Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

As a person who likes to read the fluff, I wanted to see what other people's opinions were when Black Library releases a book like "Ravenlord" where they only are making 4,000 copies and all of them are signed but once they are sold, there will be no more of them. So those of us who like to read the fluff but don't want to give $50 for a novella since it is hardbound and signed are basically not going to be able to read it. It looks like an awesome book and everything Black Library does for special editions is pretty awesome but I am not a fan enough of the Raven Guard to justify the $50 for it but I still want to read the story. I want to know what happens but won't ever because they are not going to release a paperback or a digital version. Anyone else frustrated when they do this?

Every single one of these stories is eventually combined into an anthology or some sort of non-exclusive collection. They just wait two or three years to make that exclusivity slightly meaningful.

I bought 3-4 of these early on @ $50 a pop. 110-120pages of short story for $50 is not worth it. Just wait the 12-24 months and get the non LE version for 1/3 the cost.

It makes me very angry and frustrated, because I love the Heresy series and don't want to fork out 30 quid for a teeny tiny novelle or wait 20 odd months for it to be available

Everything the BL has done in the last few years has done nothing but make me lose interest. When they first started publishing the HH novels I couldn't wait to get the next one, then they switched to hardbacks first, and my interest started to wane. Then we get this nonsense about printing in Trade paperback first, before the more common and desirable MMPB format (you know, the only format you could buy BL books in since before they became BL). It's the time lag that kills it, having to wait 9 months before getting the 'Legacy' book.

Then you get the proliferation of short e-books, which seem to be only a couple of chapters of a real book. I don't like e-books (I sit in front of a computer for 8-10 hours a day, I'm not then going to read a book on a screen), they don't sit well on my book shelves, they're too short and they don't format properly in .epub. Oh yeah, audio books too - I want to read it, not listen to it, or indeed read the script.

Then the greed really took over with limited edition collectors issue novellas and the like, shamelessly overpriced to cash in on those with more money than sense; to my amazement people buy them!

Now I see a new book comes out and I can't help thinking, maybe next month, maybe not. I have a spreadsheet on my PC at home cataloging my collection of W40K novels, and it lists forthcoming publishing dates of paperback versions, which i used to update religiously. I can't remember the last time I bothered to update it...

The HH series promised much but is seriously failing to deliver at the moment, given that the horse has gone and they appear to flogging the greasy spot where it used to be.

Plus there's the famous "There is no Canon" comment from the head of BL. That's right, BL's official position is that none of their writing matters. Either that or its a cop-out based on their unwillingness to tell their writers to do some f***ing research.

For me at least, none of the massively vast (not to mention space marine overemphasised) Black Library products is worth reading or worth bothering with: limited edition or not.

Last Black Library book I actually finished was Storm of Iron. Last Black Library product I really enjoyed was Deff Squadron.

I never knew that about the canon that comes out of Black Library but then there are times I am glad that rule is in place. I have lost the interest I had in the Blood Ravens because their book is written by C.S. Goto.

Audio Dramas haven't bothered me as much because I have long drives and they have helped pass the time plus I have wanted different media to enjoy 40k past the table top and books. The quality of BL usually is high and I have always said that some of these would make an awesome TV series or movie series.

And I am glad I am not the only one who doesn't want to wait or spend that amount of money for it.

 farmersboy wrote:
Everything the BL has done in the last few years has done nothing but make me lose interest. When they first started publishing the HH novels I couldn't wait to get the next one, then they switched to hardbacks first, and my interest started to wane. Then we get this nonsense about printing in Trade paperback first, before the more common and desirable MMPB format (you know, the only format you could buy BL books in since before they became BL). It's the time lag that kills it, having to wait 9 months before getting the 'Legacy' book.

Then you get the proliferation of short e-books, which seem to be only a couple of chapters of a real book. I don't like e-books (I sit in front of a computer for 8-10 hours a day, I'm not then going to read a book on a screen), they don't sit well on my book shelves, they're too short and they don't format properly in .epub. Oh yeah, audio books too - I want to read it, not listen to it, or indeed read the script.

Then the greed really took over with limited edition collectors issue novellas and the like, shamelessly overpriced to cash in on those with more money than sense; to my amazement people buy them!

Now I see a new book comes out and I can't help thinking, maybe next month, maybe not. I have a spreadsheet on my PC at home cataloging my collection of W40K novels, and it lists forthcoming publishing dates of paperback versions, which i used to update religiously. I can't remember the last time I bothered to update it...

The HH series promised much but is seriously failing to deliver at the moment, given that the horse has gone and they appear to flogging the greasy spot where it used to be.

It was the last Abbnet book "unremembered empire" that killed my interest in HH books. Come on, 5 Primarchs(Cruze,Lion,Guil,Vulkan and Sang) all @ ultramare at the same time. REALLY , REALLY, WTF GE/BL.

