Black Library News & Rumours Thread III, that awkward third title.

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**Malika2**

KamikazeCanuck wrote:
Malika2 wrote:

Spoiler:

Cypher

Spoiler:

Why the familarity then? The even called him Kinsman. Had they met previously?

Spoiler:

**jonolikespie**

Malika2 wrote:
KamikazeCanuck wrote:
Malika2 wrote:

Spoiler:

Cypher

Spoiler:

Why the familarity then? The even called him Kinsman. Had they met previously?

Spoiler:

It's very possible that the two have encountered each other before. What is strange is the Kinsman thing, since it might imply more than just being familiar with each other (Lodge style almost)

Spoiler:

**reds8n**

Some info about titles later in the year

Horus Heresy - Vulcan Live's - by Nick Kyme

After the Dropsite Massacre at Isstvan V, the survivors of the Salamanders Legion searched long and hard for their fallen primarch, but to no avail. Little did they know that while Vulkan might have wished himself dead, he lives still. As the war continues without him, all eyes turn to Ultramar and Guilliman's new empire there, and Vulkan's sons are drawn into an insidious plot to end the Heresy by the most underhand means imaginable.

October 2013

Horus Heresy - Censure - Nick Kyme (Audio Drama)

In the depths of Calth's arcology network, the Underworld War has raged for years. Aeonid Thiel, previously an honoured sergeant of the Ultramarines, once again finds himself in trouble - pitted against the daemonic forces of the Word Bearers, he has no choice but to venture back to the ravaged surface and brave the deadly solar flares that have scoured all life from this world. With a lowly Imperial Army trooper as his only companion, it falls to him to drive the maniacal Dark Apostle Kurtha Sedd and his warband from the overrun XIII Legion stronghold.

The Warmaster (Gaunt's Ghosts) [Hardcover] Dan Abnett

19 Dec 2013

"After the success of their desperate mission to Salvation's Reach, Colonel-Commisar Gaunt and the Tanith First race to the strategically vital forge world of Urdesh, besieged by the brutal armies of Anarch Sek. However, there may be more at stake than just a planet. The Imperial forces have made an attempt to divide and conquer their enemy, but with Warmaster Macaroth himself commanding the Urdesh campaign, it is possible that the Archenemy assault has a different purpose - to decapitate the Imperial command structure with a single blow. Has the Warmaster allowed himself to become an unwitting target? And can Gaunt's Ghosts possibly defend him against the assembled killers and war machines of Chaos?"

September

City of the Damned (Gotrek & Felix) by David Guymer

Gotrek and Felix: unsung heroes of the Empire, or nothing more than common thieves and murderers? The truth perhaps lies somewhere in between, and depends entirely upon whom you ask...Legend tells of the City of the Damned - a dark and forbidding place destroyed in a previous age by the wrath of Sigmar. Long have its fallen towers remained undisturbed by the people of Ostermark, but now an ancient evil stirs in the depths, gathering its strength once more. Gotrek and Felix are swept up in the crusade of Baron Gotz von Kiel to cleanse the city, and as the ruins are torn from the passage of time itself, the Slayer's doom appears to be approaching more quickly than either of them would like.

October

Malodrax (Space Marine Battles) by Ben Counter

Held prisoner for years at the hands of the Iron Warriors Chaos Space Marines, Captain Darnath Lysander returns to the world of Malodrax with the Imperial Fists Chapter at his shoulder to exact revenge on his one-time captors. But what bargains did Lysander make to escape the world that had become his gaol? And to what lengths will he go to keep those pacts veiled from his battle brothers?

Master of Dragons (Times of Legend) by Chris Wright

For millennia, the elves of Ulthuan and the dwarfs of the mountain realm have been friends and allies. Now that time is over and the War of Vengeance has begun. Prince Imladrik, master of dragons and Ulthuan's finest warrior, is ordered to leave his beloved homeland and lead his host in a war he does not believe in. Facing the fury of the dwarfs, the jealousy of his brother and the ever-present threat of Malekith's dark elves, Imladrik must balance his love for his wife and home with the thrill of battle.

