New Eisenhorn

[Never_born]

This is exciting... https://www.warhammer-community.com/2017/09/13/coming-soon-a-new-eisenhorn-novel/

[Charlo]

Guess I better read my Trilogy....!

[JH79]

Heavy. Breathing.

[Toomanyprojects]

I'm actually a little disappinted - I'd hoped for the next chapter of the Bequin trilogy, rather than a fourth pre-ravenor series Eisenhorn book

[RedDragon]

Definitely excited for this - I'd have preferred a sequel to Pariah, but beggars can't be choosers. I wonder if this will deal with Bure in any way or form? Glaw confesses to his killing - But we all know that Glaw's a liar. 

 

I can't think of any other prominent Magi in the series, though there's also the possibility that the title's referencing a brand new character entirely.

[OnboardG1]

I have a bad feeling that my Eisenhorn books are in a box in my attic after I moved. Time to go searching I guess.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Really wish this was part 2 of Pariah trilogy.

[Phoebus]

Am I excited for Magos? Of course I am. Am I also worried? You bet. We've seen debates arise regarding the page/word-count of certain novels here. We've also seen an effort to re-package individual tales into novels (see Garro, Corax).

 

Given all this, as well as the fact that Dan Abnett has not been doing as much 40k work as he used to, I worry when we're being told about a novel the author himself didn't expect to write. I'm left wondering if, like Dave Swallow and Gav Thorpe, Dan wasn't commissioned to author a narrative that ties in the various short stories mentioned together. I know this sounds very cynical, but I imagine that would be a much easier way to provide an eagerly awaited entry to this storyline than, say, a full-length sequel to Pariah. When you consider how long Warmaster took to write (due to health complications as well as an ever-busier schedule), and the fact that we're now seeing Sabbat Crusade novels being written by other authors, it just becomes very difficult for me to imagine that Abnett was able to write a novel even the length of I Am Slaughter without anyone catching wind.

[Olis]

I too am being careful about receiving this book. Do I want it and am I pleased to have it? Yes on both counts. But I can't shake the lingering feeling that this is filler to keep the fans happy after such a long gap between books. I don't like the thought and dearly wish it to be incorrect, yet still it lingers. Still, new content is certainly something that we love to read - and this book has at least some of that. 

[HeritorA]

This is exciting... https://www.warhammer-community.com/2017/09/13/coming-soon-a-new-eisenhorn-novel/

Sorry to disappoint, but it is a compilation of shorts.

 

'This epic volume gathers together all the Eisenhorn short stories that have appeared over the years, several of which haven’t been in print before. But it’s not just an anthology for completists. There’s an entire, new, full-length novel here too, one which ties together many elements from those short stories to become the unexpected fourth book in what was previously the Eisenhorn trilogy'

 

1) From the previous experiments from BL of that kind - it would contain 10 % of new material. I will give you the best example - the last attempt of 'Garro' compilation. And that's totally the same. You will have up to 30-40 new pages of content which will create bridges between separate old short stories and 1 new one.

2) It's not 'Penitent'.

[cheywood]

Do those Eisenhorn short stories have much of a connective thread between them? I don't remember any such link. Certainly not the way Garro's audio dramas do. I could be wrong of course, but I think Magos will have more new material than Garro or Corax as a result.

 

I'd prefer Penitent for sure, but any new Inquisition material from Abnett is good news. Maybe writing this helped refresh his brain for the rest of the Bequin trilogy? Either way it seems premature to form an opinion at this point, at least for me.

[DukeLeto69]

I'm actually a little disappinted - I'd hoped for the next chapter of the Bequin trilogy, rather than a fourth pre-ravenor series Eisenhorn book

Yeah THAT is the bad news but surely the good news is that Abnett is enthused enough to be back writing for BL that he has written new Eisenhorn. That is great news! Must also hint that he will soon get to Pentitent as well...surely!

 

My prediction (based on what Abnett said) is that this will be the same approach he took with Ghostmaker, using a novel to tie together the short stories (ie. They will feature through the novel rather than be at the start or finish of this book).

 

I am going to be a bit more optimistic then some because of Abnett saying "full length novel". Not sure what that means but it is a deliberate choice of words that says (to me) this is not a novella!

[R_F_D]

So I don't think Warmaster was delayed due to health/work load - I think it was the general BL malaise that he and Laurie touched upon in their interviews with @Never_born.

 

I asked Dan about Interceptor City on Friday at a book signing and he said that it had been due to be written right after Double Eagle however the HH was then launched and then we had scheduling/health/BL bad times.

 

As @DukeLeto69 mentions, this has come about because Dan seems to be happy to be writing for BL again.  The quote from Dan is interesting,

“The Magos is a brand new Eisenhorn novel… and one I didn’t expect to write.  This epic volume gathers together all the Eisenhorn short stories that have appeared over the years, several of which haven’t been in print before. But it’s not just an anthology for completists. There’s an entire, new, full-length novel here too, one which ties together many elements from those short stories to become the unexpected fourth book in what was previously the Eisenhorn trilogy. Hunting for heresy in the remote worlds of the Imperium, Gregor Eisenhorn must confront the truth about himself: who is the real heretic? And, in this life-or-death struggle, who is the hunter and who is the hunted? Essential reading for all fans of the Eisenhorn and Ravenor series.” – Dan

 

He didn't mean for this novel to be written; it would suggest to me that he was giving the Eisenhorn/Ravenor/Pariah plots some thought or preparation and low and below an idea presented itself and he ran with it for a new novel.  To me that gives me hope that he is giving actual consideration to the series, i.e. Penitent.

