Wild rider

[Knockagh]

It’s here. Waited all year for this lovely boy. King Thorpe hopefully will strike again. I’m not much of a fan of the new setting but I’m loving the Eldar developments. I would like to see it get more attention than one book per year and hopefully we will see some more fleshing out of the developments in 2019.

I hope we see more exploration of the Eldars past going back to the fall. Eldar love has been in short supply it’s been ages since we have heard anything about another Phoenix lord book.

I know Eldar fiction remains on the fringe, what would people like to see? What do you folks think would make it more attractive to the 40k fan base?

[DarkChaplain]

Well, the Phoenix Lords got put on hold for the time being for the Rise of the Ynnari. I wouldn't think that Gav's done with the Phoenix Lords (though he has implied before that he'd be fine with other authors getting a shot too), it's just that priorities shifted a tad. He's still linking his Eldar works here and there like usual, from what I gather, so I think the Ynnari stuff may actually be a good thing in the long run, because it might provide hooks for him to provide further context to.

 

Didn't he also state in the recent Track of Words interview that the third Ynnari book is in the works and titled "Queen of Blades" or somesuch?

[Knockagh]

I thought Gav said he would be passing the Phoenix Lords on to someone else, which as disappointed as I am about that, seeing his schedule and involvement in the seige I can understand. Just wish the someone else would get a move on.

 

I think I heard something about queen of blades not sure but his Ynnari stuff so far has been great. The creation of a new Eldar God alongside the reemergence of the primarchs has massive potential for some solid storyline development.

 

It would be nice to see some others share the workload on it. Eldar books need to have a different feel to them than human 40k. Hopefully Andy Hoare hasn’t given up on them, it would be great to have a tale from the dark kins perspective both on the Ynnari and on the period were the Phoenix Lords emerged from him.

 

Also would love to see Darius Hinks or Nick Horth given a go. Two massively talented authors who could bring something fresh to the Eldar tales.

[Hathor42]

I hear there's some good slaanesh hints in that book.

[Xisor]

I spoke with Gav at last year's weekender about the Phoenix Lord books (amongst other things), and it sounded less "handed over to other people" and more "he would enjoy it if someone else did some, as he'd love to read them!, and his own writing schedule was full up well into the next couple of years".

 

So he might well come back to them - and blimey, he should, I enjoyed Asuryan a lot, but JZ was an absolute joy - but not any time soon.

 

He also mentioned Guy hadn't signed on for one to his knowledge ("he's already got his plate full with Dark Imperium etc, but he writes really fast so..." [Guy appeared chimed in to make exhausted, stressed and hassled noises and gestures, but ]), and also that he doubted Andy Chambers would write one.

 

Intriguingly, Gav mentioned that he understood Andy found the writing process a bit gruelling and a bit unpleasant (in contrast to Gav being able to sit doing and batter away at it without to too much disstress), and so even though Gav would love for Andy to write some, it sounded to me like he wouldn't want to push it onto him unless 'stars were right' for Andy.

 

(And anyone who hasn't read Andy Chambers' Dark Eldar books should run out like some loose cannon and buy&read them right away.)

 

But if you're looking for a kick outside of the Phoenix Lords, and outside of the Ynnari (strictly as a slightly canonically disjoint prelude to the Ynnari, as it leads directly into the opening of The Gathering Storm 2, but then TGS2 undermines some of the themes a touch), then "Valedor" by Guy Haley is a terrific all-eldar story.

 

Mostly Iyanden, but brings in a lot of other elements too. Very decent story. (Could be renamed 'Path of the Spirits' to align with Gav & Andy's Path Of stories.)

 

Edit: Really need to read some of Nick Horth's work. Loved Darius' Orion & Ariel trilogy; I would adore it if he brought that fay skill to the eldar. I'm keen to get into his Blood Angels stuff too.

[Knockagh]

Thanks xisor! Good to have some answers from the boss himself.

Valedor Is a great read. Love to see Haley do more Eldar, but asking Haley to do more seems a little unfair!

By the sounds of things it will be a very dry period for Eldar fiction. Back a few years ago when we had the path series and the dark Eldar series things really looked good but it’s definitely faded away. Hopefully we will get some renewed vigour into them some time soon.

Definitely try Horth, super stuff.

[Taliesin]

It’s here. Waited all year for this lovely boy. King Thorpe hopefully will strike again. I’m not much of a fan of the new setting but I’m loving the Eldar developments. I would like to see it get more attention than one book per year and hopefully we will see some more fleshing out of the developments in 2019.

I hope we see more exploration of the Eldars past going back to the fall. Eldar love has been in short supply it’s been ages since we have heard anything about another Phoenix lord book.

I know Eldar fiction remains on the fringe, what would people like to see? What do you folks think would make it more attractive to the 40k fan base?

 

Was just wondering if you got around to this, and how much the Nectrontyr feature? Quite interested in seeing them.

[Knockagh]

I’ve started it, about 5 chapters in. Loving it so far. Plenty of great background detail on the ynnari their emerging culture and the ancient craft world saim hann. The mission to the tomb world hasn’t strarted yet.

Gav is great at setting the historical scene out from the main players perspective.

Also had a burst of combat from the riders which was well executed.

Eldar fiction floats my boat.

[Knockagh]

Finished this. Took longer than I wanted, I got caught up in several other reads.

The book spends 2/3 looking at the politics of the craft world, it’s cultures and reactions to the emerging Ynnari it also moves in closer to life within the Ynnari cult. I really enjoyed this part of the book, it’s what Gav excels at in my opinion, building worlds and cultures.

The final 1/3 is all action the attack on the necron world. The combat from the wild riders is pretty exciting but I would have enjoyed some more focus on the history of the necrons and their links to the Eldar past. This is looked at but I had hoped it would be the core of the books ending. Not to be though. There is a suprise of sorts at the end during the fighting and an uneasy ending which I won’t spoil which is nicely handled.

But definitely the opening 2/3 was the highlight for me. I could read that stuff all day long.

[Skullier]

I enjoyed the book, yeah, I really liked that it gave a lot more fleshing out to the Ynnari and implied Necron and Ancient Eldar actually teamed up for a bit against Chaos until the Eldar kicked the Necron's asses. 

 

I do wish we got more Eldar novels, there are so few and I'd really love to read more about them.