December

Master of Death (Times of Legend) by Josh Reynolds

W'soran, one of the first vampires and former pupil of the Great Necromancer Nagash, plots to unravel the secrets of life and death. But his hunt for power is interrupted by a civil war in Mourkain, the mountain nation ruled by his former ally, Ushoran. Now W'soran must battle old friends and new enemies as he weaves a complex web of treachery and deceit in order to anoint himself the Master of Death.

Seventh Retribution

Captain Darnath Lysander, hero of the Imperial Fists, leads his brothers in an assault on a daemon world of Chaos. Beset by unimaginable horrors and tortured by memories of his time imprisoned on such a planet, Lysander must rally his Space Marines to defeat the master of the daemonic hordes before they are all consumed by Chaos.

.. which IIRC is the first of a series, does sound kinda similar to the Marine Battles book though ? Mr. Counter's portrayal of Lysander in the Architect of Fate book was good though.

**jonolikespie**

Looks like a lot of stuff I'd be a lot more interested in if my HH books weren't gathering dust while I wait for the paperbacks.

At least the Gaunt's Ghosts one looks interesting.

**Just Dave**

Vulkan Lives sounds like it could be a really good (or utterly disappointing) read. Just a shame I can never get along with Nick Kymes (or Jim Swallows) writing style, so might not be able to get into it that much.

Kinda disappointed Chris Wraight's working on another SM Battle, rather than HH, novel too. I think Rob Sanders, John French and Chris could be good additions to the HH team to help keep it moving.

**KamikazeCanuck**

jonolikespie wrote:
Malika2 wrote:
KamikazeCanuck wrote:
Malika2 wrote:

Spoiler:

Cypher

Spoiler:

Why the familarity then? The even called him Kinsman. Had they met previously?

Spoiler:

It's very possible that the two have encountered each other before. What is strange is the Kinsman thing, since it might imply more than just being familiar with each other (Lodge style almost)

Spoiler:

It could just be a 'hello fellow loyalist' kinda thing.

Spoiler:

**reds8n**

The Black Dragons SMB book is proving quite enjoyable indeed, liked Mr. Chamber's DE novella as well.

It's BL Live! in Nott. this Saturday..

.. relating to that...

http://www.blacklibrary.com/Events/bll-dublin.html

BLACK LIBRARY LIVE DUBLIN
Black Library comes to Dublin Saturday 22nd June 2013

Held in the Gresham Hotel, this event gives you a full day of Black Library activities in the heart of Ireland’s capital.

Attend panels on all aspects of Black Library, meet your favourite authors and pick up new and exclusive books.
Included in this year’s ticket price is an event exclusive chapbook featuring two new stories from Dan Abnett and Nik Vincent based on the Iron Snakes and Commissar Gaunt.
Tickets are limited, so get yours now to avoid disappointment!

Author’s announced so far

Dan Abnett
Graham McNeill
Guy Haley
Nik Vincent
Aaron Dembski-Bowden

That's a strong line up !

**Clunker**

Here's something for fellow Tau fans:
"Shadowsun" by Branden Campell.

I found some (very brief) mentions at ATT and other Tau sites; they all seem to link to here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Braden-Campbell-SHADOWSUN-1stHB-MINT-Warhammer-40K-Tau-Novella-PreRelease-/370772319745

An apparently-in-good standing Ebay seller who's offering the book ahead of schedule.

I've heard it said that it might be a "direct exclusive"; what does that mean?

Where would a Tau Fan in the middle of the US be able to get his hands on it, if it turns out to be such?

Any thoughts or previous experience with "Direct Exclusive" books would be most apprecieated!

**Compel**

Basically, it's short novels in hardback bought directly from GW.

Truth is, they're a bit of a scam, really... Lot of cash, not much content. So yeah, standard operating procedure for GW.

**Clunker**

I get the bit about it being a overpriced paperpack... but if it's a "D-E", how does one actually get the book?

