Wrathspring
A Warhammer Age of Sigmar story

As the taint of Chaos spreads across the Realm of Life, the sylvaneth of Clan Arleath set out to defend their lands from the vicious ratmen of the Clans Pestilens.

READ IT BECAUSE
It delves into the heart of the forests, and shows a sylvaneth-eye view of the War of Life, featuring the Everqueen herself!
THE STORY
As the taint of the Plague God's corruption spreads across Ghyran, the defenders of the forests seek physical foes against which they can take out their fury. In the Wrathwaters of Glade Winterleaf, the ratkin of the skaven Clans Pestilens spread across the lands, defiling all they touch. Leafmaster Diraceth of Clan Arleath leads his fellow sylvaneth in defence of their realm, and battle is joined – a battle in which the Everqueen herself will play a vital role.

Written by Gav Thorpe

This story is also available in the Warhammer Age of Sigmar anthology Legends of the Age of Sigmar: Sylvaneth.

Legacy of Dorn
A Crimson Fists novel

Trapped behind enemy lines during the invasion of Rynn's World, Sergeant Galleas and his squad must rally the human survivors of the greenskin attack and teach them to fight back, if any of them are to survive.

READ IT BECAUSE
It's the flip side of Steve Parker's Rynn's World, focusing on a small squad of Crimson Fists and a ragged band of humans in the midst of the greatest battle the Chapter ever fought

THE STORY
Veteran Sergeant Sandor Galleas is the epitome of a Crimson Fists Space Marine: proud, courageous, and unyielding, even in the face of impossible odds. But when disaster befalls the Chapter during the ork invasion of Rynn’s World, Galleas’s convictions are put to the ultimate test. Trapped deep in enemy territory, Galleas, his squad, and a band of human survivors, must fight the greenskins by any means necessary if they – and the Crimson Fists Chapter – are to survive.

Written by Mike Lee

 BrookM wrote:
It wouldn't hurt if the Cain novels diverted from the same old "Fight one enemy, OH NO! Another enemy was doing something behind the scenes all along!" dross we've been getting with just about every novel so far.

 BrookM wrote:
Some character development would also have been great.

The Sea Taketh
A Warhammer Age of Sigmar story

A Kharadron arkanaut explores the ocean floor in search of a great treasure… but what he disturbs may spell doom for him and the humans who aid him as the Idoneth Deepkin rise.

READ IT BECAUSE
It's the very first Black Library story to feature the Idoneth Deepkin, the new additions to Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and it's a chilling tale that will leave you wary around water…

THE STORY
Ingdrin Jonsson, arkanaut of the Kharadron Overlords, swaps his sky-ship for an ocean-going vessel as he joins the fisherfolk of the Blackfire Bight for an expedition. With his arkanaut suit adapted to help him survive the crushing pressure of the ocean depths, he delves into the darkness in search of a great treasure. But when he disturbs something ancient and deadly, he brings danegr not only to himself, but to the humans who aid him. For the Idoneth Deepkin are rising, and they hunger for souls…

Written by David Guymer

A new month is dawning, and we thought it would be nice to offer you something special: a competition to win a shiny copy of the 'Neferata: Mortarch of Blood' limited edition!

What do you have to do to be in with a chance? Just share your favourite quote from a Black Library story with us in the comments below. You have until Monday the 7th of May – and we'll announce our favourite, and the winner of the book, on the 8th.

Some terms and conditions apply – find them here: https://goo.gl/W3Uaxm

Pyrodiah is in grave peril. The undying alien necrons have risen and swarm across the world, burning hive cities and decimating the population. The Imperial Knights of Adrastapol have arrived to help sway the war in the Imperium's favour, but their commander – Lady Jennika Tan Draconis, pilot of the storied Knight Fire Defiant – knows all too well the danger the necrons pose and the cost that will inevitably come with victory.

The Black Library Competition is back (we told you it would be), and this month's prize is a copy of Josh Reynolds' brand new Warhammer Age of Sigmar novel, 'Soul Wars', in its fancy special edition format.

To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, drop a picture of your Black Library book collection in the comments below this post. On the 14th of June, we will randomly select a winner to receive the book.

This week’s releases from Black Library are a pair of anthologies, one from the fires of the Horus Heresy and the other wreathed in the magical darkness of Shadespire.

Born of Flame is the landmark 50th book in the Horus Heresy series (ah, we remember when it was still in single figures… they grow up so fast), and collects together all of Nick Kyme’s shorter Salamanders stories – Promethean Sun, Scorched Earth, Sons of the Forge, Artefacts and Immortal Duty – into one fiery volume. Stretching from the Great Crusade to the heart of the Heresy, these tales are a definitive look at the journey of the Salamanders through the war that changed them forever.

