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TiamatRoar wrote:

I didn't read the story myself...

OK!

Anyway, I think it is the overall 'feeling' from that story with the teased theme of UNREMEMBERED EMPIRE (along with that artwork!) that is taking the shine off of the Ultras, a bit.

We'll see though!

 Pacific wrote:
Problem with the above: We don't really have a solid foundational argument for why Horus turned against the Emperor yet, turning the galaxy and everything that they had known on its head, so presumably those loyalist marines that did follow him were just doing it for kicks

Which is a bit of a worry in itself really, I mean all these books written but no real foundation yet.

I also Like Blanches stuff.

Right, quick question - in a brief moment of weakness, I seriously considered replacing my now uneven Heresy bookshelf(thanks for that BL, you gits) with the hardbacks...but I can't seem to find them for sale anywhere other than BL - are they seriously only selling these full-price via direct order/GW stores?

Paying £20 for a normal-length hardback novel in this day and age is laughable.

 Yodhrin wrote:
Right, quick question - in a brief moment of weakness, I seriously considered replacing my now uneven Heresy bookshelf(thanks for that BL, you gits) with the hardbacks...but I can't seem to find them for sale anywhere other than BL - are they seriously only selling these full-price via direct order/GW stores?

Paying £20 for a normal-length hardback novel in this day and age is laughable.

I believe so, I haven't been seen a hardback at my FLGS, but I see the TPB's as soon as they're out.

Correct, they're GW, but not BL exclusive. You can pick them up in stores too, but obviously without a discount.

 Yodhrin wrote:
I seriously considered replacing my now uneven Heresy bookshelf with the hardbacks...but I can't seem to find them for sale anywhere other than BL

Meanwhile, in Nottingham ...

TiamatRoar wrote:


Sanguinus is "perfect" in many ways. He's meant to be the pure holy angel that's both smart and nice. Note, however, that he isn't really a Mary Sue because in the end, despite all his goodness, he failed (to prevent the Horus Heresy, etc). And he died.

His Death really follows the "Too good for this sinful earth" trope. Warhammer is grimdark so it helps hammer that point home that the only primarch with no in-universe legend of his return is the one who was the most pure and good. His death along with his goodness is symbollic of all that the Imperium lost.

Not that the other loyalist primarchs weren't good guys. It's just that Sanguinus really REALLY fell into the "Wow, what a nice guy!" category.

As an aside, I suspect that's also why the Black Rage is called "The Flaw". Calling it "the flaw" is akin to saying "Sanguinus was perfect... except for one flaw." At least, that's what I suspect is the in-universe (and probably out-of-universe) reason why it's called the flaw. Everyone in-universe (and perhaps out of universe) really can't find much wrong with Sanguinus. hence the one thing that was wrong with him gets referred to as "The flaw".

You're wrong in calling the flaw the Black Rage, the Rage is a consequence of his death, the flaw it is alluded to that he suffered from was the the Red Thirst, hence the close association of the Bangles with vampirism.

Couple that with the very obvious mutation of a ruddy great pair of wings, and apparent psychic ability which may well be similar to the Emperor's in that he can project the image of himself as he wishes you to see him, and it is easy to form an argument that he wasn't necessarily any more perfect than the other Primarchs, but just had better PR.

As I've mentioned, Horus obviously felt his brother was ripe to fall, if pushed in the right way, and the events in Fear To Tread show that he may well have been right.

 Yodhrin wrote:
Right, quick question - in a brief moment of weakness, I seriously considered replacing my now uneven Heresy bookshelf(thanks for that BL, you gits) with the hardbacks...but I can't seem to find them for sale anywhere other than BL - are they seriously only selling these full-price via direct order/GW stores?

Paying £20 for a normal-length hardback novel in this day and age is laughable.

Waterstones have been stocking them, in all 3 formats.

 reds8n wrote:
Waterstones have been stocking them, in all 3 formats.

Just not online? Can you get them discounted in-store?

...

Not quite sure what you mean ?


http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/simpleSearch.do?simpleSearchString=horus+heresy&typeAheadFormSubmit=

seems to have the ppbk versions.

The physical stores ( we, oddly, have 2 branches in the city inwhich I dwell) have been stocking the books in all 3 formats.

Only discount would if one bought a discounted-due-to-damage copy or had used points earnt on your savers card or somesuch.

I think however that the GW stores ( and website of course) get to sell them first, if only by a week or two.

 reds8n wrote:
seems to have the ppbk versions

I meant the hardcovers ... They don't seem to be available from Waterstones online.

 reds8n wrote:
Only discount would if one bought a discounted-due-to-damage copy or had used points earnt on your savers card or somesuch

So far as I know, there is no retailer in the US (apart from GW itself) that sells HH hardcovers. Being able to use my B&N discount card would make me a lot more liable to buy the damn things.

FYI - I'm a huge Horus Heresy sucker and broke down and bought the first "chapter" of Scars, if only to see the content.

I haven't read it yet, but merely skimmed through it to see the 'actual' length. In the ePub version on standard size, it says it's 28 pages. In actuality, after all the filler disclaimers and extra blank pages BL throws in there, its really only about 16-17 pages text. This means, if the trend continues, that the book is going to be about 200 total pages, or just slightly longer than the typical novella length.