Black Library's site does not seem to show it as even 'Coming Soon"...
*edit* Wait, so I'd have to order from GW's 'model' site, not BL?

**Compel**

It's likely just not out yet.

It'll probably come out in the run up to the Tau codex.

If you want previous examples of the format, I'd guess they'll be just like "The Masque of Vile" "Yarrick: Chains of Golgotha" and the Dark Vengeance novel.

**Clunker**

Apologies for my being dense, but...
if the book does turn out to be Direct Exclusive, I'd have to special-order it from GW itself, rather than any other source, correct?

**Theophony**

Clunker wrote:
Apologies for my being dense, but...
if the book does turn out to be Direct Exclusive, I'd have to special-order it from GW itself, rather than any other source, correct?

Don't worry about it, as things go its best around here to have thick skin and a thick head

I believe you will have to order direct from black library when this is available.

**Clunker**

Aha!
Ordering from BL I can do -
ordering from GW has been... iffy, in my past experience.

Seriously, if they have the books already printed and ready, why not list them, if only in the "Coming Soon" section?

**Theophony**

After looking at the description it looks like it was a black library live exclusive. So looks like it won't be for general sale. No sure if it will be available any other way.

**Clunker**

So... purchase-at-event only, or?

**Theophony**

Or wait two years or so for the stories to get a reprint in another anthology. I could be wrong, but I don't think any of the stories have been ground shaking enough to pay the extra for, unless your a completionist, in which case I hope you have money cause there rolling out hardcover novellas left and right to make some cash.

**BobtheInquisitor**

When did Black Library become such a joke?

**Theophony**

BobtheInquisitor wrote:
When did Black Library become such a joke?

When the came under the umbrella of a miniature company that looks for any excuse to increase costs to their customers. The whole hardback thing has killed my desire to buy the HH series anymore, and all the limited, exclusives have just annoyed mr further.

**BobtheInquisitor**

Theophony wrote:
BobtheInquisitor wrote:
When did Black Library become such a joke?

When the came under the umbrella of a miniature company that looks for any excuse to increase costs to their customers. The whole hardback thing has killed my desire to buy the HH series anymore, and all the limited, exclusives have just annoyed mr further.

Same here. As of early 2011, I owned just about every single book BL published, excluding CS Goto's works. (I worked at a bookstore and had quite a discount.) I really enjoyed reading BL books because the background was strong enough to make even a mediocre book fun to read on some level. The strong BL authors were able to tell exciting Space Opera stories without getting bogged down in the world-building necessary in non-tie-in fiction, as well as avoiding all the political frothing you see in most mil SF. Star Wars EU was a joke. Star Trek EU was dead. BL was good quality space violence with occasional wit.

In 2010, I kept up to date on BL fiction, especially the HH, because it was fun and people were talking about it. Last year, BL started staggering early releases more and selling ebooks months in advance. By the time I was able to read, say, Know No Fear, the discussion was weeks cold. Eventually this killed all the chatter and speculation about the Heresy that I used to enjoy. Then BL started the whole limited edition thing. And then the hardcovers came. And the direct exclusives. Now, I don't even recognise half the book names in any given BL thread, and I have no idea when books are coming out. By the time they do come out, I have already heard all the big revelations and plot points bickered to death (spoiled by accident), collateral damage in the latest Matt Ward hate fest, sapping my interest to zero.

GW used to get a solid chunk of my monthly entertainment budget. Now they don't get anything. Bravo.

**jonolikespie**

Theophony wrote:
BobtheInquisitor wrote:
When did Black Library become such a joke?

When the came under the umbrella of a miniature company that looks for any excuse to increase costs to their customers. The whole hardback thing has killed my desire to buy the HH series anymore, and all the limited, exclusives have just annoyed mr further.

Same boat here, since Fear to Tread came out I have bought that, Pariah, and had Ravenwing given to me as a gift. That's it. Before that I was picking up one or two *novels* a month.
Sadly BL seem to have little interest in releasing full novels these days, and the ones they do are twice the price and a completely different format that if for no other reason I would refuse to buy as they make my collection look stupid since half would be one format, half the other.