Meanwhile, in the Mortal Realms, the city of Shadespire is eternal and unchanging, trapped forever between life and death by the dread magic of Nagash. Shadespire: The Darkness in the Glass is an audio drama anthology collecting three short and sinister tales from the Mirrored City.

David Annandale’s Doombound sees a Stormcast Eternal and a warrior of Khorne locked on a collision course as they experience memories of lives gone by. In A Place of Reflection by David Guymer, a lone Stormcast Eternal seeks his comrades, but the twisted streets of Shadespire conspire to keep them apart. And Guy Haley’s The Autumn Prince introduces the aelven Prince Maesa and his quest to restore his lost love to life using the profane powers of the Katophranes.

Together, these three full-cast dramas total over an hour of audio adventure, and you can pre-order the CD now from the Black Library website, alongside the hardback edition of Born of Flame. If you really can’t wait, the eBook is available to download now, along with the MP3s of both anthologies, which you can also get through the Black Library Audio App.

Graeme: Mind. Blown. Editors Kate and Hannah, as well as Black Library art supremo Rachel, just delivered an amazing seminar with surprise on top of surprise – there is so much to talk about! I’ll break it down into the different ranges, and in honour of the release of the new edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar today (have you pre-ordered your Soul Wars box? I certainly have!), I’ll start with the Mortal Realms!

I’m going to show my age here and admit that I’ve been a Gotrek Gurnisson fan since the story Skaven’s Claw was serialised in White Dwarf back in 1992 – so I’m eagerly awaiting Realmslayer, David Guymer’s audio drama box set bringing Gotrek into the Mortal Realms. And today, we got to see the cover, and Gotrek’s awesome new look.


Merging his classic design with the Fyreslayer aesthetic, it promises some interesting adventures for the Slayer – and the editors confirmed that his objective in the new stories is to find Felix, who he’s sure must have been reforged as a Stormcast Eternal.

Speaking of Stormcast Eternals, David Guymer is bringing his popular self-styled greatest of them all back in a full-length novel. Hamilcar: Champion of the Gods has the Astral Templars Lord-Castellant captured by skaven and desperate to escape and survive – and we finally get to see what Hamilcar looks like in some spectacular cover art.

Josh Reynolds is also returning to familiar servants of Sigmar in Hallowed Knights: Black Pyramid, a follow-up to Plague Garden which will see Gardus the Steel Soul and his warrior chamber taking the fight to Nagash in Shyish itself – which is certainly fitting with the Soul Wars beginning.


The headline for the 41st Millennium is the return of Gaunt’s Ghosts in the fourth and final book of the Victory story arc, The Anarch. Dan Abnett promises a shocking and epic conclusion to the storyline that began in Blood Pact and continued through Salvation’s Reach and last year’s The Warmaster.

Ibram Gaunt isn’t the only Imperial champion getting a focus soon though, as not one but two Emperor-touched heroes take the spotlight.

Andy Clark will be delving into the mysteries behind Saint Celestine herself in Celestine: The Living Saint, which will look at the trials she must undergo to be resurrected as she battles the enemies of the Imperium. Due to be released first as a lavish limited edition, with a hardback coming about six months later, this looks unmissable – as does Roboute Guilliman’s return in Dark Imperium: Plague War. Guy Haley’s follow-up to Dark Imperium will pit the Ultramarines primarch against his corrupted brother Mortarion as they battle for the fate of Ultramar.

There’s more Warhammer 40,000 on the way from Guy as well, as the Red Sunz Mek Mob from the novella Evil Sun Rising and audio drama Klaw of Mork fight their way back to prominence in a new audio drama, Prophets of Waaagh!.

The Rise of the Ynnari is also continuing in the second novel in Gav Thorpe’s latest aeldari series, Wild Rider. As the name suggests, the fast-paced warriors of Craftworld Saim-Hann are joining Ynnead and her Ynnari in this sequel to Ghost Warrior, as they battle an ancient enemy. And when you’re talking an ancient enemy to the aeldari, that suggests something metal and skeletal, which is exciting…

Finally, from the Dark Imperium, a new Primaris Space Marines novel is on the way from none other than Aaron Dembski-Bowden! Emperor’s Spear focuses on a Chapter isolated from the bulk of the Imperium, and the trials they must go through to survive. This in-depth look into the Spears of the Emperor will debut as a limited edition, then come to hardback around six months later – and it’s definitely one to look forward to.

