Author Archives: Michael Dodd

QUICK REVIEW: The Grey Raven – Gav Thorpe

Day seven of Black Library’s 2016 Advent Calendar features The Grey Raven, the first of two Horus Heresy Raven Guard stories from Gav Thorpe. Closely linked to the novella Weregeld (part of Corax, book 40 in the numbered series) it picks up the story of Balsar Kurthuri, Chief Librarian of the Raven Guard, as he returns to Terra to face the Sigillite’s judgement having broken the Edict of Nikaea. Accompanied by the rest of the ‘Long Shadows’, those who Corax couldn’t or wouldn’t count on, he finds little in the way of welcome from the defenders of the Sol system.
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Fabius Bile: Primogenitor – Josh Reynolds

From the prolific pen of Josh Reynolds comes Fabius Bile: Primogenitor, the first in a new series from Black Library featuring the Chief Apothecary of the Emperor’s Children. Exiled from his Legion, loathed and feared in equal measure, his goal is nothing less than to ensure the future of humanity…in his image. Hidden away on the dead Crone World of Urum, surrounded by the horrifying results of his endless experiments, Fabius diligently works away while his body rots around him. It takes the most tempting of targets for him to leave his work behind and rouse himself to war once more.
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QUICK REVIEW: The Calculus of Battle – David Guymer

For day five of Black Library’s 2016 Advent Calendar it’s the turn of the Iron Hands, in a 40k audio drama by David Guymer – The Calculus of Battle. Viewing an Imperial world besieged by tyranids through the Iron Hands’ cold logic, Warleader Kardan Stronos weighs up the conflicting costs and benefits of intervening – does the potential cost in materiel usage and possible loss of Iron Hands life outweigh the benefits of evacuating even a tiny proportion of the planet’s 7 billion inhabitants? Constantly shifting with every action he takes, the battle calculus drives his decisions and determines whether the world lives or dies.
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QUICK REVIEW: The Road of Blades – Josh Reynolds

Day four of Black Library’s Advent Calendar sees the first Age of Sigmar story, in the shape of The Road of Blades by Josh Reynolds. Tying in loosely with his Black Rift novel and setting things up for the upcoming The Eight Lamentations, it follows Ahazian Kel, Deathbringer of Khorne, as he searches for the Road of Blades that will lead him further on his path to claiming ever more powerful weapons. Constantly being tested as he strives to prove himself in the eyes of the Blood God, he uses both his strength and his wits on the perilous journey.
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QUICK REVIEW: Into Exile – Aaron Dembski-Bowden

Day three of Black Library’s 2016 Advent Calendar takes us back to the Horus Heresy with Into Exile by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, in which technoarchaologist Arkhan Land finds himself caught up in the rebellion on Mars. With the red planet burning around him and enemies keen to either capture or kill him, Land has to abandon his home and put his faith in the Imperial Fists to see him safely off the surface. His flight is not unopposed however, as a hunter is on his trail, and even his vaunted intellect can’t protect him.
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QUICK REVIEW: Perpetual – Dan Abnett

It’s day one of Black Library’s 2016 Advent Calendar, and the first story is Perpetual by Dan Abnett, a Horus Heresy audio drama. Continuing the story of Oll Persson, first introduced in Know No Fear, it picks up where the short story Unmarked (in Mark of Calth) left off with Oll and his companions journeying through time and space in search of Terra, only now they’re becalmed, unable to go forward. Time is passing – not normally an issue for a Perpetual, but with his mission to complete and dangerous foes in pursuit, Oll knows he will have to find a way to keep moving eventually…
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The Beheading – Guy Haley (The Beast Arises Book Twelve)

This is the final book in the series, so beware – if you haven’t read all of the other eleven books, there may be spoilers ahead…

Black Library’s The Beast Arises series comes to an end with book twelve, Guy Haley’s The Beheading. After the heroics of Shadow of Ullanor the Imperium is still reeling and in need of leadership, but the High Lords of Terra have proved themselves unequal to the task. Elsewhere First Captain Zerberyn and Warsmith Kalkator are still battling against the orks, while back on Terra, Inquisitors Wienand and Veritus are laying plans against the ambitions of Grand Master Vangorich. All the while, Chapter Master Thane of the reformed Imperial Fists seems the obvious candidate to lead the Imperium forward…
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Sons of Titan – David Annandale

A compilation of four Grey Knights stories, David Annandale’s Sons of Titan tells a single story over four different tales, all featuring Justicar Styer. It combines together the previously-released novella Maledictus and the prose versions of two audio dramas (Incorruptible and True Name) along with a short story currently only available in this book (The Mourning Tower). Set in and around the Sanctus Reach system, and tying loosely in with other stories set therein, it sees Styer leading his men alongside Inquisitor Furia, following the strands of fate to try and put a stop to worryingly vague daemonic threats.
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Black Library Live Coming Soon – Warhammer 40,000

The first seminar of Black Library Live 2016 was all about what’s coming up in the next year or so from Black Library. Featuring Nick Kyme and Laurie Goulding, it saw our two intrepid editors running through a load of upcoming titles from various settings, and providing a little bit of background to most of them. I got the distinct impression that this may not be all of the new releases for next year, as I think they’re keen to keep some things back as surprises, but they covered a good number of titles.

I’ve listed out all of the titles that were mentioned in the first seminar, with as much detail as I have about each. There were so many new releases that I’ve split things out into multiple posts, beginning in this one with the new Warhammer 40,000 titles. It’s worth pointing out that these are in no particular order as release dates were not provided, that I’m not including anything that’s currently (at the time of writing) displayed in the Coming Soon section on the Black Library website, and that some of these covers are going to change before publication.
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QUICK REVIEW: Manglers Never Lose – Josh Reynolds

The release of a brand new edition of Blood Bowl provides a perfect opportunity for Black Library to produce accompanying stories, the first of which is Manglers Never Die by Josh Reynolds. When Middenplatz Manglers star player Marius Hertz is found dead on the morning of a crucial game, head coach Tyros Bundt turns to necromancy in order to avoid forfeiting the match. In the bonkers world of Blood Bowl that isn’t even the craziest thing to happen in this story!
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