**Just Dave**

Yep, I too have experienced issues with spoilers. Sucks really, reading it in some weak forum reference is nothing like reading it in the novel, and I suspect the major plot points have been spoiled for me.

**reds8n**

I got the Shadowsun book , and a .. few.. other items ... -- Blood of Asaheim, Sigillite & Grey Angel/Burden of duty cds, Baneblade, Crimson fist novella,.. couple of other odds and sods -- at BL live. Should be/will be released in the stores and on the BL site soon.

Also picked up the Firecaste novel -- which you can read an extract from here : http://www.blacklibrary.com/Blog/a-star-studded-caste.html

There were a few snippets announced, nothing too earth shaking.

Must be said schedule is very 40k centric.

With thanks to Mr. Shdowhawk, list looks something like..

July:

Horus Heresy: Mark of Calth trade paperback format. (the whole battle apparently lasted 10 years!)
Horus Heresy: Angel Exterminatus mass market format.
Imperial Fists: Seventh Retribution by Ben Counter.
Gotrek & Felix Lost Tales (4 Novellas)
Promethean Sun regular hardcover release like Flesh of Cretacia and Yarrick: Chains of Golgotha

August:

Adeptus Mechanicus: Lords of Mars by Graham McNeill. His second book in the series.
Space Marine Battles: Death of Integrity by Guy Haley
Horus Heresy: Vulkan Lives - Unto the Anvil by Nick Kyme. trade paperback format
Space Marines: The Omnibus
Orion: Tears of Isha by Darius Hinks. Sequel to Vaults of Winter.
Horus Heresy: Honour to the Dead by Gav Thorpe. Audio.
Iron Guard by Mark Clapham. Print version (currently available as an eBook).
Horus Heresy: Betrayer mass market format.
Visions of Heresy: War, Darkness, Treachery and Death

September:

Salamanders Omnibus includes new short story about Tsu'gan!

October:

Time of Legends: Master of Dragons Chris Wraight. First novel in the War of the Beard trilogy.
Classics Series
- First and Only
- Nightbringer
- Trollslayer
Horus Heresy: Censure by Nick Kyme. Audio about Sergeant Thiel.
Horus Heresy: Unrembered Empire - Imperium Secundus by Dan Abnett. Trade Paperback format.

November:
Bane of Malekith by Bill King. Final novel in the Tyrion and Teclis trilogy.

December:

Gaunts Ghosts: The Warmaster by Dan Abnett.
There is only War short story anthology
Imperial Fists: Malodrax by Ben Counter. Space Marine Battles.
Legacy of Caliban: Master of Sanctity by Gav Thorpe. Second novel in the Dark Angels trilogy.
Time of Legend: Master of Death by Josh Reynolds. Second novel in the Blood of Nagash trilogy.

Note that the Priests of Mars series is now a trilogy of books, book 2 looking to be 500 pages+ at last count it would seem.

The Censure audio book -- http://www.blacklibrary.com/Blog/a-mark-of-distinction.html ( or see below for cover art.

The revised, revamped and improved Visions of Heresy book is going to be pretty much essential IMO from the sounds of it. Big chunks of it rewritten and .. it "might" contain one or two teasers of things to come.

Note the WFB "Time of Legends" book from book 2 onwards will be changing to the larger tradepaperback format, AFAIK book 1 will be reprinted in this format as/when.

Reading Mr. Wraights' Space wolf hardback currently. This is also going to be ( at least) a trilogy... very happy with it indeed.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh yeah : they reaffirmed a point hat came up at the BL weekender.

They reckon they're about halfway through the HH saga currently. They count this as 25 books, so the whole thing will be about or around 50 novels.

Subject to change.. market forces and the like.

.. so... invest in more shelves or time to Kindle/whatever up then ?

**jonolikespie**

Oh, Red, 2 questions.

1) is trade paperback the thing we are all used to or is that the one that is a paperback but still a different size?

