Black Library News & Rumours Thread II, aka Rise of the Bibliophile

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**Grarg**

Ooooo, Iron Hands are coming to a Space Marine Battles novel close to you:

http://www.blacklibrary.com/Blog/Iron-Men.html

"It’s not often you feel sympathy for a transdimensional manifestation of mankind’s darkest desires, but it’s hard not to feel a little bit sorry for these daemonettes.

This latest piece of artwork from the talented Jon Sullivan is the cover for the forthcoming Space Marine Battles novel, Wrath of Iron.

Jon’s artwork is always dynamic and visceral and the Iron Hands Space Marines are really dishing out the pain to those daemons. Have a look at this kitted-out Space Marine, wielding two boltguns and blasting warp-spawn apart by the dozen!

And check out this Terminator, wading through the lesser servants of Chaos with the cold, methodical awesomeness we’d expect of the Iron Hands.

Wrath of Iron is being written by Chris Wraight, author of the Battle of the Fang, so it’s a fair bet that the content of the novel will be every bit as awesome and action-packed as the cover. This novel will be released in July next year, but you can set your reminder for this novel today.

Tomorrow on the blog, we’ll have an extract from another Space Marine Battles novel: Legion of the Damned by Rob Sanders (where some more daemons get blasted apart by heartless power armoured superhumans. It’s not a good week to be a minion of Chaos!)"

**KamikazeCanuck**

alphaomega wrote:I thought event A happens after Event C.

As I remember that Horus is disgusted at Magnus' use of sorcery and realises he could become a very large problem.

And as such it is Horus and Erebus who lean on Terra to bring the council of Nikea to ban psykers in the legions.

I really need to read those books so I can finally decipher this code.

**reds8n**

http://www.blacklibrary.com/advent-calendar

Christmas is here! Sure you might have started your seasonal shopping and put up your decorations, but now you have the Black Library advent calendar, meaning its official!

Every day we’ll be revealing another section from a brand new Horus Heresy artwork, as well as giving you a fiendishly difficult question, set to test the true Black Library fan.

Check it out each day on the run up to Christmas.

Check back on the 25th for a Christmas surprise!

**boyd**

alphaomega wrote:I thought event A happens after Event C.

As I remember that Horus is disgusted at Magnus' use of sorcery and realises he could become a very large problem.

And as such it is Horus and Erebus who lean on Terra to bring the council of Nikea to ban psykers in the legions.

That may be the case but if Nikea happens after Horus becomes a traitor, why wouldn't Magnus tell the Emperor himself at the meeting? Nikea has to happen prior Horus's fall. Magnus didn't warn the Emperor about Istavaan III thereby bringing the 7 legions in to quell Horus's rebellion on Istavaan V (that was Gareth), he warned the Emperor that Horus had fallen at Davin. When Gareth returned from Istavaan III, it confirmed what Magnus had told him. Its a bit convuluted but that is pretty much the only way the events could have played out. If Horus was a traitor, Magnus already knew and already outed him to the Emperor. The Emperor received his message and didn't believe him. Horus could have used a mouth piece from another Legion to drive his point home but he couldn't do it himself. If someone says you're a traitor, your word would hold less weight until it can be proven otherwise. On top of that, the Emperor only tells Leman Russ to return him to Terra, he doesn't relay the message to Russ. Just that he violated the Council of Nikea and he needed to be returned to Terra to account for his actions. Horus was the one who convinced Russ that bringing Magnus back to Terra would not be the right thing. The only way Horus could influence Russ would be prior to Istavaan III as shortly thereafter, it was common knowledge he was a traitor. Shortly after Istavaan III and V, Horus receives word that Magnus has been taken care of.

Thats my two cents at least. I don't recall the part about Erebus and Horus leaning on Terra to ban the use of Librarians. It is possible that I missed that part - these two books I expected to be some of the best but I was proven wrong :(

**Just Dave**

reds8n wrote:http://www.blacklibrary.com/advent-calendar

Christmas is here! Sure you might have started your seasonal shopping and put up your decorations, but now you have the Black Library advent calendar, meaning its official!

Every day we’ll be revealing another section from a brand new Horus Heresy artwork, as well as giving you a fiendishly difficult question, set to test the true Black Library fan.

