and outstanding issues that could be examined in the HH novels and stories.
In regards to the freedom I was given, really the biggest controls came from myself – wanting to adhere to the letter of what had been written already as much as possible, even if there was an extra layer of complexity behind the ‘official’ history. The other factor to be borne in mind was how much of the Raven Guard of the 41st millennium already existed at the time of the Heresy, and how much of it has developed over the ten thousand years since.
For example, the Raven Guard as a Chapter of about 1,000 space marines have this behind-the-lines, hit-and-run approach to warfare. That works fine for a few models on the tabletop, but what does that mean for a Legion of 80,000+ Space Marines? They can’t all be jump packers, they need fire support & flexibility. On top of this, I looked for an area that meant that they were unique from those around them. They weren’t constantly mobile attackers like the White Scars, and their guerilla warfare had to be different from the subterfuge of the Alpha Legion and the terror tactics of the Night Lords. In the end, there is a self-sufficiency, make-do-and-mend, adapt and overcome attitude in the Legion. They are very pragmatic in their approach, adapting to the changing needs of the battlefield, but always with one central tenet: attack, withdraw and attack again.
This tenet was created by Corax during the rebellion of Lycaeus before the coming of the Emperor and it is not only a tactical doctrine for his Legion but a personal mantra; stay mobile; never get caught; always be ready to respond; do everything that must be done for victory; keep fighting until the last. These qualities have been adopted by his Legion and taken to heart.
TSC: The whole ‘bodge it and make do’ attitude is very British. I like it. What’s it been like to work on a project as huge and as awesome as the Horus Hersey series?
Gav: It’s great, but it comes with a lot of difficulties, such as the continuity issues. It’s easy enough to write a 40K story, separated from any wider narrative. With the Horus Heresy all of the authors are sharing a timeline, a narrative and a cast of characters. I might not be the next person to write about Corax, for instance, so my treatment of him has to be such that another author can take on his story and bring their own take on the matter. The logistics of it – who is where, and when, and at what events, and communicating with the other authors – is another thing that takes more time than on other series. On the flip side, I get to be part of this huge story, one that is the most successful range of Black Library books, and it is a beast that has far outgrown its original stature and taken on a life of its own. It is a third setting, and in terms of novels bigger than the 40K universe that spawned it. I’m glad I am able to find little pieces and areas where I can lay down my mark on what is going to be a sci-fi series that will live long in the memory.
TSC: It really is a great series. And more than a few people, I’m sure, would love to see alternative Warhammer 30,000 rules released. Moving away from GW, back in September 2010 Angry Robot published the first part in The Crown trilogy; your entirely original fantasy series. Can you tell us a bit about the trilogy?
Gav: The setting is quite different from Warhammer, with a, bronze age, Roman and Persian feel to it. The main character, Ullsaard, is a general of the Askhan Empire, and a very good one at that. He has a problem though – the expansion of the empire has stagnated of late and he is chafing to push back the boundaries even further. The empire is ruled over by the Blood, descendants of the First King, a man called Akhos. Despite the name, the Blood are not vampires, as some people have assumed. When the heir to the Crown of the Blood falls ill on military campaign, one of Ullsaard’s allies, Prince Aalun, drags him into a conflict for the succession, and soon the future of the empire is up for grabs.
It is a very ‘adult’ book, in that it has sex and swearing and a healthy dose of violence. It deals with the psychology of conquerors and men of power, and has a healthy dose of real politik as various factions and individuals vie for control of the Askhan empire.
TSC: Sex and swearing? I’m on board! How did you find it moving away from Games Workshop IP and creating your own? Were there any moments in editing the trilogy when you suddenly realised you’d taken a wrong turning and found yourself in downtown Middenheim?
Gav: I deliberately took The Crown of the Blood a good distance from Warhammer, in setting and tone, so there has never been any clash in my mind. The only thing they share, I suppose, is a military angle. It was good to have a clean slate and just get on with the storytelling, the world-changing to the needs of the narrative rather than trying to fix a particular story in a world already defined. The downside is that it’s nobody’s work but my own, so if there is something a reader does not like, it’s always going to be a decision I have made rather than, perhaps, something I have inherited from the existing background.
TSC: Again, the reviews thus far have been very positive so I’d say you’re on to a winner. With Deliverance Lost already out and part three of The Crown trilogy out in August, what are you working on next? And what are you allowed to tell us about it?
