Black Library 2017 News/Rumours Thread : Xmas Advent

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**nels1031**

Vengeful Spirit by Graham McNeil is available on IBooks, it's a rainy night and my plans have been cancelled, so I'm downloading it as I type!

Looking forward to it and was pleasantly surprised to see it up for purchase. I should kill it over the weekend, if anyone wants a synopsis let me know!

**Pacific**

Does anyone know what the next cheapo paperback is in the HH series? The last one I got I think was Betrayer.

Would it be Vulcan Lives (although think that is still on the larger paperback at the moment?)

**alphaecho**

Pacific wrote:
Does anyone know what the next cheapo paperback is in the HH series? The last one I got I think was Betrayer.

Would it be Vulcan Lives (although think that is still on the larger paperback at the moment?)

Amazon has the £7.99 paperback from 22 May.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vulkan-Lives-The-Horus-Heresy/dp/1849706107/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398498404&sr=8-1&keywords=vulkan+lives

Have you picked up Mark of Calth yet?

**Pacific**

Great, thanks for that!

Mark of Calth - thought I had it, then looked up and saw it was the anthology (and not the Dan Abnett Ultramarine book) - Good stuff, will have to pick that one up.

++EDIT++ is that anthology worth reading? I don't auto-buy them now after 'The Primarchs' (which I thought was horrendous, and the only one in the series that took the charity-shop trip!)

**alphaecho**

Pacific wrote:
Great, thanks for that!

Mark of Calth - thought I had it, then looked up and saw it was the anthology (and not the Dan Abnett Ultramarine book) - Good stuff, will have to pick that one up.

++EDIT++ is that anthology worth reading? I don't auto-buy them now after 'The Primarchs' (which I thought was horrendous, and the only one in the series that took the charity-shop trip!)

Nothing about it sticks in my mind at present so at least there couldn't have been anything revolting about it.

Damn, I never meant to pimp BL product. I do apologise.

**heybiff**

warboss wrote:
BrookM wrote:
Out of curiosity, do any of you people have recently released books with smudges of black ink on your pages?

Only from tears when I think about the greedy release schedule BL has switched to...

YESSS!

The "new" release schedule has almost brought my BL reading to 0. It took a couple of months to figure out I wasn't going to get a new HH paperback every 5 or so months like I expected. They showed up pretty neatly on breaks from work so I could knock them out over the weekend or long week. The last paper book I read was Betrayer in trade form. I wonder of GW knew the HH series was the last link many of my friends and I had to their ecosystem? Soon we won't be buying anything anymore.

Heybiff

**Yodhrin**

Wait, so when is Vengeful Spirit out in physical format? Are they really going to be releasing the HH series on iBooks first from now on?

EDIT: Derp, it's up on the BL site for preorder now. And I will be saying No Ta, because the gits have put the price up AGAIN. Tell me BL, leaving aside why your hardbacks should be £20 and exclusively available from you in the first place, why is this particular hardback suddenly worth an extra £5? Oh that's right, I forgot, you need the extra money for gold plated tiger-teeth&ivory back scratchers

**Joyboozer**

ADB already explained it all, because Black Library can't sell on the strength of their writers, they sell expensive gimmicks.
Prove me wrong ADB.

**cincydooley**

Pacific wrote:
.

++EDIT++ is that anthology worth reading? I don't auto-buy them now after 'The Primarchs' (which I thought was horrendous, and the only one in the series that took the charity-shop trip!)

I think it's a really solid anthology. The longest story in the anthology, Calth that was by McNeill is very good. Frenc's story from it, and Abnetts story are also both very good.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

heybiff wrote:
. I wonder of GW knew the HH series was the last link many of my friends and I had to their ecosystem? Soon we won't be buying anything anymore.

Heybiff

I'd wager they're unconcerned.

Heybiff

**nels1031**

About half way through Vengeful Spirit, it's pretty dang good, (with one exception below).

Spoiler:

Heybiff

**BobtheInquisitor**

Joyboozer wrote:
ADB already explained it all, because Black Library can't sell on the strength of their writers, they sell expensive gimmicks.
Prove me wrong ADB.

Yeah. That's the whole industry, apparently. :eyeroll:

It's not like they have a stable of NYT Bestselling authors...

**OrlandotheTechnicoloured**

I suspect most were not NYT bestselling authors on their own names,

but rather on the fact that the were writing 40K stuff (as part of very frequent series releases giving buyers little change to get bored)

**BobtheInquisitor**

So, Black Library had found some authors who brought them money and popular success by working with the GW IP.

That's like saying that Peanut Butter alone is not as successful as Chocolate and Peanut Butter together. Therefore, no one will mind when Reese's takes their peanut butter cups off the market and replaces them with $20 Reese's Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Nougat Buckets (NT WT 0.5 oz).

Besides, my point was that plenty of publishing houses are successful with their own NYT Bestselling (or even not-bestselling!) authors in paperback. I haven't seen huge LE hardback novellas for most SF authors. Have you?

**reds8n**

http://www.blacklibrary.com/new-at-bl/The-Plagues-of-Orath.html

THE PLAGUES OF ORATH - NEW SPACE MARINE ARTWORK

Hey readers,
Today’s Digital Monday Quick Read is something a bit special. Plague Harvest, by Cavan Scott, is the first in a new trilogy of Space Marine Battles novellas set during the Plagues of Orath. On today’s New@BL, we take a look at what you can look forward to from the trilogy, and showcase the stunning new series artwork.