The Horus Heresy series may be approaching the final battle and the Siege of Terra, but there is no shortage of stories left to tell, and plenty more books and audio dramas are on the way. First up, here is the forthcoming tenth novel in the Primarchs series – Corax: Lord of Shadows. Written by Guy Haley, this promises to be something special, as we know very little of Corax’s life between meeting the Emperor and the start of the Horus Heresy.

Andy Smillie’s latest audio drama for the Horus Heresy will be focusing on the Ultramarines, and specifically Captain Alcaeus in the buildup to the Battle of Calth. Ordered to join the muster on that doomed world, Alcaeus is determined to bring an end to the orks of the Ghaslakh Empire first. Obsessed, even… Find out what’s going on when Hubris of Monarchia is released.

Heralds of the Siege is the next short story anthology coming in the numbered series and pulls together sixteen tales from the Heresy, many of them in print for the first time, and some of them seeing a new prose edition after previously being released as audio dramas.

But it’s not just anthologies coming… Guy Haley has also written maybe the biggest battle of the entire Heresy, as the Titan Death approaches. Coming in December this year, this looks like it’s going to bring a whole new meaning to the word epic (not to mention a whole load of ideas for games of the new Adeptus Titanicus).

Also out in December is a brand new edition of the classic reference book Visions of Heresy, which will update the text entries that lay out the broad strokes of the Heresy, as well as add in a plethora of new art from the Horus Heresy and Primarchs novels released since the last edition (and that’s a lot of books!). And, of course, Neil Roberts has produced a new cover featuring Horus and the Emperor…

Last, but by no means least, the final cover art for the first volume of Inferno! was revealed. If you’re not heard of it, Inferno! is the first in an ongoing series of short story anthologies that will combine stories by your favourite authors with tales from brand new talents – and with the first volume headlined by an Ultramarines story from David Annandale, the cover shows a heroic Primaris Space Marine of that Chapter.

The seminar finished with a teaser of a brand-new range coming from Black Library in 2019. Titled Warhammer Horror, this series of books promises chills and spills and tales tinged with darkness. Rest assured, I’m looking into what to expect, and will bring you more information as soon as I can.

So that’s it. An incredible array of new books and audio dramas, and right now it’s impossible to say what’s exciting me most. Well, okay, it’s Realmslayer, but literally everything else is a close second!

It’s *possible* that we might see more Old World novels, in future!

Kill-team re-deployment confimed!
Ave Imperator!

My second Deathwatch novel featuring the six badasses that make up Talon Squad is finally finished and now in the hands of BL proofreaders. And it's a beast - my biggest novel to date.
Hunt it down and secure it for extraction at your local store or via online retailers in the first half of 2019.
More information when the Inquisition allows.

End transmission.

At Black Library Live last month, the coming soon seminar revealed something intriguing: the logo for a new line of books, tantalisingly entitled ‘Warhammer Horror’. The editors were tight-lipped about other details, so we set out to investigate…

The Warhammer settings have always been dark and macabre places, filled with terrors and malign forces – daemons, dark sorcery, unquiet spirits, human sacrifice and monstrous gods. It would be difficult to imagine a more perfect setting for a horror series!

While it’s certainly true that many Black Library novels have included terrifying characters and foes, their focus has always been on the grand narratives and battles of those worlds, rather than the terrifying existence of simply inhabiting those settings. After all, it’s tricky for a story to be too terrifying when your lead protagonist literally Knows No Fear.

Warhammer Horror fills that niche. It’s a chance to explore the darker side of the Warhammer universe – and believe us, there’s plenty of dark to explore…

You may have seen the Warhammer Adventures line aimed at younger readers that we talked about recently. Warhammer Horror is a similar idea for a very different audience, a range of titles written for more mature readers that delves into the rich legacy of darkness and terror at the heart of the Warhammer universes. We spoke to the Black Library editors about the new range, and here’s what they had to say:

Warhammer Horror embraces the macabre and the disturbing, and will bring you tales of fantasy and the far future the likes of which you have never seen before.

There has always been horror at the heart of the worlds of Warhammer, from daemonic abominations to baleful magicks and alternate hellish realms; from spectral warriors to mutant alien monstrosities and the creeping dread that inhabits all mortal minds. Here, for the first time, these dark and forbidding overtures are brought to terrifying realisation in a new imprint that focuses wholly on stories that will scare and delight.

Warhammer Horror treads a path into unsettling and unnerving places, engaging with more mature themes that are not for the faint or tender of heart. Visceral, psychological, supernatural, we plan on delving deep into the underbelly of the Warhammer worlds, exploring what is truly frightening and then offering it up to you, dear reader… if you’re brave enough?