Gav: What I am working on and what comes out next aren’t the same thing… Part three of the Path of the Eldar will be out in September – that’s Path of the Outcast, and deals with the character Aradryan, who leaves Alaitoc to find purpose in his life and ends up getting involved in rather more than he can handle. I’m just about to start Ravenwing, the first in a new Dark Angels trilogy that follows on from Angels of Darkness. The trilogy is called Legacy of Caliban, but I’m not sure when it will be coming out. The title sort of tells you what that is about. At the moment, I have a Horus Heresy novella being serialised in the e-mag Hammer and Bolter, and that will also be published in an Anthology called The Primarchs. The novella is simply called The Lion and deals with what the Dark Angels have been up to since Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s short story Savage Weapons in Age of Darkness. Iron Hands and Death Guard get involved too. After that…well, things get a lot more vague. Hoping to do some more Warhammer for Black Library, maybe something involving a Dwarf and some beer. I’m also hoping to do more with Angry Robot, but whether that is Crown-related or something totally different we’ll have to see.
TSC: So it’s reasonable to say, you’re quite a busy chap, then. But, if you could work on any IP, be it a game, novel or script, what would it be?
It would be something new, that nobody has seen yet. If someone gave me a big bundle of money, some talented artists, sculptors and about a year, I would love to see what sort of game I would come up with. Failing that, a video games development studio and a few million pounds would be nice. Really I’m at a place now that being involved in the creation of something new from day one is where I really want to be. The Crown of the Blood is cool, but the universe I’ve invented for that is very much suited to the purpose of the story I wanted to tell, although there might be some room for expansion. Given the time to indulge myself, I would create something more suited to multimedia exploitation – RPGs, miniature games, novels, comics, and so on.
TSC: You can come work with me then, I’ve been trying to get my game finished for years!
Gav: In relation to existing IPs, then my favourites would have to be those of 2000AD when I was growing up – Strontium Dog, Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper. There is so much that could be done with them, in terms of stories, games and other applications.
TSC: You’ll have to get Dan to have a word. And finally, because I have to ask; what advice would you give all us budding writers?
Gav: It’s hard to give catch-all advice to would-be writers because each has a different path to follow, and each stumbles at different obstacles. With that in mind, I have two pieces of advice:
The first applies to many things, but ‘keep it simple’. Do not try to write your magnum opus straight out of the gate. I’m almost into double digits now for the number of novels I’ve written and I still think my best is yet to come. Find some good characters and an interesting story and don’t go overboard with trying to be revolutionary. Most readers just want a good story, well told. Work on your style and structure on something straightforward before trying to get too fancy.
Secondly, find your writing process. Lots of starting writers over-think while they are writing. They agonise over every word, comma and clause, thinking that through sheer persistence they will stumble upon their style. Don’t. Concentrate on story-telling, style can come later. To that end, I always tell people to Think-Write-Think. That is, think about a scene, chapter or the entire story before you start trying to write it. Make notes if you need to. Come up with cool lines of dialogue. Fix an image and a purpose in your mind – why this scene? Why this character and how does he or she act? What is the point of what I am writing? Then just write something. Write the scene or the chapter. DO NOT read what you have already written until you have finished the scene or chapter. DO NOT edit as you go along, just leave in the typos and the mistakes. Do this quickly, go with the flow. When you have words on the page you have a raw material to work with, and then you can think again. This is the edit stage – look at what you have written and think about what you were trying to achieve. This is where the style and the language can be finessed. Most of all, though, find what works best for you, and remember this: writer’s write, but authors finish!
TSC: Great advice that I know many of my readers will appreciate. And I do too actually. One more question for the road; fancy a game?
Gav: Yes, in theory, though I have not played Warhammer or 40K for about four years, and I am horribly out of the loop as far as the game system goes. So don’t expect anything competitive, or even competent. Always happy to try out new games though.
TSC: That’s fine, it’ll just make me look like a half competent gamer for a change. Gav, it’s been an absolute pleasure, thanks for taking the time.
Deliverance Lost is out now and available from Games Workshop hobby centres, the Black Library website and all good book stores. The Crown of the Blood & The Crown of the Conqueror are available through the Angry Robot website and all good book stores. The concluding part, The Crown of the Usurper is available later this year.
Between this and a whispered tale involving both The Khan and Horus coming from Mr. Wraight seems the White Scars might be getting some attention at long last. To be fair I guess they'll feature a fair bit during the Siege saga.
