Black Library News & Rumour thread. LE Art of the HH book. p.129.

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**Danny76**

Lord Fishface wrote:
Danny76 wrote:
Inquisitor Gideon wrote:
Gael Knight wrote:
The Old World was a much better setting for horror. The new world is just far too fantastical imho.

I have to disagree. The Malign Portents short stories show otherwise and there's plenty of scope for horror within various cities, hamlets, forests and more. On a side note, looking forward to having all the Geneviève novels in swish hardback editions.

The reason the realms seems too fantastical, is they haven’t told some of these smaller scale stories about potential normal people living through the horror.
At one point the old world didn’t have that feel. As early on it was the fantasy elements they focused on more..
It had a lot longer to build on such things.

(And I’m a fan of the old Warhammer, not AoS. But I’d never write it off without trying a horror set there..)

I’m pretty sure China Mieville and Jeff Vandermeer would take issue with the suggestion that you can’t tell horror stories in a fantastical world. Actually, much of my affection for the Old World setting came from the fact that it’s foundational fiction - Drachenfels, Beasts in Velvet, the Orfeo trilogy - so cleverly blended horror story tropes with a generic fantasy setting the reader knew well. (Drachenfels actually went one better by in the process deconstructing the fantasy setting in a way even my eleven year old self could understand.)

Exactly.
I think people just need to step back a bit from what they perceive AoS’ Realms to be. And realise that there’s a lot more to the worlds that we are only just beginning to see.
Also, I’m sure a lot of people are mostly reading BL fiction and forgetting there are a lot of authors out there who can tell many genres in many settings..

**phillv85**

Alpharius wrote:
Quick Question on THE BEAST ARISES series!

It is now available in 4 'Omnibus' editions - each one containing 4 books.

So...is this series worth the time?

Or are only certain books worth getting?

Book 1 and Book 12? Or some others?

I'm interested - I'd love to read more about Warhammer 31K (or is this 32K?), but I seem to remember the series only getting 'so-so' reviews.

Thanks!

It's only 3 omnibus editions, and if you go for it, get the first of the omnibus' new as the first print of the book was a misprint and had books 1,2,3 and 5 in it. I had a nightmare with Amazon trying to do the right thing and return it and let them know it was a misprint, got 3 copies of it sent back and forth. In the end I had to tell them I'd changed my mind and no longer wanted it (so they didn't send me another copy, I gave up on trying to get them to stop selling it). Trying to explain to someone who doesn't really care on the phone for 30 minutes that it was part of a 12 book series and they'd printed the wrong books in it was a true exercise in frustration, despite certain people on here praising Amazon's great customer service in a condescending manner.

**Alpharius**

Ah, that's good to know!

Wonder how I can confirm that I'm not ordering a borked up Omnibus 1 though?

Maybe have to buy that one 'in person' at a B&N, probably.

**Mr Morden**

Yodhrin wrote:
Inquisitor Gideon wrote:
Gael Knight wrote:
I guess for me I just find it easier to conceptualise a world, like the Old World, that has some kind of normalcy being exposed to horrific things than to the AoS realms that are already quite vast and beyond real comprehension to mere mortals.Everything seems to be in its own section in AoS. It seems like horror would either need to be sought out or be part of a greater invasion coming to you.

I always find that argument somewhat hard to follow. No stories encompassed the whole of the old world (with exception of maybe the end times). Horror stories in particular don't need vast swathes of area. You could have a whole story set in someone's house, a castle or whatever. The size of the place and the events that take place there in general should not matter. It's about the particular area the author chooses to tell you about. Not this month's but the previous months' white dwarf I believe was a good example with the Kharadron's foray into treasure hunting, that didn't end particularly well.

No, but the whole of the Warhammer World was something you could conceptualise, and so place limits on. If an author established a set of circumstances in a particular place, then the "rules" of the setting ensured that specific little "narrative bubble" would stay as it was while the story was told. The "rules" of AoS are radically different, and that necessarily changes how different "genres" of plot function within it. For an AoS horror to succeed, it has to spend time laying out reasons why the Buxom Coeds can't just blast their tormentors with magic, why there's no chance of the suspense the author is trying to create being shattered by a lightning bolt from the heavens heralding a bunch of golden magical superhumans come to save the day, why the literally-real and definitively-extant within the setting Gods don't and aren't going to intervene.

In a WHW horror tale, a bloke with an axe lost in the woods is 100% fethed. In AoS, because everything is turned up to 11 and the tone is more mythological than gothic fairytale, you have to purposefully establish that the bloke with an axe lost in the woods is genuinely just a bloke with an axe, that the specific woods in question are actually fully inimical, the same for its denizens, and construct some reasoning why none of the huge mystical forces of the setting that could solve the issue in a snap of their fingers won't be interfering. Horror is too reliant on suspense and a sense of threat to function easily in a setting that's basically Dragonball Z: Warhammer Edition.

