Black Library News & Rumours Thread IV, in obligatory unwanted 3-D!

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**Theophony**

Manchu wrote:
Mortarion lived on this awful planet covered in smog. The air was only breathable by mortals near the ground. If you went up mountains, you'd suffocate (and/or melt). Weird vampires ruled the planet and Mortarion was raised by the king of them. They lived up in the smog. Eventually Mortarion grew to hate his adopted father and started to lead the mortals against him in rebellion. He trudged up the mountains and the smog corroded his armor until it all fell off. Eventually he made it to the vampire king but even he couldn't take the poison atmosphere at that point so he fell down in front of him and prepared to die. All the sudden, the Emperor busts in and kills the vampire king. Mortarion swore fealty to the Emperor, who saved him, but felt cheated.

I don't remember the vampire bit of it, I always saw it as more of a Frankenstein's monster sort of set up, but otherwise the same as I remember it. He and angron both got the shaft from the emperor showing up and saying "I've got a job for you, and we don't have time for your little issues".

**Pacific**

Manchu.. I have read the Adeptus Arstartes article about the homeworld of Mortarion (is it Barbarus?) many times, I can't remember anything about them being vampires?

**Manchu**

No source explicitly says the warlords were vampires. But apparently they fought one another over the mortal livestock. So call it what you will.

**OrlandotheTechnicoloured**

Up for pre-order today (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/armySubUnitCats.jsp?catId=cat440341a)

Black Library Classics: Picked as one of the first books in the Black Library Classics series (£12.99)

they look like they're probably trade paperback size but no actual mention of the format

First and Only

Nightbringer

Trollslayer

I'm sure you all relish the chance to start collecting yet another format....

**Zweischneid**

OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
Up for pre-order today (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/armySubUnitCats.jsp?catId=cat440341a)

Black Library Classics: Picked as one of the first books in the Black Library Classics series (£12.99)

they look like they're probably trade paperback size but no actual mention of the format

It's been fifteen years since the first Black Library novel, First and Only, was published and in that time we've released hundreds of novels, eight New York Times bestsellers and won numerous awards.

To celebrate these achievements, we are introducing Black Library Classics, premium paperback editions of some of Black Library's best loved titles complete with new introductions and striking new cover art.

A 416 page paperback with a new introduction and cover flaps.

From http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/first-and-only-black-library-classics.html

**farmersboy**

Oh look, overpriced repeats...

**KamikazeCanuck**

I'll always have a soft spot for First & Only. It was the first BL book I read.

**Pacific**

The covers are kind of interesting - they don't look technically brilliant, but are certainly quite characterful.

Wonder if there are any amendments to the stories?

**farmersboy**

Pacific wrote:
The covers are kind of interesting - they don't look technically brilliant, but are certainly quite characterful.

Wonder if there are any amendments to the stories?

I sincerely hope not, they'll just screw them like when they retconned the Inquisition War trilogy.

**Compel**

I'm pretty sure "Nightbringer" just can't make any sense at all anymore with the new necron fluff.

**Pacific**

farmersboy wrote:
Pacific wrote:
The covers are kind of interesting - they don't look technically brilliant, but are certainly quite characterful.

Wonder if there are any amendments to the stories?

I sincerely hope not, they'll just screw them like when they retconned the Inquisition War trilogy.

I actually found the changes to Inquisition War a little.. it's hard to describe, perhaps 'creepy' is the right word? I'd be interested to find out which megalomaniac ordered it..

**farmersboy**

At £12.99 they're going to be that bloody awful trade size, the new cover art isn't a patch on the original, and I bet you can still get the original on Amazon, second hand, for a few quid.

**BrookM**

I'll wait until Ghostmaker receives this treatment, as that was my first 40k novel and still one of my personal favourites.

**reds8n**

AFAIK it's only the first book of the series that is getting this rerelease.

Their version of the Penguin Classics line.

Ish.

Apparently.

anyway..

http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/the-ghost-halls-ebook.html

this story links to both the 40k and the HH series.....

.. and goes some way towards explaining one of the more mysterious aspects of a certain character from the GK codex.

.. No.

Not Draigo.

not yet.

**Alpharius**

"LJ" is it now?

I guess it is kind of nice that you get the word count up front too...

**gigasnail**

what did they retcon in inquisistion wars, and when? i read it as a collection in 2005 or 2006 iirc. PM's are fine if folks are worried about spoilers.

**Compel**

There is no such thing as squats. Squats do not exist.

**BrookM**

According to the 6th edition, yes, yes they did.

And Grimm does appear in my Inquisition Wars omnibus and it's not a Heretic Tome to boot!

**Compel**

Then you've probably got one of the original versions. In a re-release of Inquisition War, Grimm was completely retconned into an Imperial Tech-priest.

**KamikazeCanuck**

Not in mine. That must be the re-re-release.

**Pacific**

I've got what I believe is a second re-release of the Inquisition War - foreword from Ian Watson about the changing background, and Grimm the Squat is back in it.

**Manchu**

BrookM wrote:
And Grimm does appear in my Inquisition Wars omnibus and it's not a Heretic Tome to boot!

My copy is an omnibus reprint, the last one I think, and Grimm appears in mine as well. I think the notion that this was retconned is an internet legend.

**BrookM**

Has to be, I also have an anthology or two where the Ogryn short story is in, it also features Grimm, which others claim has also been rewritten.

**Pacific**

I'm 98% certain that there was a version with a tech-adept in the place of Grimm. I remember Ian Watson writing about it somewhere, I think he found it curious that it had been done and he they hadn't even bothered to consult him about it.

Anyone know why Mr Watson wasn't popular with GW? I remember hearing years ago about a girl who was went into a GW to take shelter from the rain. Recognising the models she said to a staff member "Hey, my dad used to write about these". The staff asked her who her dad was, when she said it was Ian Watson they kicked her out of the shop into the rain!

**BrookM**

Sounds like hogwash to me, but then again

**Manchu**

If you read anything on the internet about his first 40k novel Space Marine, it's very critical because the book doesn't square with the super serious vision of the world that has developed since Rogue Trader.

**farmersboy**

Space Marine is still one of the best W40K novels ever written, the mixture of humour and grimdark is spot on.

**BrookM**

Not to mention a let of fart and defecation references. I can see why it is a heretic tome.

**farmersboy**

Scrying using marbles made of solidified poo? You don't get much more grimdark than that...

**reds8n**

brought over from the dakka discussion board...

cerbrus2 wrote:
For any one interested or any fans. Ben did an interview with me for a little insight into some of his novels, and writing for black library and in general.

http://grumpywargamer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/interview-ben-counter.html

and there's been a few new covers seeping out.

Including the Night Lords omnibus cover which... errmm..... well......

I think reaction to it has been...... "mixed"... Is somewhat old school and perhaps reminiscent of the cover for the previous/first NL novel.

Bit too cartoony for my tastes ( whilst still being something I couldn't draw/paint in my wildest dreams

) buy YMMV.

Note the set of Salamander books are making the jump to hardback too

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Salamanders-Rebirth-Nick-Kyme/dp/184970614X/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1

ho hum.

I enjoyed the first trilogy, but I'll be waiting for the regular non hardback of these.

Shame.