Nathaniel Garro, knight errant and agent of the Sigillite, returns from the battlefields of Calth to find a new mission already waiting for him – a ragged fleet of Space Marines from several Legions lingers at the edge of the Terran system. With the presence of World Eaters and Emperor’s Children causing concern among the loyalist defenders and drawing a grim parallel with his own frantic flight, Garro must look beneath the obvious if he is to determine friend from foe...
A lot of listeners who heard Legion of One asked questions about Varren's appearance in the audio - I deliberately left his backstory unexplained, and the original intention was to explore his escape from the chaos of the dropsite massacre in a short story for one of the Horus Heresy anthologies. But after discussing it with editor Christian Dunn, we decided that it would make a cool audio drama, so Sword of Truth will be the first two-disc Horus Heresy audio, set chronologically between the events of the first and second Nathaniel Garro stories Oath of Moment and Legion of One.
Pestilence – Dan Abnett
Wrath of Kharn – William King
Sacrifice – Ben Counter
Red Reward – Mitchel Scanlon
The Last Detail – Paul Kearney
At Gaius Point – Aaron Dembski-Bowden
Mistress Baeda’s Gift – Braden Campbell
Survivor – Steve Parker
The Heraclitus Effect – Graham McNeill
Flesh – Chris Wraight
Even Unto Death – Mike Lee
The Carrion Anthem – David Annandale
Bitter End – Sarah Cawkwell
On Mournful Wings – Simon Spurrier
Ancient History – Andy Chambers
The Burning – Nick Kyme
A Good Man – Sandy Mitchell
Suffer Not The Unclean o Live – Gav Thorpe
Orphans of the Kraken – Richard Williams
Bloodline – James Swallow
Snares and Delusions – Matthew Farrer
The Curiosity – Dan Abnett
The Skull Harvest – Graham McNeill
Gate of Souls – Mike Lee
Xenocide – Simon Jowett
2012/02/28 18:17:11
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
IIRC one of the tales in said tome was originally published in a limited, 1k print run, format.
Just in case you don't know that series crosses over with the ultramarine series by the same author.
meanwhile...
Fear of the Dark (Angels)
There can be no more noble and awe-inspiring sight than a fully armoured Space Marine soaring into battle on a jetbike, guns blazing and power sword held high, ready to decapitate the foes of the Imperium. In this new cover for Gav Thorpe’s forthcoming novel Ravenwing, we get to see Sammael, Master of the Ravenwing, doing just that. Well, who else would it be?
This is the first piece of art that Jorge Fares has done for Black Library. We’d say he’s off to a flying start (sorry, couldn’t resist). There is a great sense of scale in this piece. The warships soaring overhead and the pall of smoke shrouding the battlefield, so that all you can see is the flash of muzzle-fire and the indistinct shapes of tanks and explosions give an epic feel to the battle scene.
Although this book isn’t released until January next year, you can set a reminder now and we'll let you know when it's available to buy.
If you can’t wait that long for some Gav Thorpe Dark Angels action, we’ve got plenty to keep you going. The eBooks Angels of Darkness and Purging of Kadillus are available to download now, and the first part of Gav’s new Horus Heresy novella The Lion is featured in this month’s Hammer and Bolter, with part two in issue 18 - available to pre-order now.
0036/02/28 19:00:38
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
And some news from Mr. Kyme, now he's blow t'dust off of his blog.
Out now – Nocturne has been out since November and kicking celebrated ass as the finale to my Tome of Fire trilogy about the Salamanders. There are some cliffhangers and that’s because I am returning to the Chapter and some of the characters (plus new ones) in a new book around 2013.
Also… Dwarfs. If you can can’t wait for The Great Betrayal then you can always get hold of this omnibus edition by myself and fellow author Gav Thorpe. It contains three stand alone novels about the dwarfs (well, duh…), a short story by Gav and a cut down version of the old hard to find background book Grudgelore. Oh, and both authors have written an intro too.
Coming out soon – The Primarchs in which I have a novella ‘Feat of Iron’, which is about Ferrus Manus of the Iron Hands and really delves into his psyche and how he sees himself ranked up against the other primarchs. It runs concurrently with the storyline of Promethean Sun but is in no way dependent on that story. There some pretty fething ! awesome revelations in it about Ferrus Manus and a hint about what’s to come in the next phase of the Heresy storyline too. It’s previewed at BLL and released ‘officially’ in June 2012.
Perfection is my fourth (ish) audio drama and it’s all about a warband of the Emperor’s Children called the Incarnadine Host. It’s a bit different as it’s kind of a battlefield mystery story but with lots of extremely visceral action, and a killer twist. The read through was done last week and now it’s off to be recorded. Expect it around October 2012.