Check it out each day on the run up to Christmas.

Check back on the 25th for a Christmas surprise!

Pretty cool.

Answer is... 80 years was it?

**reds8n**

Nice little interview with the charming Mamzel Cawkwell, from http://www.graemesfantasybookreview.com/2011/12/author-interview-sarah-cawkwell.html

I had a lot of fun reading 'The Gildar Rift' (have a look at my review over Here) and, once I'd finished, found that I had a few questions that I would have loved to run past Sarah given half a chance. Well, not only did I get that chance but a whole load of answers came flying back; thanks Sarah!

Check it out...

In what’s becoming a question that I ask Black Library authors... Do you have your own army of Space Marines and (if so) did you use them to enact key scenes when writing ‘The Gildar Rift’?

I’m in the process of building my first full army. At the current rate, I might actually have a game-ready force by around 2017. My entire army presently consists of a Terminator Librarian and two-and-a-half Devastators. But you know. They could probably fight off a couple of angry squirrels.

I happily admit to using a couple of figures to block out certain scenes. More fun though was the blocking of the space battles. ‘This stapler is the strike cruiser… and this hole punch is the Wolf of Fenris, these pencils are…’ Things were swept off the desk and the battle of office stationery was waged.

I do something similar with my office stationery, the big difference though is that I'm not writing a book... On your blog you mention that you get to ‘write about super-human, 7ft tall, heavily armoured killing machines with BIG guns, bigger swords and a collective mental age of about 15’. How do you go about making an emotionally stunted post-human character someone that a reader wants to spend time with (when he’s not blowing stuff up)?

I enjoy creating characters that people feel something about. Whether that ‘something’ is sympathy, dislike, affection or whatever. Contrary to other people's beliefs, I don’t think that Space Marines are flat and emotionless. They fascinate me. Everything about them is exaggerated – and that includes the way they interact, particularly with each other. They're only flat and emotionless if you write them that way. Of course, there's always a need for 'red shirts'.

If you aren’t emotionally invested in your own characters whilst writing about them, you can’t expect readers to care about what happens to them. If I have a character I don’t enjoy writing about, I tend to assess their behaviour and try to make them start behaving the way I would want to read about them behaving.

There must be countless Chapters of Marines fighting their way across the Imperium, what led you to focus on the Silver Skulls? Can you see yourself writing more about this Chapter in the future?

I’d developed some stuff about the Silver Skulls alongside some friends on the old Bolthole forums and over time have grown very fond of them. My fellow forumites were very supportive of my pursuing getting some of our stuff into canon. Of course, some of the things that were originally developed were thrown out for being too radical and stringently anti-codex, but many other things have remained. Above anything else, I like the tribal, superstitious nature of the Silver Skulls.

I also like that they are going through a vital period of change in their history, a change that they may have left too late.

I’d definitely like to write more about them. There are too many characters in my head I want to give screen time to.

Huron Blackheart is a pretty major character in the Warhammer 40K universe. What was it like to have him stride around in your novel? Were there any constraints that you felt in writing about a character that may yet have a part to play in future books written by other authors?

It was wonderful. He took on a life of his own. Whilst I was writing The Gildar Rift, Aaron Dembski-Bowden was also completing Blood Reaver, so we spoke a bit about how our different realisations of the same character could marry up properly.

It was definitely a great honour to get hold of a character like Huron. There’s just something so immensely satisfying about being able to write for a character who is as mad as a box of frogs, but who still possesses the remnants of one of the most brilliant strategic minds ever.

‘The Gildar Rift’ ends with one particular story left unfinished (and it just had to be about the guy I was rooting for the most...), are you planning on tying up any loose ends in a future book?

I most definitely hope so. The character I’m guessing you are talking about is one who actually survived the original draft cull. He was scheduled to die somewhere around page 300, but I’d gotten too attached to him (see previous comment about investment in characters). So his over-arcing story changed completely during the process of storytelling.

I’m shamelessly stealing this question from my interview with Chris Wraight... You’re writing in a universe that isn’t just shared between writers but also between thousands (at least) of wargamers. How has this second group of people taken to your work so far? How does it feel to be the one depicting cities and even entire planets that have been fought over for years now?