The Black Library team also gave us some tantalising hints about the titles that will launch the Warhammer Horror range when it premieres next spring.

First up is Maledictions, a horror anthology featuring stories from existing Black Library authors and new faces with a background in horror writing. Graham McNeill, Cassandra Khaw, Alec Worley and David Annandale are among the contributors, and stories will be set both in the cold vastness of the 41st Millennium and the magic-infused Mortal Realms.

Horror-based short stories have a long history, from spooky tales told around a campfire to the sinister works of Edgar Allan Poe and the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft – which had no small influence on the conception of the Chaos Gods in Warhammer. Maledictions will build upon this legacy of spine-chilling short fiction to tell tales that could only be Warhammer stories… but not like any we’ve told before.

Portmanteau pieces, which tie together stories from multiple narrators with a linking thread, are another staple of horror, both in written fiction and film – all the way back to Scheherazade’s tales of vengeance and monsters in the One Thousand and One Nights, in fact. The Wicked and the Damned is an example of just such a work, with some uniquely Warhammer 40,000 twists. On a misty cemetery world, three strangers are drawn together and tell uncanny tales of their narrow escapes from death… but in a universe of twisted reality and thirsting gods, can they trust even their own recollections? The three stories are written by Josh Reynolds, Phil Kelly and Ian St. Martin, and tie together in surprising and compelling ways in a classic horror format.

The third of the initial releases is a Warhammer 40,000 audio drama by Alec Worley, entitled Perdition’s Flame. A disgraced Vostroyan Firstborn in penal servitude, mentally scarred by the horrors he has seen, relates his tale in an atmospheric and blood-curdling story that draws on a tradition of audio horror, including radio plays and, more recently, popular podcasts that tell chilling stories in the audio format.

These initial releases will be quickly followed up by some classic Warhammer horror from the world-that-was. Way back in the mists of time, Jack Yeovil – a pen name for world-renowned horror expert and author Kim Newman – wrote the terrifying novel Drachenfels and a series of follow-ups based around the experiences of the vampire Genevieve.

Each of these four books will see re-release as part of the Warhammer Horror line, with brand new introductions by the author and, for the first time, Newman’s real name on the covers. If you’ve never read these novels and short story collections, or only dimly remember them from the distant past, you’re in for a real treat, as they delve into the grimness of life in the Old World and tap into the rich vein of dark horror running through that setting.

We’ll have more information about Warhammer Horror later in the year – including your first glimpse at the covers of the new titles. For now, we’ll leave you with some words from Josh Reynolds, one of the authors involved in the new range, and an ardent fan of horror.

Josh: I’ve always liked a good horror story, whether it’s on the screen or on the page. So, as you might imagine, I was pretty pleased to be invited to contribute to the new Warhammer Horror imprint. While I’ve written a good number of horror stories in my career, the chance to take settings as viscerally horrifying as these, and actually dig down deep into the guts of what makes them tick, was impossible to pass up. I was given the opportunity to pull back the curtain a bit and peer into the dark underbelly of both the Mortal Realms and the 41st Millennium, and see what nightmares I could shake loose…

Prophets of Waaagh!: The End of Daze
Part 1 of Prophets of Waaagh!

Stranded on a backwater world, Uggrim and his Red Sunz embark on a new adventure after their Stompa is attacked by a horde of snotlings – could it be a portent of a new Waaagh!?

LISTEN TO IT BECAUSE
After a long absence, Guy Haley returns to the Red Sunz mekmob with the first instalment of a three-part audio adventure that pits them against their fellow orks and more.

MP3 £3.99
Add to wishlist

THE STORY
The Red Sunz Meks are back! Uggrim, Snikgob, Bozgat, Talker the Madboy and Frikk the grot return. Their space hulk knocked out of the sky following the Great Rift, the boyz have fallen on hard times. Stranded on yet another backwater world, they are locked in an endless series of skirmishes over diminishing supplies with rival Mek Grimgutz. When Fat Mork is beset by an invasion of snotlings, attacked by ork Wildboyz and Talker the Madboy goes a bit nuts, the boyz reckon a Waaagh is coming. Uggrim and his mekboys set out to join it.

Written by Guy Haley

For 40K:

Space Marine Battles - Death of Antagonis
Storm of Iron
Dark Apostle
Cadian Blood
Valedor
Gunheads

For fantasy:

Sword of Justice
End Times: Curse of Khaine
Times of Legend: Neferata
Gotrek & Felix: City of the Damned
Warrior Priest
Zavant

 Mr Morden wrote:


Allusions to sex and sometimes a bit more in the Night Lords novels Gaunts Ghosts novels, Eisenhorn novels, Cain novels - in fact most of those that aren't bolter porn......

 farmersboy wrote:
Don't forget Ian Watson's superb Inquisitor trilogy, where even the buildings have sex (albeit on a Slaanesh-controlled world in the Eye of Terror, if I remember correctly).

