Black Library Advent Calendar 2016

[helterskelter]

Is that sonic scream as iconic as godzillas roar? :p

[LaurieJGoulding]

I loved that SFX cue, too! The sound designers always do a great job on stuff like that.

 

For all BL audio dramas, I handle the editorial process and then hand over to Matt Renshaw, our resident producer. Some of you may know him from BL Live this year - he'll be appearing again at future events, I'm sure. He's a really knowledgeable and skilled guy. He manages the freelance sound designers, and gives them specific direction on the sort of thing we need to hear for specific SFX and ATMOS.

 

I then approve 1st draft mixes, providing feedback on context within the IP/setting. Basically, Matt makes sure it sounds cool, and I make sure it sounds *right* for Warhammer.

[Marshal Loss]

Chris Wraight is amazing, that audio drama was brilliant. He has a real knack for rehabilitating characters/legions.

[DarkChaplain]

Yep, those Kakophoni screams were bloody amazing. Seriously intimidating, too. I was a bit worried they'd sound more pretty or cool than really soul-tearing, but this seemed like a perfect mix that expressed agony and corruption.

[HeritorA]

 

 

The whole point was putting Balsar under extreme conditions. Confusing him, cornering him, leaving him without options. It was a complete and utter stress test. Giving Balsar time to prepare or question the situation's authenticity would have ruined it.

 

Malcador himself regrets the loss of Noriz, but then he also didn't expect the Imperial Fists to go to bat for Balsar. Keep in mind that the Custodians always ceased firing on Imperial Fists when Kurthuri left the stage. They only targeted him effectively, shooting and attacking to disable only otherwise. Noriz basically forced Arcatus's hand the way he acted in desperate defense of Balsar. His loss was atypical.

 

We also know that Custodes have almost complete control of their bodies and movements. They can stop their attacks precisely, and I have no reason to believe they weren't fully in control here. We only hear about Balsar believing himself to be evading by a hair's breadth, but we never hear what the Custodes actually aimed for.

 

Potential losses are still nothing more but regrettable, and not up to the Custodes to judge worthy or not. Malcador is the Emperor's chosen second, and he ordered this protocol to be put into effect. His big work on Titan has been going on for a few years, and he quite clearly believes it to be worth minor losses to safeguard the future.

 

 

 

Fair enough, everyone's entitled to their own take of course. But I still feel the same way about it: there are ways of throwing Balsar into a confusing, disorienting test of his true loyalty without wasting resources needlessly. If the custodes were sufficiently in control to not kill Balsar, that only makes killing Noriz all the worse. Even aside from that, they're still aiming for a ridiculously narrow point, where Balsar brings up his powers but then puts them away again. Until then, the custodes apparently just keep attacking.

 

It's also not that I don't think Malcador wouldn't condone such losses, I know he'd do so in a heartbeat if it meant he gained something useful. But he's also a smart enough character to know better. Throwing away space marine lives for a distinct gain, sure. But this isn't that. He could've done this sort of test a dozen different ways with the end result, but without risking lives that could be useful in the war effort. It's a waste because it's pointless, it's needless, and it's a bad idea for a test even aside from that because it's so very unlikely to actually yield a good result (i.e. it's much more likely to either result in the death of loyal custodes or a loyal librarian).

 

 

As it is, for me, The Grey Raven is a contender for the worst story in the series. It's in the running. It just makes Malcador and the custodes look stupid and incompetent, and feels like a very poor excuse for more "action".

 

I'm totally with Tymell on this.

 

One Knight Errant is worth a whole squad (or more) of regular legionaries.

 

A Knight Errant with Librarian powers? If he can control himself and follow orders under pressure, he's worth many times that.

 

DarkChaplain seems to have a good handle on this bit of the canon. But hey, I'm not going to tell y'all what stories you should enjoy reading.

Laurie - you and DC both have merit and are right in your own way. But to make 'THIS' test before the Siege of Terra? Then it's so close? To waste a SQUAD OF SM? Loyal without doubt? Not a good choice sir, not a good choice

[HeritorA]

I get the intention and the worthiness of the trade, my issue was never with that, rather with the necessity of it in the first place. A good idea, but I dislike the execution (no pun intended).