 

It seems to me that the book that people have the main criticisms about - Unremembered Empire (was going to included I Am Slaughter but not sure as I haven't read TBA/engaged with the forums) was written at a time where Dan was not happy with BL.

 

I hasten to add this is all my own guess work and pop psychology.  

[DukeLeto69]

Hmmm now I wonder which Eisenhorn shorts will be in it? Assuming they won't include the ones already in either the Eisenhorn or Ravenor omnibuses, that must leave...

 

The Keeler Image

Born To Us

Master Imus's Transgression

Reggia Occulta

 

Plus maybe:

The Strange Demise of Titus Endor?

 

Then there is:

Perihelion?

 

Could that be the last story in the new book to act as a bridge to the Bequin trilogy and Pariah?

[Phoebus]

I hope you're right, R_F_D. Time will tell.

[R_F_D]

Hmmm now I wonder which Eisenhorn shorts will be in it? Assuming they won't include the ones already in either the Eisenhorn or Ravenor omnibuses, that must leave...

 

The Keeler Image

Born To Us

Master Imus's Transgression

Reggia Occulta

 

Plus maybe:

The Strange Demise of Titus Endor?

 

Then there is:

Perihelion?

 

Could that be the last story in the new book to act as a bridge to the Bequin trilogy and Pariah?

 

Going on the quote, it's all Eisenhorn shorts including one's not in print.  That to me would include:

 

Eisenhorn Omnibus (according to Lexicanum, the gf has my version right now so can't verify)

Missing in Action (Short Story) - published in Words of Blood (Anthology) (available electronically)

Backcloth For A Crown Additional (Short Story) - published in Crucible Of War (Anthology) (available electronically)

 

Thorn and Talon (audio anthology)

Regia Occulta (short story now available electronically)

Master Imus's Trangression (seems to be audio only)

Thorn Wishes Talon (short story in Ravenor Omnibus but not electronically [for completeness that Omnibus also includes Playing Patience which is available electronically])

 

BL website e-Shorts only

The Keeler Image (although @Never_born's review refers to years of rumours, fittingly given the content, so I took that to mean available in a Games Day/Weekender exclusive)

Born to Us

 

I like the suggestion of a Ghostmaker type book.  However it seems to me that there will be a full length novel included in the tome so not sure how that would work.

 

I hope you're right, R_F_D. Time will tell.

 

 

Me too.  I am unashamedly an Abnett fanboy and I can safely say the quality of his non BL works has not diminished over the period so that gives me hope.

[DukeLeto69]

@RFD obviously it could be "just" a complete novel included but Abnett saying "...one which ties together many elements from those short stories" strikes me as a bit Ghostmaker in approach?

 

Either way I am super excited and truly truly hope this hints that Pariah will be soon too!

[R_F_D]

@RFD obviously it could be "just" a complete novel included but Abnett saying "...one which ties together many elements from those short stories" strikes me as a bit Ghostmaker in approach?

 

Either way I am super excited and truly truly hope this hints that Pariah will be soon too!

Good points well made!

[Mellow]

This is disappointing news. That's about as polite as I can put it. It's a huge money grabbing exercise.

[b1soul]

Why disappointing?

 

You mean that Pariah II seems to be put on hold?

[DarkChaplain]

I wait 5 years for Penitent and instead this happens... Hopefully this gets Dan back in the groove and write Penitent instead of constantly putting it off.

[R_F_D]

It's a huge money grabbing exercise.

I disagree, given that only 3 of the shorts have been available in an actual book and in omnibi at that, which people are less likely to have bought if they'd followed the series book by book. On top of that, there's an entire new novel included.

[HeritorA]

Do those Eisenhorn short stories have much of a connective thread between them? I don't remember any such link. Certainly not the way Garro's audio dramas do. I could be wrong of course, but I think Magos will have more new material than Garro or Corax as a result.

 

I'd prefer Penitent for sure, but any new Inquisition material from Abnett is good news. Maybe writing this helped refresh his brain for the rest of the Bequin trilogy? Either way it seems premature to form an opinion at this point, at least for me.

Geeze. Garro audio dramas had 0 connectivity between them. The same with Eisenhorn shorts and audios. What GREEDY BL did - they asked Swallow to create 30 pages of narrator throughts - that bridged the audios for Garro. And they called it a new novel. The same continuation to the experiment is here.

Second - as with Garro 'Magos' will cover 'old' stuff - so nothing in connection to the new times of 'Bequin'. What I see in that book - is the epitome of greed, which changed previous one with LE and exclusives.

 

I wait 5 years for Penitent and instead this happens... Hopefully this gets Dan back in the groove and write Penitent instead of constantly putting it off.

You will not see Penitent till 2019 for sure. And in the best case 2020 is your year. Interceptor city is dead- he had no time to put it on schedule anywhere till he would be 80 years old.

With all the love to Abnett writing - his comics are what ruined his schedule, not BL, health or whatever. You want to know the truth - check his twitter for 2017 - and compare number of BL posts and his posts for comics.

[hopkins]

This is disappointing news. That's about as polite as I can put it. It's a huge money grabbing exercise.

 

business gonna business

 

i'm excited for anything new or hard to find eisenhorn stuff from DA

[HeritorA]

 

This is disappointing news. That's about as polite as I can put it. It's a huge money grabbing exercise.

 

business gonna business

 

i'm excited for anything new or hard to find eisenhorn stuff from DA

 

The best novels from BL were produced then 'soul' won over business. Then business driver the writing process - the most boring and trash novels in BL history were produced.