Feedback so far has been brilliant. It’s an unnerving experience watching your first novel go out into the wild, particularly amongst an audience with as much enthusiasm and eagerness as the Warhammer fandom. I’ve been to several signing events now and without fail, people have been highly encouraging, having read one of the several Silver Skulls stories that have appeared throughout the ‘life’ of Hammer & Bolter. Now that the book has gone on more general release, with a full release very shortly, I’ve started getting a trickle of feedback. And it’s all been encouraging stuff.

I love this universe. I have researched and read until my eyeballs bleed and I am glad to be seen to be doing it some justice. If I can continue produce stories people enjoy reading… then that’s good enough for me.

If you could be any other Black Library writer, which one would you be and why?

Aaron Dembski-Bowden. Nobody can rock the beanie like that man.

Actually, every other one of the BL authors has 'something' going for them that I envy in one way or the other. But being fundamentally pragmatic, I'll just have to carry on learning from them - and believe you me, these folks are very generous with their time and advice.

Why should someone who has never picked up a Black Library book give them a go?

It’s too easy to dismiss Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy books as ‘just more tie-in fiction’. But the universes are both so stunningly unique. There is so little that’s meh… generic… about the fantasy/40K verses. For the most part, there is a great mix of character-led stories and high energy action set pieces. And they’re just plain fun to read.

The ‘Horus Heresy’ books are a pretty big deal for Black Library at the moment, have you got your eye on writing one in the future?

That’s the dream of any author who gets taken into the Black Library fold, I’m sure. It would be an absolutely brilliant opportunity should it arise and I’d leap at it. To be able to contribute to such a rich series would be amazing.

And finally, you have another Black Library book coming out next year, who is Valkia the Bloody?

This lovely lady is the consort of Khorne and one of the most notorious Warriors of Chaos of the Old World. She’s a former barbarian queen who has something of a penchant for doing things her own way and dishing out fast punishments to any who dare challenge her. After a bit of a heated discussion with a daemon prince of Slaanesh who suggests that she might be more suited to being one of his slave girls, she dedicates herself to Khorne and…

And lots of things happen… mostly involving blood, decapitation, pitched battles and all the other things you'd expect of a Champion of Khorne.

Thanks Sarah!

Thoroughly enjoyed Gildar Rift, thought the space battles were especially well done.

And, assuming they mean who I think they do, I'm also glad that a certain person's story isn't quite over yet.

Read "Age of Legend" last/this week and enjoyed the stories immensely. The Valkia one bodes well for that tome and I was also impressed with how she wrote the Dwarves as well. Successfully made them dignified and brave without making them comedic or light relief.

**Just Dave**

Indeed, very nice interview!

I do look forward to Gildar rift; is it out yet?

She's right too, no-one rocks a beanie like ADB.

**reds8n**

http://www.blacklibrary.com/Warhammer-40000/the-gildar-rift.html

Indeed it is.

**xcasex**

re: timeline in TOD; the question that some are not asking is this, why was the thousand son marine imprisoned already? the magnus pebcak didnt happen until mid-book.

**Eumerin**

Picked up "Hammer and Anvil" at my local B&N a couple of days ago. Partway through I started getting the impression that it was using the Sororitas characters as framing devices to show off the new Necrons...

**Just Dave**

xcasex wrote:re: timeline in TOD; the question that some are not asking is this, why was the thousand son marine imprisoned already? the magnus pebcak didnt happen until mid-book.

I'm not sure that's too relevant; there were a multitude of astartes imprisoned, originating from both traitor and loyal legions (except Artharva only released the traitor legionnaires).
Obviously it didn't describe why they were imprisoned, but I'm sure this will be picked up upon in a later novel, which is fine with me. I do think the author should've given some kind of hint/indication why they were there though.

**Alpharius**

Just Dave wrote:
xcasex wrote:re: timeline in TOD; the question that some are not asking is this, why was the thousand son marine imprisoned already? the magnus pebcak didnt happen until mid-book.

I'm not sure that's too relevant; there were a multitude of astartes imprisoned, originating from both traitor and loyal legions (except Artharva only released the traitor legionnaires).
Obviously it didn't describe why they were imprisoned, but I'm sure this will be picked up upon in a later novel, which is fine with me. I do think the author should've given some kind of hint/indication why they were there though.