So, it would appear that it's not even a full length novel and fits more in line with the limited novellas they do; the big difference here is that you only get digital files, and you have to manage 12 file2 to get the whole story which, due to the lack of a 'serial subscription' service, means you're going to have to enter your CC information 12 times to get the whole overpriced shabang.

I'll let everyone know how that first section is, but I sincerely doubt I'll be buying any more. I'm also going to shoot an email/call to black library to see if those that purchase all 12 serial parts will be privy to a single file in 3 months when it's over.

Big ole facepalm here for me toward Black Library for this one.

FWIW Amazon clocks Scars at 416 TPB-sized pages.

So ... maybe the first chapter is just really short? In any case, have to agree with your assessment here.

 Manchu wrote:

 Yodhrin wrote:
I seriously considered replacing my now uneven Heresy bookshelf with the hardbacks...but I can't seem to find them for sale anywhere other than BL

Meanwhile, in Nottingham ...

We really, really need a photoshopped version of that picture with Kirby's face

Thanks for the info guys, looks like I'll be sticking with unevenness then.

 Manchu wrote:
FWIW Amazon clocks Scars at 416 TPB-sized pages.

So ... maybe the first chapter is just really short? In any case, have to agree with your assessment here.

Quite honestly, I barely trust BLs "page size" anymore; I noticed about a year or two ago they pulled the whole "high schooler with a page requirement" move and increased the font size and margins in their books. I think they did it when they started the Space Marine Battles series. I mean, the 416 makes me feel a "little" better, but only a little.

Like I said, I did get the first chapter, so I'll do a mini review once I read through it.

I also picked up the Censure audiobook, because I hate spending more than $5 on my card when I make a purchase, so I'm probably a sucker in that regard, too.

I'll try to post a mini review for that as well before the busy mess that will be cramming 5 days of work into two business days prior to GenCon next week.

 cincydooley wrote:
I noticed about a year or two ago they pulled the whole "high schooler with a page requirement" move and increased the font size and margins in their books. I think they did it when they started the Space Marine Battles series.

That sounds right to me. I held off buying any SMB novels for a while because ... they're just so ridiculously formatted. Some of them are quite good reads, however. I'm looking forward to the upcoming one, that apparently details GW's recent marketing practices. In all seriousness, I liked Siege of Castellax and really loved Legion of the Damned.

 cincydooley wrote:
I'll try to post a mini review for that as well

Cheers, will be appreciated.

 Manchu wrote:

 reds8n wrote:
seems to have the ppbk versions

I meant the hardcovers ... They don't seem to be available from Waterstones online.

 reds8n wrote:
Only discount would if one bought a discounted-due-to-damage copy or had used points earnt on your savers card or somesuch

So far as I know, there is no retailer in the US (apart from GW itself) that sells HH hardcovers. Being able to use my B&N discount card would make me a lot more liable to buy the damn things.

My local B&N had some of the hardcovers in stock early on. Ask your local store if they can special order it for you and if you can still use your card or discount coupons if they do special order it. The hardcovers just may not sell enough for the store to stock them.

Not available on B&N's website ... :/

It might be worth a call, just in case? I don't know how things have changed in the last few years, but unless BL just isn't sending their books to major distributors any more (which is unlikely if people are seeing the Hardcovers in other non-GW stores), then BL should have easy enough access to them in-store.

These are all available on BL's website as exclusives:
http://www.blacklibrary.com/exclusive-products/hh-hardbacks

Damn. Direct only, eh? I can't see how making your products harder to find and buy could backfire. It's a good thing they don't allow their products to mingle with books in some kind of convenient book-browsing facility. Might attract the wrong sort of customers.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Damn. Direct only, eh? I can't see how making your products harder to find and buy could backfire. It's a good thing they don't allow their products to mingle with books in some kind of convenient book-browsing facility. Might attract the wrong sort of customers.

Like people who can read?

Do you guys still have a lot of bookstores in the UK? Its becoming harder and harder to find one near me in the US (the ones closest to me were all Borders).

We have one, large national chain that can be found in most medium size towns or larger, Waterstones, and a ubiquitous chain of newsagents that carry a fair percentage of books in their larger stores.

Proper independents are an endangered species though.

You guys have Chapters?

Us Brits?

Nope, at least not in meaningful numbers, I'm in a more rural and isolated part of the country, so there may be some in larger cities.

Pretty much the only UK book chain left is Waterstones.

Although, you could technically call "WH Smiths" one as well, but that's more a 'random stuff store that parents only visit to buy their kids stuff for back to school.'

Also Foyles.. fair few of those still around, although yes practically all of the independents have gone. Killer combination of sky-high rents/tax and Amazon.

 azreal13 wrote:
Us Brits?

Ya, you Brits over there but also you Yanks down there.

Compel wrote:Pretty much the only UK book chain left is Waterstones.

Although, you could technically call "WH Smiths" one as well, but that's more a 'random stuff store that parents only visit to buy their kids stuff for back to school.'

azreal13 wrote:We have one, large national chain that can be found in most medium size towns or larger, Waterstones, and a ubiquitous chain of newsagents that carry a fair percentage of books in their larger stores.

Proper independents are an endangered species though.

Yeah..kind of ninjad you there mate.