WFE 2018 is taking place on Saturday August 18th and Sunday August 19th at the Maritim Hotel in Düsseldorf, and it's going to be a big one, with a ton of stuff going one for fans of the worlds of Warhammer and the Horus Heresy.

I'm appearing on the Saturday to represent the Black Library - First off, I'll be signing books from Midday to 1:00pm, and then straight after from 1:00pm-2:00pm I'll be talking about my forthcoming Horus Heresy novel The Buried Dagger, the fate of the Knights Errant and the Doom of the Death Guard.

Then from 3:00pm-4:00pm I'll join BL Germany's head of translation Tobias Roesner to talk more about our books, before a final signing session from 4:00pm. The signing will be a short one, as I have to dash off to catch my flight home..

Splog wrote:

 reds8n wrote:


..so the end of the HH series then ?


Hope they keep the legacy format going..

.. although one doesn't feel too confident about this.

If one were cynical one would suggest that dropping the legacy format might be the reason for introducing an arbitrary break in the series.

Less cynical suggestions include:
- having a separate seige series allows them to stretch out the seige without it seeming disproportionately long compared to the rest of the Heresy series
- setting up a sequence of series; Heresy, Seige, Scouring, lets them experiment with formats and styles more easily
- provides different settings and defined periods for games / spin-off products

That all leads to Guy’s latest Horus Heresy novel, Titandeath, coming this December, which will be essential reading for all Adeptus Titanicus players, giving unparalleled insights into the battles at Beta-Garmon. We asked Guy about the creative process behind Titandeath, and he was only too happy to answer.

 BrookM wrote:

Does anybody know if BL is having another Summer of Reading this year? I quite liked last years selection of shorts.

Two Metaphysical Blades
Summer of Reading 2018: Day One

Two blades, equal and opposite, crafted by the Emperor Himself. Two warriors, gifted with the blades. Two stories entwining. Two destinies unfolding, as only the Master of Mankind could foresee.

READ IT BECAUSE
This is truly a Horus Heresy story unlike any other. Chris Wraight crafts an elegiac look at two heroes of the Heresy, through the blades that bond them and forge a destiny that may well extend far beyond the stories that have yet been told…

eBook £2.49
Add to wishlist

THE STORY
This is the story of two blades, spears crafted by the hand of the Emperor Himself in the days long before the birth of the Imperium. Linked, equal but opposite, these blades are destined to be wielded by two of the greatest heroes of the Age of Darkness. And as the spears themselves, Appolonian and Dionysian, are equal and opposite, so too are those to whom they were gifted. This is their story too. The warrior-scholar, a savant and a servant. The warrior-king, a savage and a soldier. Their fates entwined in ways they do not understand, they carry the blades as both gift and curse, fulfilment of destiny unseen by any save the Master of Mankind.

Written by Chris Wraight

Summer of reading Bundle
7 stories for the price of 5!

Seven brand new action-packed tales from the 41st millennium, the Horus Heresy and the Mortal Realms, released over seven days. Subscribe to download a new story every day – and get all seven stories for the price of five!

READ IT BECAUSE
It's the easiest (and best value) way to get your hands on seven fantastic short stories that range from tales of two linked blades to a psyker war – and a lot in between!

eBook £12.45
Add to wishlist

DESCRIPTION
From the blood-soaked battlefields of the Mortal Realms to the heart of the Horus Heresy and the heroes and villains of the 41st Millennium, this collection of stories will plunge into the eternal war of the worlds of Warhammer. Twinned destinies, crashed Valkyries and insights into a primarch await you, along with pulse-pounding battle action of course. And with this amazing value subscription, you'll get a new story in your account every day this week – and only pay for five of them!

ABOUT THIS SUBSCRIPTIONPurchase the Summer of Reading Subscription and whenever a new Quick Read in the series is released, your account will be updated with the latest addition. This subscription includes seven brand new Quick Reads from the Black LIbrary, available as eBooks, which will be released over the course of Monday to Sunday.

Day One: Two Metaphysical Blades by Chris Wraight
Day Two: Blacktalon: When Cornered by Andy Clark
Day Three: A Company of Shadows by Rachel Harrison
Day Four: The Armour of Fate by Guy Haley
Day Five: The Learning by David Guymer
Day Six: Lightning Run by Peter McLean
Day Seven: Prologue to Nikaea by David Annandale