 FeindusMaximus wrote:

 farmersboy wrote:
Everything the BL has done in the last few years has done nothing but make me lose interest. When they first started publishing the HH novels I couldn't wait to get the next one, then they switched to hardbacks first, and my interest started to wane. Then we get this nonsense about printing in Trade paperback first, before the more common and desirable MMPB format (you know, the only format you could buy BL books in since before they became BL). It's the time lag that kills it, having to wait 9 months before getting the 'Legacy' book.

Then you get the proliferation of short e-books, which seem to be only a couple of chapters of a real book. I don't like e-books (I sit in front of a computer for 8-10 hours a day, I'm not then going to read a book on a screen), they don't sit well on my book shelves, they're too short and they don't format properly in .epub. Oh yeah, audio books too - I want to read it, not listen to it, or indeed read the script.

Then the greed really took over with limited edition collectors issue novellas and the like, shamelessly overpriced to cash in on those with more money than sense; to my amazement people buy them!

Now I see a new book comes out and I can't help thinking, maybe next month, maybe not. I have a spreadsheet on my PC at home cataloging my collection of W40K novels, and it lists forthcoming publishing dates of paperback versions, which i used to update religiously. I can't remember the last time I bothered to update it...

The HH series promised much but is seriously failing to deliver at the moment, given that the horse has gone and they appear to flogging the greasy spot where it used to be.

It was the last Abbnet book "unremembered empire" that killed my interest in HH books. Come on, 5 Primarchs(Cruze,Lion,Guil,Vulkan and Sang) all @ ultramare at the same time. REALLY , REALLY, WTF GE/BL.

really the only odd case there was Vulkan, the Lion and Sanguinis showed up because of the "warp light house" Gulliman set up. Cruze was with the Lion, Vulkan appered there because I dunno but I've been feeling sorry for Sally fans since Vulcan Lives

I quite enjoyed The Unremembered Empire.

As far as BL exclusives go...eh. It doesn't bother me. When the HH series first came out, the strength of the first four or five books convinced me that I'd devour the whole eventual series. Since then, my opinion's changed considerably, and I basically just stick to Abnett, ADB, and a little McNeill. Though even Abnett's very hit-or-miss in the Horus Heresy; I couldn't get through Prospero Burns no matter how many times I tried.

Luckily i know a guy, so i dont miss much. Whether its worth reading is another story.

 Seaward wrote:
I quite enjoyed The Unremembered Empire.

As far as BL exclusives go...eh. It doesn't bother me. When the HH series first came out, the strength of the first four or five books convinced me that I'd devour the whole eventual series. Since then, my opinion's changed considerably, and I basically just stick to Abnett, ADB, and a little McNeill. Though even Abnett's very hit-or-miss in the Horus Heresy; I couldn't get through Prospero Burns no matter how many times I tried.

I quite enjoyed Prospero Burns but I read it right after I read Thousand Sons so I was eager to see the Space Wolves side of things.

i have read pretty much all the HH books and i do enjoy them. there are a couple of books i found it hard to get into but once im in im in.

one thing that annoys me with BL is when they put series on hold. I love Gaunts Ghosts. and DAB has put it in hold to write everything under the sun!! then he writes one book claiming its part of the HH series when all it is is a short story about Gaunt and the hyrkan... i dont need that!!

I hate how difficult all of the different editions, collections, limited releases, rereleases, compilations, etc. make it to get each story. I liked it when they released a series of books, then issued them in a compilation, with a couple of stories included.

I want to pay them for all of their stories. I just don't want to pay them multiple times for the same stories in multiple collections, wait months or years for particular stories, forget about stories, etc. I also don't want to just get ridiculously ripped off (paying $1.99 for twenty short stories that get released in one $14.99 trade?).

Also, I HATE audiobooks. I like to read at MY speed, and not at the pace that someone else dictates. However, I'd really like to get those stories as well. Why make it so hard?


GW seems to have a real problem with just shutting up and taking my money without making me jump through hoops. Exclusive to an event? I'd love to give them money for some of the Forge World swag too, but I'm not flying to the UK and paying for a convention just so I can buy something. Their business is selling things, and then they refuse to let you buy something.

I wish they would go back to making exclusive books that had actual exclusive materials. When I bought the Sabbat Worlds Crusades, for example, you could buy the regular book, or one with tons of cool swag (I think I got a Tanith badge, an IG T-shirt, maps of the crusades, a mess kit, and dog tags. However, either way, I got the book, too. I didn't have to pay extra to get it, or go somewhere to get it, or wait months (or years) to get it. They sold me the book. All the other stuff was optional.

See, if they offered that kind of thing, I think I would be more apt to buy it but only if it was something in the 40k universe that I really like.