The Plagues of Orath
On a quiet little agri-world in the heart of Imperial space, an ancient evil awakens (it's always the quiet ones). A new trilogy of Space Marine Battles novellas will chronicle the war for Orath, as this once-peaceful planet is subjected to plagues that raise the dead to walk again, not to mention the less then gentle salvation that two Chapters of Space Marines provide.

The first instalment in the series is Plague Harvest. This first book follows the Ultramarines Librarian Vabion, working in an uneasy alliance with the Doom Eagles Chapter as they try to contain the plague that is sweeping Orath and also discover the source.

Bringing the battle to life
The artwork that provides the covers for all three instalments in the series was created by Kai Lim and it’s pretty awesome:

One of the coolest things about this piece is the fact that a lot of the Space Marines' newer units get Kai Lim’s impressive treatment. A lot of these don’t have any artwork outside of the Codex, so it’s great to see them in action in this piece. Take a look at this Centurion sergeant, surveying the battlefield with a thoroughly deserved sense of invulnerability while a Hunter tank provides anti-air support in the background.

Even the Tactical squad Space Marines look unstoppable - wading forwards with bullets ricocheting off their power armour and delivering bolter-based death to the enemies of man.

The Stormtalon gunships (which feature heavily in the first book, Plague Harvest) can also be seen here clearing the rubble-strewn skyline for their strafing run.

We can’t wait to see these guys in action in the series. Download the first novella now from our Quick Reads section.

Oh, and while we’re talking Quick Reads, next Monday’s new story will be a Horus Heresy title with ties to Graham McNeill's new novel Vengeful Spirit – one not to miss.

Thanks for reading,

- Eddie, Chapter Serf

**BrookM**

Really loving Kai's work, amazing as always.

**Alpharius**

The synergy between GW and BL is almost too much to behold!

**MasterSlowPoke**

Has there been any word on when The Battle for the Abyss will get audiobook treatment? Currently I work 70 hour weeks and the only way I can read is in audio form, and I'd like to continue the heresy.

**reds8n**

Alas I don't know of anything definitive or even really of use, sorry.

..that said Legion and Mechanicum have both had the audio treatment, and historical release wise they're either side of BFT Abyss.

As/when/if I hear anything I'll try and let you know ASAP.

**Alpharius**

MasterSlowPoke wrote:Has there been any word on when The Battle for the Abyss will get audiobook treatment? Currently I work 70 hour weeks and the only way I can read is in audio form, and I'd like to continue the heresy.

BATTLE FOR THE ABYSS?!?

Not sure if serious...

reds8n wrote: Alas I don't know of anything definitive or even really of use, sorry.

..that said Legion and Mechanicum have both had the audio treatment, and historical release wise they're either side of BFT Abyss.

As/when/if I hear anything I'll try and let you know ASAP.

I had no idea LEGION got the audiobook treatment!

Dare I ask - what do Alpharius/Omegon sound like?

**cincydooley**

MasterSlowPoke wrote:
Has there been any word on when The Battle for the Abyss will get audiobook treatment? Currently I work 70 hour weeks and the only way I can read is in audio form, and I'd like to continue the heresy.

Let us all do you a favor and encourage you to skip this one.

And Raven's Flight.

**Yodhrin**

Alpharius wrote:
MasterSlowPoke wrote:Has there been any word on when The Battle for the Abyss will get audiobook treatment? Currently I work 70 hour weeks and the only way I can read is in audio form, and I'd like to continue the heresy.

BATTLE FOR THE ABYSS?!?

Not sure if serious...

reds8n wrote: Alas I don't know of anything definitive or even really of use, sorry.

..that said Legion and Mechanicum have both had the audio treatment, and historical release wise they're either side of BFT Abyss.

As/when/if I hear anything I'll try and let you know ASAP.

I had no idea LEGION got the audiobook treatment!

Dare I ask - what do Alpharius/Omegon sound like?

The same as every other character in BL audiobooks because they only have about three VA's?

**Alpharius**

As long as he doesn't sound like Talos from ADB's Night Lords trilogy!

**reds8n**

Legion hasn't had the audiobook treatment yet, just the hardback "upgrade".

http://www.blacklibrary.com/horus-heresy/Ravenlord.html

Reminder that Corax's adventures continue in this forthcoming limited edition novella.

NOTE

in a strictly limited edition of only 4,000 copies worldwide.

Seems that, for some reason or other, BL have gone back to a limited print run rather than taking orders and then printing off XXXX copies.

......

If you click through to the link you can download some free wallpapers of the cover.

..well.. it's something eh?

**BrookM**

I except it to pop up on Ebay shortly after again. Ugh.

**reds8n**

http://www.blacklibrary.com/horus-heresy/Ravenlord.html

on sale now...

**BrookM**

Oh right, BL still hasn't embraced Paypal, bleh.

**reds8n**

Mr Sanders has made the jump to writing full time , I believe he was a teacher before.

To this end he's ( finally

) updating his website and the like with more info and "stuff", including a a little marine versus marine game.

http://rob-sanders.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/want-to-play-horus-heresy-angels-of.html

**tomball0706**

Just a quick question, didn't really know where to ask this but this seems like the most sensible place to do so

Mechanicum, for a while now, hasn't been able to buy off the black library website (well bar the hardback one) have they stopped doing the paper back? Thanks

**1hadhq**

Soo
poor Corax is stuck with limited, edition, novella, and Mr Thorpe.?
Sad News.

**Wyzilla**

1hadhq wrote:
Soo
poor Corax is stuck with limited, edition, novella, and Mr Thorpe.?
Sad News.

What's wrong with Gav? His work with the Avenging Sons was awesome.

Besides, much better than Ben Counter getting the job.