And what I’m working on right now – The Great Betrayal. My first Time of Legends book set during the War of Vengeance has been a right bast to get into shape. With a six book series, my first experience of working in tandem with another author, and this being the first book has meant I’ve really had to find new levels of dedication and ingenuity to make this work. It’s now well on track, over 70,000 words down (out of a likely 120,000) and slated for a November 2012 release.
And soon to be on my writing desk – Tome of Fire. For all Salamander fans everywhere, this is an anthology of all my short stories for the Salamanders. It also includes the audio drama Fireborn and will contain a brand new novella (which is where the work comes from). Rare gems such as The Burning will also be in there (that was a chapbook story from BLL 2009 – I think) and I might see if Emperor’s Deliverance will fit in too (it’s more focused on Marines Malevolent but does have a rather cool cameo by Tu’Shan).
Scorched Earth is next up. This is a Horus Heresy novella that won’t be limited edition but will be a forerunner to a later novel I have in the works. It’s set in the aftermath of Isstvan V and features two Salamander characters searching for Vulkan’s body amongst the ruins and devastation. Expect a cameo from one of the Iron Hands in ‘Feat of Iron’ too… Oh, and the cover by Neil Roberts is absolutely stunning. Very moody and something rather different for the Horus Heresy, not really seen before.
That’s your lot. Further out is well… top secret at the moment. Updates will filter through BL’s site as usual.
Really looking forwards to The Primarchs now even more than I was. Scorched Earth sounds cool too.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/02/28 19:01:39
2012/03/01 11:32:31
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
Just Dave wrote:Well, my copy arrived yesterday and it's Gold. So who knows? I have no idea what the colours at the top are for either...
My copy too is gold.
.. as is my nice and shiny and 3/4s read copy of "The Primarchs" too.
.. which has proven to be a cracking read indeed so far, a few eyebrow raising moments so far in every book...
Spoiler:
The bit where they blowtorch Fulgrim foot right down to the bone is quite full on...
Black Library Live was a blast overall.
Picked up a ton of stuff, might have to invest in a chiropractor after lugging this lot around.
The Primarchs
Eye of Vengence -- audio drama
Butcher's nails -- audio drama (( yes !!! )
Phalanx
Bloodsworn
Dead Winter
Void Stalker
Path of the Renegade
Iron warriors omnibus
gotrek and felix anthology
knights of the blazing sun
architect of fate
legion of the damned
chapter book
all good stuff, got a fair few bits signed and said hello to a few people as well, both authors and people from facebook/forums and the like.
Big lines especially for signings by Mr. Sanders and Mamzel Cawkwell, which was both heartening to see and deserved, they're getting better and better with each release. Good stuff coming out from both of them too.
Other cool thing of the day was they had a guy from Warhammer World -- James or Jamie IIRC -- who is now enshrined as a prince amongts men forevermore. He has been tasked with sorting out/clearing out the GW archive room and has basically set about this by selling off old stuff at events like this.
There were 5 or 6 copies of "The Lost and the Damned" and 1 copy of "Slaves to darkness" for sale, £30 IIRC, all in pretty much mint condition. As were all the old WFRP, Runequest (!), Golden Heroes, Judge Dread books and supplements as well.
Tons of old catalogues and piles of citadel journals, seemingly loads of issues of the short lived specialist games magazines, all reasonably priced and in good nick.
I, just, managed to talk myself out of buying the Judge Dread RPG and companion book, and instead settled for The Thrud graffik novel, "Blood and Iron" the art of Les Edwards, and the 88, 89 and 1990 Fantasy miniature books which GW released, which collects the Golde Demon entries from those years as well as a good splash of 'eavy metal team stuff as well. A real trip down memeory lane in parts indeed.
He's got other stuff to roll out at later events as he sorts through t'ings. IIRC the next batch is for the Studio Open day later this year... July IIRC, tickets on sale in May I believe.
Few new books and the like announced and, intriguingly, apparently at the BL weekender in November to do with the HH making the leap to a ne form of media, to much delight from the fans.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/03/04 12:11:40
2012/03/04 13:19:11
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
I think perhaps a liver transplant might be needed too.
Haven't listened to either cd yet, am keen to, Butcher's nails is set in/around the time of "Know no Fear" one gathers.
Left Nott. a bit after 19;00 and didn't get through my front door until about 1;30, been a LONG weekend. Cunningly I've left all my laundry and general chores to this afternoon as well.