Well you had stories about powerful folks - M Darkblade, Genevieve, Teclis and Tyrion, Gotrek and Felix and then you had the stories that (usually ended really badly) about your more average citizen of the world.

AOS is the same - so many stories have the Stormcast (or Aelf Fleetmasters, Witch hunters and of course Gotrek) as central characters but others have humans, aelves, duradin etc - usually having bad things happening to them in exactly the same way as it did in the Old World. We have an ongoing series in Inferno where characters sit at the pub (ok so its a bit more than that) and tell their stories, stories like the Red Hours which is probably one of the most Old School Warhammer stories. In constrast

AOS stories have also moved on to look at other elements - the increasing loss of humanity and personality in the Stormcast as they are continually re-forged - a process that does not always work and some are beginning to fear. Authors are exploring the horror elements in the eternal war where you are cosntantly having what makes you you being eroded.

Malign Portents had loads of stories about the "little guys" - many which ended like the old stories did - badly.

**xking**

AoS is not anime. It's a Greek myth, Norse myth, Egyptian myth. A godbeast are basically the same as primordial Titans.

**reds8n**

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2019/03/09/into-the-heart-of-the-warp/

the HH graphic novel is available again.

I also picked up Tallarn in the MMPB/old school format on the weekend.

.. kinda sneaked that one out eh ?

**BrookM**

Book Depository has rough release dates of all legacy format books. The next one, Ruinstorm should be dropping in around 38 days.

**Looky Likey**

Anybody heard a new confirmed date for the limited edition of The Solar War? It was previously mentioned for March and was on the release calendar @ BL.com as March but it disappeared a while ago from the calendar. I know the limited is still coming as Rachel Harrison showed off the map that comes with/in the limited edition book:

**Haighus**

I have no idea, but that map is gorgeous!

**Looky Likey**

It is indeed, Rachael took a straw poll on who would buy big prints of the various maps available @ the weekender and it was overwhelmingly popular, so hopefully we'll see some big prints of them soon.

With the series fixed as 8 books I'm quite happy to commit to the limited editions. However I'm expecting it to sell out very quickly so I'm desperate to know when it goes on sale.

**queen_annes_revenge**

that map is nice. apparently its been properly hand drawn by an actual real life cartographer. I'd definitely be interested. It would look nice in my workspace.

**AndrewGPaul**

Yodhrin wrote:
I pity anyone going to buy that book secondhand in a couple of years, it'll be impossible to tell the mint condition ones from the ratty crap ones until after you've paid for it

That'll be the ... fourth? Fifth, perhsps? edition of the novel?

I'd buy it if it had the illustrations from the original oversized GW Books edition. I've only got the mass-market Boxtree edition.

As for horror in the Mortal Realms ... apart from the obvious ideas of the Nighthaunt, Flesheater Courts, etc, there's potential for horror stories in the Stormcast (watching from the inside as a Stormcast unravels after repeated reforgings), idoneth, Sylvaneth, Nurgle or Tzeentch seem the most obious Chaos candidates amongst the Chaos powers, but I can see potential with Skaven and Slaanesh too. The whole point of the Mortal realms is that they're big enough so that different authors and players can make their own bits without them clashing with the official studio stuff or each other.

**reds8n**

Finished " Sons of the Emperor" yesterday.

Solid enough little read , glad overall I didn't go to excessive lengths or pay through the nose for an earlier copy.

Spoiler:

**BrookM**

Another Wicked & the Damned preview: https://www.warhammer-community.com/2019/03/13/warhammer-horror-the-wicked-and-the-damned/

In ‘The Beast in the Trenches’ by Josh Reynolds, we follow the story of Egin Valemar, a brooding commissar hell-bent on purging his ranks of a taint that only he can see. This moody, psychological horror is a fascinating dissection of a mind warped by the madness and paranoia of a life spent in the blood-soaked trenches of the 41st Millennium. Not for the faint of heart!

The ‘Woman in the Walls’ by Phil Kelly explores the terrible consequences of envy and ambition by way of an incredibly sinister haunting. The evil that lurks in this story is palpable. It feels resentment and spite, and neither physical strength nor mental agility can deter this creature that was so woefully wronged… I dare you to read this just before bedtime.

In ‘The Faith and the Flesh’ by David Annandale, a missionary wrestling with doubt has a terrifying encounter which puts more than just his faith to the test. This is a fast-paced, visceral horror which will leave readers breathless as they try to escape the nightmare that feasts on their emotions and preys on their peace of mind.

**Chief**

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2019/03/15/the-siege-of-terra-begins/

Here we go.

The final battle is beginning.

Tomorrow, thirteen years of the Horus Heresy series will meet their culmination in The Solar War – the first in an 8-volume megaseries that’ll bring the story to its epic climax. We’re letting you know about this one early, as it’s expected to sell out incredibly fast.