 

But again, to each their own, I don't think we're going to be swayed either way.

 

So, turning to a more positive note, The Soul, Severed, loved it. Chris Wraight's Eidolon is great (and I never disliked Graham McNeill's work with him or his legion), the story wonderfully continues their descent, has some glorious turns of phrase in it, and the

audio for the sonic scream

was incredible, major kudos to whoever was responsible for that part.

 

I'd put this up with Khârn: The Eightfold Path and Warmaster as one of the best audio shorts.

Soul/Severed is definitely on par with Khârn: The Eightfold Path and Warmaster! Tis awesome. All who did this audio deserve a prize - cause every sound in it is beyond good.

'audio for the sonic scream' - GODLIKE!

Chris Wraight is amazing, that audio drama was brilliant. He has a real knack for rehabilitating characters/legions.

He is - the best BL author for me now (until Abnett will release something again hopefully).

 

Yep, those Kakophoni screams were bloody amazing. Seriously intimidating, too. I was a bit worried they'd sound more pretty or cool than really soul-tearing, but this seemed like a perfect mix that expressed agony and corruption.

Completely and absolutely agree with you brother

[LaurieJGoulding]

Don't assume chronology of storyline by release date. 'Lone Wolf' came out years ago, yet is set many years after the Siege of Terra...

 

Just because a story is released now, doesn't mean it fits into the timeline immediately after 'The Master of Mankind', for example.

[HeritorA]

Don't assume chronology of storyline by release date. 'Lone Wolf' came out years ago, yet is set many years after the Siege of Terra...

 

Just because a story is released now, doesn't mean it fits into the timeline immediately after 'The Master of Mankind', for example.

But we know it almost before Siege of Terra, cause it's after Yarant, which is after Wolf Cull etc. etc.

[LaurieJGoulding]

None of which have yet been given any explicit time frame (published) for how long before the Siege they fall...

[DarkChaplain]

All we know is that it falls about on par with the events on Beta-Garmon and Yarant, and if I remember correctly, Beta-Garmon itself was said to last years from beginning to traitor victory. Just because Corax figured the results of the war were inevitable, that doesn't mean that the system was about to fall the day after tomorrow.

 

That's what bugs me about your premature criticisms about The Binary Succession as well, Heritor. You call it years late to the party when really, it looks to be a very "recent" event that still factors into the active war effort, and might throw us some curveballs.

 

==

 

In more on-topic news, I actually read Josh Reynolds' The Road of Blades over the weekend, on a whim. I think I'm finally finding a place for AoS fiction, outside the hellpit. I went in with zero expectations and found the lack of attachment to the world, setting and characters to be somewhat refreshing after a lot of heavier stuff that developed characters massively, like The Master of Mankind or Fabius Bile: Primogenitor.

 

For what it's worth, The Road of Blades was entertaining to me. It also sets the stage for one of the novels Josh was working on as per BLL. I was yawning over the Khorne focus again but at least it made good use of the inherent ludicrousness of the AoS setting and the lack of restrictions in a way that made the story fun, if straightforward and full of action setpieces. Not featuring any golden boys was a boon, too.

 

I'm about to finish Josh's Prodigal, too. It has some surprising elements already, and is a bit of a prequel to Primogenitor. I wonder if I can squeeze in another of Josh's stories before the year's over. Emperor knows I still have some waiting for me.

[LaurieJGoulding]

Is Andrey pre-complaining about stuff that's not yet released, again? I'm shocked!

[helterskelter]

He doesn't like a lot to be honest

[DarkChaplain]

B&C really need to fix the quick edit on posts.

Added the last few days' releases to the OP, I was slacking a bit over the weekend.

[HeritorA]

Is Andrey pre-complaining about stuff that's not yet released, again? I'm shocked!

You know me :) My good half :)

[Izlude]

Today: 

http://www.blacklibrary.com/horus-heresy/hh-feat/the-painted-count-ebook.html

 

Looks really good, just re-read Pharos a few days ago while waiting for MoM so this is fresh in my mind. On one hand I wait to read it now and on the otherhand this will probably make its way into a anthology so would rather wait. The only advent story I couldn't wait for was Into Exile so I could read about Land for MoM (awesome short by the way). 

 

If anyone reads it, let me know how pages and if worth getting. 

[DarkChaplain]

I thought Into Exile to be a bit redundant, despite the curious concept.

 

Wondering if/how this new story ties into the recent novel that features the Painted Count..

[LaurieJGoulding]

1) Buy all.

2) Read them.

3) Find out.

4) Profit!! (for BL)

[helterskelter]

1) Buy all.

2) Read them.

3) Find out.

4) Profit!! (for BL)

Did that with sigilite. Don't think I'm falling for those shenanigans again!

[DarkChaplain]

Actually read the second Age of Sigmar story so far as well. Enjoyable. Hamilcar is still an arrogant dude, but I liked the flair Guymer went for. Sun King, chained moon dragon and captured night, "Rays" as puppets of the king, and no Chaos, no zombies or skeletons.

It seemed like a good extension of the Mortarch of Night dramas, though I'm not sure in which format this storyline will continue.

 

We've still got 11 stories to go, and we know for a fact that one of them is Valerius by Gav Thorpe, in audio, and one is another Blood Bowl story by Josh Reynolds (hurrah), about the Manglers. Since the first story was utterly brilliant and had me in stitches, I got high hopes there.

And then there's a 4th contribution from Josh coming as well. I wonder what that'll be about.

 

Any Scythes this year, Laurie?

[LaurieJGoulding]

 

Did that with sigilite. Don't think I'm falling for those shenanigans again!

 

 

That was, what, four years ago? We've gone through two more professional production studios since then...

 

(and the fact that Big Finish didn't FINISH the production on 'The Sigillite' didn't help that audio drama. Great story, disappointing mix.)

Any Scythes this year, Laurie?

 

I can't say.

[HeritorA]

1) Buy all.

2) Read them.

3) Find out.

4) Profit!! (for BL)

Troll lo lol

But yeah - bought subscription. Suggested for friends. Well done

Did that with sigilite. Don't think I'm falling for those shenanigans again!

That was, what, four years ago? We've gone through two more professional production studios since then...

(and the fact that Big Finish didn't FINISH the production on 'The Sigillite' didn't help that audio drama. Great story, disappointing mix.)

Any Scythes this year, Laurie?

I can't say.

January release for preorder for sure :) And short story in advent ;) I know you Laurie

[DarkChaplain]

Looks like we're getting a sneak peek at Andy Clark's Knights today. A lot of stories this year seem to set up for upcoming novels, it looks like.

 

Speaking of Knights, Laurie, who made that decision to "update" the cover for McNeill's Knights of the Imperium and putting that FREEBLADE mobile game logo on it? That.. boggles my mind. I could've seen it go fine with a new story, but retroactive cover/title changes are anathema to me, especially when it is about a mobile game. Feels kinda cheap. Then again, I also wasn't a fan of the Total War Warhammer rebranded Swords of the Emperor omnibus.

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/knights-of-the-imperium-ebook.html

[LaurieJGoulding]

Jesus H Corbett...

 

Well, that's certainly not something that came anywhere near Editorial. I can assume, maybe, it was considered a good marketing idea to insinuate that the two are connected in some way? That has the hallmarks of a salesman's decision all over it - one who hasn't read the books, I mean.

 

It's eBook only, so I'm not losing sleep. If BL Editorial had that put in front of them, it'd be queried all the way back to the decision maker.

[DarkChaplain]

Haha, that's actually cheered me up a bunch. What I find interesting is that they kept the title font, but switched everything else.

[LaurieJGoulding]

If we ever do a new edition in print, I imagine it would get a completely new cover. The original one was completely unrelated to the novella content, as it was.