Once again all the authors and staff were really nice, and massive thanks also to the bar and catering staff who were rushed off their feet right from the start.
It was definately the best organised BL event thus far IMO, learn from each one as they go along one supposes.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/03/04 13:21:13
2012/03/04 13:41:45
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
Nothing quite that good this time, alas, but £3.10 is still a good 80p- £1.00 cheaper than where I am/drink.
Hell, out in London a wee while back and 3 pints cost me a little under £16.00
I do recall one of the torunies I went to there a good few years back they were doing shots of vodka + mixer for £1. I recall it somewhat blurrily but it did happen.
I remember this mainly as one of teammates opponents was so hungover on Sunday morning he just ran his Tau army forwards towards the Black Templars just so he could get the game over and done with.
2012/03/05 09:24:00
Subject: Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
Alpharius wrote:Mike - can you confirm that Alpharius and/or Omegon are in "The Primarchs"?
Thanks!
The Alpha Legion, and their primarchs are indeed the focus of the 4th story.
Spoiler:
.. which is actually Alpha Legion versus Alpha Legion as, of course, not everyone's loyalties are to be trusted or as predictable as one might suppose.
We also see the earliest canonical appearance of a xenos race as well. Sort of.
I thought some things mentioned in the book didn't come until well after the jersey
... I'm assuming you mean heresy here yes ? .. autocorrect ..?
There's been a few odds and sods, IIRC I think they put that down to prototypes, WIPs etc, that sort of thing.
2012/03/08 08:33:57
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
The Blood Angels are back. The stars of Bloodquest return in a brand new audio drama.
It’s been over a decade since the first Bloodquest graphic novel, and our hero Leonatus was in need of an upgrade. So In time honoured tradition, here’s a before and after.
The original Bloodquest cover takes us back to simpler times, when orks were just small green vikings (just look at the helmet at Leonatus’s feet), and carrying an impractically huge banner was a perfectly acceptable battlefield pastime. A classic cover, but not quite grim or dark enough.
For the audio drama, Captain Leonatus has been reinvented by the talented hand of Cheoljoo Lee. We think Cheol has perfectly captured the battle scarred, but proud Space Marine captain, and made him into a hero fit for 2012 (or M40,992).
So Brother Captain Leonatus has returned after a decade long sabbatical into the eye of terror, and judging by his battered armour and torn robes, he’s been getting to know the locals. By the look of that proud stance and heroic expression, it’s a fair bet that the locals have also got to know the sharp end of his blade.
You can get this new audio drama in November. In the meantime, the the full collection of Bloodquest graphic novels can be found in the Book of Blood (along with another 400 pages of Blood Angel stories). You won’t find this anywhere else, so pick it up today.
A nice "upgrade" there IMO
2012/03/15 12:35:46
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
A few snippets and odds and sods from BL Live and around the gaff.
BL will continue to use both Big Finish and Heavy Entertainment in the production of the audio books/dramas.
From.... Sep..?... Oct.... later this year anyway we can and should expect about 1 audio drama per month, some being direct/download only.
There's scheduled releases concerning Space Wolves, Blood Angels, and Gotrek and Felix, and further HH ones of course.
Talk of double disc release Space marine battles dramas, with the 2nd disc containing "special features".
They do plan, for now, to keep releasing the audio dramas in text/story form. The Night Lords one features in Treacheries of the Space Marines I believe. There is some talk about possible P.O.D. versions of the scripts, no idea how this would impact upon the current release of those tales in print form.
Butcher's Nails is most enjoyable, I especially liked the sound effects for when Lorgar hits....people.... with his maul.
Angron sounds quite like Gotrek IMO, which is apt.
Finished Voidbringer which is actually quite beautiful in a way IMO. Certainly a fitting ending... (..? !...) for the series. I think the way that one does kind of wind up rotting for, essentially, psychopathic murderers does mighty credit to Mr. Dembski-Bowden's writing.
If you enjoyed the previous books in the series then I suspect you'll love this one.
Reading "Architect of Fate" currently : enjoyed Mamzel Cawkwell's tale, which is suitably atmospheric and I do like the way she links things to the broader 40k universe.
The 2nd tale from Mr. Hinks features the Relictors and is... alright. damning him with faint praise there mayhaps, certainly full of good ideas and some interesting characters, just felt the structure could perhaps have done with a wee bit more work to get it right. Suitably confusing given the story though I guess and I applaud the experimentation in the style as well.
2012/03/19 08:45:06
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
ABOUT THE PRODUCT
Celebrate 15 years of Black Library with new stories from some of our best authors, including Dan Abnett, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Nick Kyme, C.L. Werner and more.
Join our discussion on Twitter - #BLis15
DON'T MISS OUT
Check back on Monday the 19th of March to download the first eShort.
30,000 Likes! As promised, here is an exclusive first look at Neil Robert's stunning new art work for the cover of a forthcoming Horus Heresy book by Nick Kyme.
.. looks kind of Isstvaan V to me...?
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/03/26 09:23:07
2012/03/28 08:08:14
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
FULL LINEUP FOR THE EXPO:
Dan Abnett
Aaron Dembski-Bowden
Graham McNeill
Nick Kyme
James Swallow
Chris Wraight
Andy Smillie
Gav Thorpe
Tickets will go on presale Saturday 31st March at Chestermere Public Library from 10am. They are only available to those people holding an active Chestermere Public Library card, or an active membership card for any other Marigold system member library (full list here). We will then release them for general sale the following week.
Tickets are limited to five per person. It is awesome that so many of you want to buy more than that, but we think it's fairer to limit numbers.
Tickets cost $20, which buys you one admission for either saturday or sunday - not to both. Think of it like a tour; it's the exact same gig both days, and by doing it this way you've got shorter line ups for signings and more interaction on the Q&A sessions - although if you want to buy a ticket for both shows then we're cool with that too.
We're working with Black Library to finalise the seminar programs and put the finishing touches to the Expo, but if there is anything you desperately want to see happen ("How to write for Black Library", "Horus Heresy Discussion Panel", "opportunity to ask Dan how he sleeps at night after what he did to Bragg", etc) then drop me an email at BlackLibraryExpo@ChestermerePublicLibrary.com and I'll do my best to make it happen. In fact, drop me an email if you want to see a cosplay contest, demo gaming, or anything else Warhammer or 40k related as part of the event.
That's a pretty strong line up of talent their, well worth popping along if you can IMO.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/03/28 10:07:24
2012/03/28 20:04:16
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
H.B.M.C. wrote:So why are Lorgar and Angron working together? Shouldn't Angron be on the opposite side of the galaxy at this point?
... no
.. why do you think that ?
Post Isstvaan most of the Word Bearers set off for Calth/Ultramar, there to deal with the majority of the Ultramarines.
Lorgar -- who is now growing in both power and confidence as he finally steps up and assumes the mantle that fate has dealt him -- and some of his Word Bearers are sent off on a mission with Angron and Co. by Horus elsewhere in the galaxy. I think they're near the Ultramar region, that side of space anyway, but a fair old way from Calth.
IIRC there's about 5 years between Isatvaan and the start of the siege of Terra so there's a lot of ground to cover -- both story and travel wise.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/03/29 18:28:19
2012/04/09 16:39:03
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
How like the Raven Guard to keep secrets close to their chests, but don't worry, Deliverance comes to those who wait and you'll find out more soon enough.
Sorry we can't tell you more just now, but we'll be dropping little hints about what's to come tomorrow, with the full reveal next Monday. Black is the new black.
2012/04/10 08:39:09
Subject: Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
Seems Chris Wraight, C.L. Werner -- his ToL "Dead Winter" book is very good indeed -- and Andy Smillie -- who has been doing some nice stuff with the Flesh Tearers -- are the only attending authors announced thus far.
2012/04/10 09:54:53
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
Mr. Wraight also wrote the great "Battle of the Fang" and a very nice HH short in the last anthology.
.. he's also got some Iron Hands stuff which I'm eager for and is doing some White Scar/The Khan HH stuff too.
I can only concur with the aforementioned praise for Mr. Werner's fantasy novels, I'm also looking forwards to his Iron Warriors versus Orks 40k book too.
2012/04/10 11:39:46
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
The Chaos Space Marines of the Iron Warriors Legion have long been renowned as the masters of siege warfare, able to inflict devastating firepower and unimaginable cruelty upon their foes. On the world of Castellax, twisted Warsmith Andraaz builds his own empire even as a system-crushing ork Waaagh! approaches, and drives his own slaves ever harder to meet their production quotas and supply materiel for the Legion’s many warbands. Their walls are strong and their weapons ready, but how long can the planet hold out against the deadly greenskin invasion when whisperings of rebellion begin to pass between the Iron Warriors’ downtrodden vassals?
2012/04/10 14:14:38
Subject: Re:Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.
, strokes for folks I guess.