HA!

I'm not so sure...

Again, I just wish that BL had a bit more/tighter editorial control.

**automatonsleuth**

xcasex wrote:re: timeline in TOD; the question that some are not asking is this, why was the thousand son marine imprisoned already? the magnus pebcak didnt happen until mid-book.

It was something to do with his involvement in "The Crusader Host". Precisely what this means is unknown, but there were marines from both lyalist and non-loyalist legions, so it was presumabley nothing to do with the Nikaea edict. I dare say "The Crusader Host" plot will be expandedupon at some point, although I don't expect an answer immediately.

**Kanluwen**

"The Crusader Host" refers to Sigismund's branch of the Imperial Fists, which would later become the Black Templars IIRC.

**automatonsleuth**

Kanluwen wrote:"The Crusader Host" refers to Sigismund's branch of the Imperial Fists, which would later become the Black Templars IIRC.

The Crusader Host mentioned in The Outcast Dead included at least one of the Thousand Sons, Sons of Horus, Emperor's Children and Death Guard, and at least three World Eaters, along with an unspecified number of members from other legions, both loyalist and non-loyalist, so it seems unlikely that the two organisations are the same. What this Crusader Host actually was and what they did to merit incarceration in Terra's most secure prison is at present a mystery until further information is recieved from later novels.

**reds8n**

Guess time'll tell over that.

VAMPIRES HAVE GONE SOFT

Vampires have gone soft. It seems like nowadays they’re as likely to sweep you off your feet in a gesture of undying love as they are to drain your frail human form of arterial fluid.

If you like your vampires to be predatory creatures of the night rather than pallid, twinkling romantics, fear not. Actually, be afraid, because on Friday you’ll be able to order the massive new Vampires omnibus, packed with grisly vampire tales to really sink your teeth into.

The book itself is immense, as befits a dark tome that chronicles the great vampire bloodlines of the Old World. Check out the size of it, looming over Age of Legend like a monolithic tome from some archaic mausoleum.

The omnibus contains six blood drenched tales (two novels, three short stories and a comic), covering vampires from the repulsive Necrachs to the bestial Strigoi.
Here’s a look at one of the pages in the comic Blood Brothers:

You can order your copy of Vampires this Friday. If you’re anything like me and your memory is worse than a zombie with concussion, you can set a reminder so you’ll receive an email when it goes on sale.

But that’s not all that happens this Friday. We’ll also be announcing exciting details of the next in our range of limited edition collectable novellas. We can’t tell you too much just now, but what we can say is that, like all Black Library collectable novellas, it will written by one of our top authors and printed in a lavish hardback format. To be the first to know all about it, sign up for the newsletter now.

**automatonsleuth**

That Blood Brothers comic looks very 2000AD. Anyone know who drew the artwork for it?

**reds8n**

Mike Perkins

, he has done some work for 2000Ad/Rebellion. Amongst others.

http://www.mikeperkinsart.com/My_Homepage_Files/Page6.html

**reds8n**

aha !

The hallowed ranks of Black Library limited edition novellas will soon have a new addition.

Catechism of Hate is set to join other coveted titles like Aurelian, Iron Warrior and The Bloody Handed when it is released on the 6th of January 6pm (GMT).

This novella will be first Space Marine Battles story to be printed in this lavish format and, like the novels in that series, it will feature stunning cover art by Jon Sullivan and detailed tactical maps (we’ll take a closer look at these on next week’s blog).

All collectors’ novellas also have a custom hardcover design, and Catechism of Hate is no exception, proudly bearing the symbol of the Ultramarines in glorious shining blue on a white background.

Author Gav Thorpe is no stranger to writing Space Marines, having penned The Purging of Kadillus and the perennial favourite Angels of Darkness, but this is his first book to star the zealous Chaplain Cassius of the Ultramarines. This grizzled veteran is as tough as old artificer-armoured boots, and where other Ultramarines are honourable and noble warriors, Cassius has nothing but hatred and contempt for the enemies of the Imperium. ( Okay, that’s not quite true; he also has copious quantities of burning promethium for the enemies of the Imperium.)

This novella will be released on the 6th of January and numbers will be strictly limited to 1,500 copies (in English). To make sure you don’t miss out, set your reminder now.

And for you horror fans out there, count (ahem...) on us to bring you great books this winter. The new direct exclusive book Vampires is on sale now. This massive 640-page tome should see you through the long, dark December nights. And if your unholy thirst isn’t quenched by that, there are three new Von Carstein vampire eBooks for you to enjoy: Inheritance, Retribution and Dominion. All of these are by Steve Savile, who also wrote one of the novels in Vampires.

Be sure to visit next week when we’ll be bringing you extracts, new art and news of an exciting Black Library event.

Enjoy your weekend.

http://www.blacklibrary.com/Blog/Catechism-of-Hate.html

**Kanluwen**

Cassius?

Huh. That's actually surprising.

**The Decapitator**

The Decapitator wrote:There's a new 40K Novella being released in January, limited edition, signed, 3000 copies etc etc.

It's not Horus Heresy however, just 40K.

It's called either "Crucible/Colossium of Hate"

That is all...

Damn, so close!

Catechism of Hate it is then, is that even a word!?!

Ah well, I did post that a couple of weeks ago, so I'm gonna go easy on myself.

And only 1500 copies too...grumble...

**bhsman**

reds8n wrote:http://www.blacklibrary.com/advent-calendar

Christmas is here! Sure you might have started your seasonal shopping and put up your decorations, but now you have the Black Library advent calendar, meaning its official!

Every day we’ll be revealing another section from a brand new Horus Heresy artwork, as well as giving you a fiendishly difficult question, set to test the true Black Library fan.

Check it out each day on the run up to Christmas.

Check back on the 25th for a Christmas surprise!

Going by the first reveal, it looks like it's either an Iron Warriors novel or a very good red herring.

**Noisy_Marine**

What is up with BL and the special edition novels? I'd really like to read "Aurelian", but it sold out before I even knew it existed ...

**Pilau Rice**

Looks to be Tyranids and Ultramarines.

**automatonsleuth**

Pilau Rice wrote:Looks to be Tyranids and Ultramarines.

Indeed, the chappy on the cover is none other than the Ultramarines' Master of Sanctity, Ortan Cassius, strutting his funky stuff against the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Behemoth.

Edited for quotefail...

**reds8n**

http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/c-+l-+werner/siege+of+castellax/8872770/

Siege of Castellax - Space Marine Battles 11
by C. L. Werner

.. yyeess !

FYI this should be about the ork assault on the Iron Warrior held world.

Mentioned in the ork section in the BRB t'would seem.

Is a LLOONNGG way off, but good to see the sons of Perturabo gettin' some attention.

**Alpharius**

Noisy_Marine wrote:What is up with BL and the special edition novels? I'd really like to read "Aurelian", but it sold out before I even knew it existed ...

Well, they know their sales numbers, I guess.

3000 * $50 (+ ridiculous shipping) - costs must equal more than $8 - x average number of copies of books sold in HH series - costs, or some such formula...

Either that or it just makes them a silly amount of cash for a less than silly amount of outlay?

Or, even more likely, some formula or reasoning that I have no knowledge of is being used here.

Clearly it appears to make sense for BL/GW, and it isn't going away anytime soon.

Sad, but true!

**warboss**

Alpharius wrote:
Noisy_Marine wrote:What is up with BL and the special edition novels? I'd really like to read "Aurelian", but it sold out before I even knew it existed ...

Well, they know their sales numbers, I guess.

3000 * $50 (+ ridiculous shipping) - costs must equal more than $8 - x average number of copies of books sold in HH series - costs, or some such formula...

Either that or it just makes them a silly amount of cash for a less than silly amount of outlay?

Or, even more likely, some formula or reasoning that I have no knowledge of is being used here.

Clearly it appears to make sense for BL/GW, and it isn't going away anytime soon.

Sad, but true!

Is there anything in the prior press releases that specifically prohibit them from eventually releasing a cheap amazon or barnes and noble version of the same books? If not, then they're leaving the door open for getting the best of both worlds (limited run "collector" print of the book for huge profits and then the mass market version).

**Kanluwen**

The "exclusives" eventually are released as part of an anthology dealing with the subject.

**Alpharius**

They do mention on most (all?) that the stories will not be reprinted for (x) number of years...