**Looky Likey**

Finally, just hope I get my copy. I think this is going to be painful as it's going to be a fight for all 8 limited editions.

**Kid_Kyoto**

Looky Likey wrote:
Anybody heard a new confirmed date for the limited edition of The Solar War? It was previously mentioned for March and was on the release calendar @ BL.com as March but it disappeared a while ago from the calendar. I know the limited is still coming as Rachel Harrison showed off the map that comes with/in the limited edition book:

Heh.

You've got the Second Sphere Fleet on Uranus!

Heh.

**Rayvon**

Looky Likey wrote:
Finally, just hope I get my copy. I think this is going to be painful as it's going to be a fight for all 8 limited editions.

Indeed Its one of the few books I have been waiting for also and I am sure there will be more than 1500 of us !

**BrianDavion**

I wish they'd just release the novels beside the super duper expensive editions. some of us don't enjoy having the internet spoil a novel 2 months ahead of us because we're unwilling to pay 80 bucks for a book

**TwilightSparkles**

They said last year that this was how solar war would release.

Edition size is stupid.

**Yodhrin**

BrianDavion wrote:
I wish they'd just release the novels beside the super duper expensive editions. some of us don't enjoy having the internet spoil a novel 2 months ahead of us because we're unwilling to pay 80 bucks for a book

Indeed.

Also, I note that they're keen to "let us know" about the book's release, but they seem a little bit more shy with letting us know the sodding pricetag.

I really wish they would stop including maps and posters in these. I find them disappointing as a purchase because getting the fold lines out if you want to actually hang them is nigh on impossible, and annoying when I don't buy the superduperspecialsnowflake edition because I know I'll never be able to get some really cool pieces of art in order to maintain the utterly fictional sense of added value they're supposed to add to the fancy books.

I'd love to be able to buy that map in a decent size(ie, A1), delivered properly rolled in a protective case.

**queen_annes_revenge**

Probably be 40 quid

**ImAGeek**

It’s £50. I think it was up for a bit on the black library site a while ago (I definitely saw the cover and price before now).

**TwilightSparkles**

And more recently buying any limited from black library includes the bonus features : “will it be damaged by bad packaging” , “ will it have rubbish print quality” and “will black library tell me a week after ordering that a stock exchange listed company has no real concept of stock control but here’s a £10 voucher, go buy it on eBay at 300% increase”.

**Looky Likey**

Just ordered my copy of Solar War from GW's site rather than BL as BL has gone down/very slow. Was up a few minutes early on GW's site as well.

Really hope I actually get my copy

**TBD**

Alpharius wrote:
Quick Question on THE BEAST ARISES series!

It is now available in 4 'Omnibus' editions - each one containing 4 books.

So...is this series worth the time?

Or are only certain books worth getting?

Book 1 and Book 12? Or some others?

I'm interested - I'd love to read more about Warhammer 31K (or is this 32K?), but I seem to remember the series only getting 'so-so' reviews.

Thanks!

I know this might be a bit late, but I would strongly advise against buying these books if you haven't done so yet.

The series starts out cool enough, some authors having better quality story/writing than others, but the last omnibus is the biggest piece of crap I have ever read. It is so inexcusably badly written and the storyline decisions get so cringy that it actually made me legit angry and feel like wanting to punch some of the writers in the face (Rob Sanders I am looking at you). I have never ever experienced that before with any piece of fiction. Could read back the books and write an entire essay on how terrible it is. Seriously, don't buy.

**Looky Likey**

Looky Likey wrote:
Just ordered my copy of Solar War from GW's site rather than BL as BL has gone down/very slow. Was up a few minutes early on GW's site as well.

Really hope I actually get my copy

And about five minutes after going on sale its out of stock at GW.com

**Tavis75**

The Solar War seems to be back up on the main GW site.

**SeanDrake**

TwilightSparkles wrote:
And more recently buying any limited from black library includes the bonus features : “will it be damaged by bad packaging” , “ will it have rubbish print quality” and “will black library tell me a week after ordering that a stock exchange listed company has no real concept of stock control but here’s a £10 voucher, go buy it on eBay at 300% increase”.

Meh I did not even get the £10 voucher just an email saying I was gak out of luck.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Tavis75 wrote:
The Solar War seems to be back up on the main GW site.

Cheers I seem to have got one from the GW site despite the farce on the BL site of getting to the checkout half a dozen times and it crashing or telling me I had all ready ordered despite it having not worked.

Nice to see putting a PE teacher in charge of the design of the online store worked as expected.

**reds8n**

.. £50 is too steep for me.

Ah well, in 9-12 months I'll look forwards to reading it I guess.

in related news, via Mr THorpe's twitter

Spoiler: