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Black Library Advent Calendar 2016

DarkChaplain

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DarkChaplain Veteran

DarkChaplain

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I'm still miffed about instances like that, like Genestealer Cults not getting a unique title and cover the way it deserved. Age of Sigmar's being hit with a lot of recycled cover art too, often of a generic Stormcast. Not a fan. Also Robbie MacNiven's Legacy of Russ novel edition - I was hoping for something really neat there.

 

But hey, it makes sense to recycle art. It probably isn't cheap as it is and often it does well enough, especially with short stories. Seeing classic art like that on Prodigal is nice for people who have been around a long time, I'd wager.

 

By the way, I saw Ravenor getting reprints, thanks to Amazon listings. Any idea if those will have new covers like Eisenhorn, or remain the way they were?

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LaurieJGoulding Battle-Brother

LaurieJGoulding

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You know what ALL those books have in common? They were commissioned, edited, printed and published by the GW Studio and not BL - thankfully for all involved, that doesn't happen anymore.

 

Re-using artwork, be it covers or internals, is based on projected sales. It's not a random decision.

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DarkChaplain Veteran

DarkChaplain

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I'm glad to hear that, you wouldn't believe how much.

 

Anyway, back to topic I'd say before I start feeling like a nosy amateur interviewer.

Advent. Big thing with exciting stories.

 

I got 5 stories left to read/listen to so far, but what I've gone through seems better and more exciting to me than the Call of Chaos stuff from last year. More variety in themes, good tie-ins, and Blood Bowl score. Then again, I'm biased due to this one not having a 50/50 ratio on Age of Sigmar stories...

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DarkChaplain Veteran

DarkChaplain

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I didn't particularly mind Call of Chaos. There were some gems in it, like Robbie's A Song for the Lost and Christian's Jackalwolf. Rob Sanders also wrote what still may be my favorite AoS story with Daemon of the Deep and I enjoyed Guy's Daemon Prince mutation story. But overall it was too narrow in theme, and as a result not as exciting.

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DarkChaplain Veteran

DarkChaplain

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Well. Yes. Out of all of them Call of Chaos was surely the weakest, if not without merit. But it has to go up against some damn impressive years!

 

I mean, 2014 had Fabius Bile: Repairer of Ruin, and Cold Roads (which I still hope Joe Parrino will be able to follow up on!), Last Step Backwards and a bunch of other cool stuff.

And then we had all the Lords of the Space Marines shorts from 2013, which featured a lot of characterful pieces, not least of all your own Draigo story. I do think that the 2012 ones might have been my favorite Advent ones though, courtesy of WHFB. Like Father, Like Son was chilling, Honours a great character piece, and The Last Little Bit just entirely gross and I loved that. It also made me wish very hard for Josh to write more Zavant. And then there was Deliverance Detail...

 

Honestly, that kind of variety of themes, tones and settings is what I appreciated most over the years. Call of Chaos didn't satisfy that.

It is all topped by the 15th Anniversary releases though, no doubt. Evil Eye, All is Dust, For the Fallen, The Weakness of Others, Voices, Cankerworm.. those stories were just winners and I was glad to see the concept of daily shorts become a staple for the advent season afterwards.

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HeritorA

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Well. Yes. Out of all of them Call of Chaos was surely the weakest, if not without merit. But it has to go up against some damn impressive years!

I mean, 2014 had Fabius Bile: Repairer of Ruin, and Cold Roads (which I still hope Joe Parrino will be able to follow up on!), Last Step Backwards and a bunch of other cool stuff.

And then we had all the Lords of the Space Marines shorts from 2013, which featured a lot of characterful pieces, not least of all your own Draigo story. I do think that the 2012 ones might have been my favorite Advent ones though, courtesy of WHFB. Like Father, Like Son was chilling, Honours a great character piece, and The Last Little Bit just entirely gross and I loved that. It also made me wish very hard for Josh to write more Zavant. And then there was Deliverance Detail...

Honestly, that kind of variety of themes, tones and settings is what I appreciated most over the years. Call of Chaos didn't satisfy that.

It is all topped by the 15th Anniversary releases though, no doubt. Evil Eye, All is Dust, For the Fallen, The Weakness of Others, Voices, Cankerworm.. those stories were just winners and I was glad to see the concept of daily shorts become a staple for the advent season afterwards.

I'm with DC on it. Call of Chaos was subpar and really really disappointing.

DC - nothing can beat 'Penitent' short man ;)

And compared to 2014? And 2016 so far?

Don't get me wrong, the stories were fine. Our writers are always great.

Laurie - can I ask you to do only one thing before you will move to sunny Wonderland. Be a man - the one and only, who released Abnett's 'Warmaster' biggrin.png

Pretty please

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HeritorA

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The chances of me RELEASING a book, unannounced, in the next 15 days are slim to none...

But I'll see what I can do. You just have to promise me you'll always eat all your vegetables, and polish your shoes every Sunday night.

Done - it's a deal biggrin.png

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DarkChaplain Veteran

DarkChaplain

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I'm wondering what the xmas day release will be?

 

Please be Horus Heresy related.

 

I'm suspecting Garro. It was recently removed from the Coming Soon section which happened to other books before as they closed on release. We got Pharos last year, so it isn't unprecedented for them to pull a HH novel ahead.

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DarkChaplain Veteran

DarkChaplain

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Well... duh. I really feel retarded for not even seeing that until you pointed that out. Garro it is, then.

 

Though to be honest, I'd have liked it more (or it would have caught my attention batter) had I not been familiar with the artwork yet. Would've been a nice surprise to see it for the first time through the calendar, piecing it together.

 

We also got Valerius today, audio drama, as we knew was going to happen eventually. Looking forward to this one.

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Pariah32 Battle-Brother

Pariah32

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Oh yeah cant believe I did not notice it. So Garro it is.

 

Bit disappointing really because isn't the Garro Anthology just all the old material put into one volume? Or is there some other bits added?

 

I bet all the internal artwork will be the front covers of previous Garro releases which will be annoying.

 

Don't get me wrong I am a massive Garro fan loved the limited edition Novella.


That's all three stories from the audio anthology 'Echoes of Revelation' now available as MP3, for anyone who's counting.

I cant find this on the BL website? I was waiting for all three releases to get them as one.

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HeritorA

HeritorA

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Surprise Christmas Black Legion novel.

Dreamer biggrin.png You smoke too much tears of an angel - do not steal stuff from Oleander Koh saddlebag biggrin.png

That's all three stories from the audio anthology 'Echoes of Revelation' now available as MP3, for anyone who's counting.

That's good - but the quality different by a big margin. Wraight 'Soul/Severed' is/was EPOC, AWESOME,GLORIES. Perpetual and Valerius - totally meh. What you should have done a long time ago Laurie - is simply drop stupid Imperium Secundus plot, Perpetual boring immmortal yada yada and questions/plots/subplots of religion/fate. There are enough Garro for that.

It's time for BATTLES, APOCALYPTIC CLASHES, BURNING GALAXY SECTORS, CLASHES OF MASSED SPACEFLEETS AND ARMADAS AND MARCHING TITAN THREADS. That's what HORUS HERESY is - not a church discuss a religion favor, while bolts are flying over your head.

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DarkChaplain Veteran

DarkChaplain

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It's time for BATTLES, APOCALYPTIC CLASHES, BURNING GALAXY SECTORS, CLASHES OF MASSED SPACEFLEETS AND ARMADAS AND MARCHING TITAN THREADS. That's what HORUS HERESY is - not a church discuss a religion favor, while bolts are flying over your head.

 

 

Funnily enough, those are the parts I find the least appealing about the series. I'm here for the character drama, not relentless, mind-numbing action. The moment the action setpieces take over and push out opportunities for character development my mind tunes out and I get tired of reading on.

Guess that's why I enjoy Gav's works so much, his stories usually have great drama focused on characters and use the action as a backdrop for their development, like with the entire Corax arc. The same goes for a bunch of authors working on the series.

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LaurieJGoulding Battle-Brother

LaurieJGoulding

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I won't say this again - 'Garro' is not an anthology. It is a novel.

 

Even if you have every single Garro story, you don't know everything that happens in this book. There are extra scenes, new storylines, resolutions and new hanging threads.

 

Next person to call it an anthology gets nut-punched.

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HeritorA

HeritorA

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It's time for BATTLES, APOCALYPTIC CLASHES, BURNING GALAXY SECTORS, CLASHES OF MASSED SPACEFLEETS AND ARMADAS AND MARCHING TITAN THREADS. That's what HORUS HERESY is - not a church discuss a religion favor, while bolts are flying over your head.

Funnily enough, those are the parts I find the least appealing about the series. I'm here for the character drama, not relentless, mind-numbing action. The moment the action setpieces take over and push out opportunities for character development my mind tunes out and I get tired of reading on.

Guess that's why I enjoy Gav's works so much, his stories usually have great drama focused on characters and use the action as a backdrop for their development, like with the entire Corax arc. The same goes for a bunch of authors working on the series.

Gav and drama - hmmmm. Are you sure you read Corax book? Cause call an emo kid Primarch a talented drama actor is a bit overstretched biggrin.png

I won't say this again - 'Garro' is not an anthology. It is a novel.

Even if you have every single Garro story, you don't know everything that happens in this book. There are extra scenes, new storylines, resolutions and new hanging threads.

Next person to call it an anthology gets nut-punched.

In what universe compilation of shorts and novella connected only by timeline is now a novel? Same shorts with extra scenes, new storylines, resolutions and new hanging threads - 10 pages for additonal novel price is a bit stretched, don't you think?

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Pariah32 Battle-Brother

Pariah32

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I won't say this again - 'Garro' is not an anthology. It is a novel.

Even if you have every single Garro story, you don't know everything that happens in this book. There are extra scenes, new storylines, resolutions and new hanging threads.

Next person to call it an anthology gets nut-punched.

I do apologise, thanks for clarifying.smile.png

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ZebraM Battle-Brother

ZebraM

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http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/valerius.mp3.html

Valerius

http://puu.sh/sRwo4/95a9dde103.jpg

 

Day 16 of Advent 2016
A Horus Heresy audio drama

Sent by Corax to the great slaughter at Beta-Garmon, Marcus Valerius fears the end is nigh. Guided by visions from the God-Emperor, can he lead the Therion Cohort back to victory?

 

READ IT BECAUSE
The slow-burn storyline of Marcus Valerius and his faith in the nascent Imperial creed continues… and it looks a lot like it may be reaching an unpleasant and blood-soaked conclusion.

 

THE STORY
Though he knows such beliefs are forbidden, Vice-Caesari Marcus Valerius of the Therion Cohort is willing to lay down his life in service to the immortal God-Emperor, for the good of all mankind. Sent by Corax to the great slaughter at Beta-Garmon, every last one of the Imperial Army soldiers under his command knows that the end is nigh - but can Valerius' holy visions guide them to one final victory over the hordes of the hated Arch-traitor?

Written by Gav Thorpe. Performed by Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Ian Brooker, Cliff Chapman, Steve Conlin, Saul Reichlin,Toby Longworth and Luis Soto.

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