2)
Horus Heresy: Vulkan Lives - Unto the Anvil by Nick Kyme. trade paperback format
Horus Heresy: Mark of Calth trade paperback format
Have these already come out or are they being released as paperbacks instead of hard covers?

**reds8n**

What we've had up until in the HH series/ BL books in general is a mass market paperback.

The trade paperback is larger but not quite as big as a hardback.

In this picture

we see a mass market paperback at the front, with a trade paperback version at the back. The middle book is from the Space Marine Battles book for comparison.

See here for MOAR details :
http://kunzonpublishing.com/blog/2011/04/01/mass-market-paperback-books-vs-trade-paperback-books-a-self-publisher%E2%80%99s-guide/

Horus Heresy: Vulkan Lives - Unto the Anvil by Nick Kyme. trade paperback format
Horus Heresy: Mark of Calth trade paperback format
Have these already come out or are they being released as paperbacks instead of hard covers?

None of these are out yet ( hardcover version of Mark of Calth was on sale at BL Live, believe it sold out, but not as fast as I've seen MMPB ones sell at similar events) , hardcover first, these versions later.

**Eiríkr**

So we're looking at potentially 2014 before these new HH books make it into the format that all of my current collection is in? Damn.

**reds8n**

Certainly seems that way.

.. But, apparently, we can always buy the ones we've already got in the new format... ?! .. No.. ? NO, me neither.

**kronk**

Eiríkr wrote:
So we're looking at potentially 2014 before these new HH books make it into the format that all of my current collection is in? Damn.

Which is completely killing my "give a gak" about the fething HH series. And I own all of them up to the Hard Back releases. Oh, well. Moving on to something else to read, then.

July and August before the damn Mass Market releases of Betrayer and Angel Exterminatus? What a freaking joke.

**tinfoil**

BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Same here. As of early 2011, I owned just about every single book BL published, excluding CS Goto's works. (I worked at a bookstore and had quite a discount.) I really enjoyed reading BL books because the background was strong enough to make even a mediocre book fun to read on some level. The strong BL authors were able to tell exciting Space Opera stories without getting bogged down in the world-building necessary in non-tie-in fiction, as well as avoiding all the political frothing you see in most mil SF. Star Wars EU was a joke. Star Trek EU was dead. BL was good quality space violence with occasional wit.

In 2010, I kept up to date on BL fiction, especially the HH, because it was fun and people were talking about it. Last year, BL started staggering early releases more and selling ebooks months in advance. By the time I was able to read, say, Know No Fear, the discussion was weeks cold. Eventually this killed all the chatter and speculation about the Heresy that I used to enjoy. Then BL started the whole limited edition thing. And then the hardcovers came. And the direct exclusives. Now, I don't even recognise half the book names in any given BL thread, and I have no idea when books are coming out. By the time they do come out, I have already heard all the big revelations and plot points bickered to death (spoiled by accident), collateral damage in the latest Matt Ward hate fest, sapping my interest to zero.

GW used to get a solid chunk of my monthly entertainment budget. Now they don't get anything. Bravo.

Exalted. This basically sums up my feelings too. I used to be a major BL customer. Over the last year or two they've slid almost all the way off my radar screen.

And that even though I still play the game. I do love 40k as a narrative setting. In fact, that's the strongest aspect of the game, IMO.

*sigh* I used to get constant narrative nourishment from White Dwarf. No longer. And from Black Library. Less and less so. Now I'm getting it from FFG's RPG books (and I don't even play RPG games!)

**reds8n**

Black Library wrote:all of our paperback novels will now be in either b or c-format (trade paperbacks). The only mass market paperbacks we will continue to produce are for established series like the Horus Heresy.

It should be noticed that "mass-market" paperbacks can be either A-format (like Horus Heresy) or B-format (like Space Marine Battles) so there's actually far less of this supposed uniformity that people keep demanding. "Trade" paperbacks are the larger C-format, like pretty much ALL European novels from the last five years, and most notably the UK editions of the Time of Legends omnibuses in English.