Upcoming BL Stuff - 2022

[cheywood]

Helbrecht will be up for preorder on the 8th:

https://www.fnac.com/livre-numerique/a17381309/Marc-Collins-Helbrecht-Knight-Of-The-Throne#omnsearchpos=11

Void King will be up for preorder on the 15th:

https://www.fnac.com/livre-numerique/a17401726/Marc-Collins-Void-King#omnsearchpos=15

[cheywood]

New book alert: Kasrkin by Edoardo Albert is up for preorder on the 15th: https://www.fnac.com/livre-numerique/a17418489/Edoardo-Albert-Kasrkin#omnsearchpos=13

I’m region locked out of the description, but for those in Europe it should be accessible if anyone wants to copy and paste it here. I know Albert’s last book was somewhat polarizing, but I loved how unique it was. Hopefully this brings more of the same energy. 

[Lord Nord in Gravis Armour]

 

Scroll down for the description...

An Astra Militarum Novel

An elite squad of Cadian Kasrkin are tasked with a critical mission behind enemy lines. They must rescue their general in xenos-held territory before his dangerous knowledge falls into enemy hands. But not all is as it seems...

 

READ IT BECAUSE

Hear the legendary elite soldiers of Cadia in action as they take on a mission so dangerous it could only be trusted to troops with their training and equipment.

 

THE STORY

When the perfidious t’au bring down a valkyrie containing an Astra Militarum general on the besieged Imperial world of Dasht i-Kevar, all could be lost what the general knows could break the war effort, and see the planet fall under the control of the vile xenos.

Only the Kasrkin stand a chance at bringing him back. They are the elite of the elite, but the enemy that Captain Bharath Obeysekera and his squad are called upon to fight is unlike any they have faced before the desert itself, endless and implacable.

With sandstorms cutting them off from support, Obeysekera has only his soldiers to rely on. As the Kasrkin journey deeper into the wastes, they begin to realise they’re not the only hunters searching for the missing general, and that their war has caught the attention of something ancient lurking beneath the desert sands…

[cheywood]

@Lord Nord Thanks for copying the description! A Guard vs Tau novel sounds very refreshing after what feels like 3-4 Guard vs Ork novels this year. 

[Sothalor]

Neat. From the description it sounds like a Guard v Tau v Necron fracas brewing up. 

[DarkChaplain]

For a second there I was almost hoping for a Creed rescue story. But then, I'd like Justin to handle something like that, if it ever was to happen.

Edited October 1, 2022 by DarkChaplain

[Fenriwolf]

Haven't  picked up a BL book since Jain Zar (god it's been 4 years already) but i just noticed Dornì's primarch entry is releasing in a week, so i guess it's time to get back... 

 

I just have to wonder, as usual, if it'll end on the good side of the Fists books or the opposite

Edited October 2, 2022 by Fenriwolf

[Taliesin]

Looks interesting. As often there is an excerpt on the fnac page, with the first 6 pages of the book.

[DarkChaplain]

I... I don't get this re-release of Brotherhood of the Storm. They replaced Jonathan Keeble with Windson Liong according to the cover? But why? And why update / re-release Legacies of Betrayal along with it? It's out, it exists. It doesn't even match the other White Scars audiobooks.

Glad to see Scourge of Fate getting audio treatment, though. I always meant to read that but never got to it. Now there's a chance.

Quote

All of these stories are available to pre-order from Saturday. Keep your eyes on the Black Library Coming Soon page to see what other new releases are out in the near future…

I laughed. The Vorbis Conspiracy is still listed despite being out, for one, and a bunch of things we know are coming are still missing.

By the way, there's either a reprint or a new edition of Visions of Heresy coming supposedly July 2023. For 80€ on Amazon right now.

Witchbringer is listed for early December, expect it late November via direct sales

Quote

This is the creed of the scholastica psykana, a brutal foundry in which those with psychic power might be taught to serve. On the eve of her sanctioning as a primaris psyker within these very halls, Glavia Aerand, former captain of the Cadian 900th Regiment, receives a startling premonition – one concerning her old unit and a dangerous psychic artefact hidden on the planet where they are deployed.
After a reunion she never expected – or wanted – Aerand finds herself mired in a vicious campaign on the psychically active world of Visage, where the shallow seas and endless fogs are rumoured to swallow the souls of the dead. Haunted by growing suspicions of her new commander and the manifestations of the sinister relic, Aerand must trust in her new-found abilities to keep her former comrades alive, and confront an ancient threat that could consume Visage entirely.

 

[aa.logan]

I’ve not listened to any of the White Scars audiobooks because a lot of the accent choices make me feel mighty uncomfortable (same with the Salamanders ones); maybe they’ve re-recorded and re-released with that in mind?

[Ubiquitous1984]

2 hours ago, aa.logan said:

I’ve not listened to any of the White Scars audiobooks because a lot of the accent choices make me feel mighty uncomfortable (same with the Salamanders ones); maybe they’ve re-recorded and re-released with that in mind?

I sure hope that isn't the case - that would be a slap in the face to Jonathan Keeble and his producer, who are one of the best audio teams around not just in the BL universe but also the wider audiobook scene.  

Replacing Keeble (and the also excellent Penelope Rawlings who IIRC featured on the original version) is an utterly bizarre decision, which I would like to hear an explanation for.  There is no way this can performatively be an upgrade, so why are they doing it?  I think most would agree that Keeble is the best of the BL stable.

EDIT - it looks like the narrator who has been chosen for the re-release is a Singaporean male, who I am actually familiar with as he voices the Chinese trains in the Thomas and Friends reboot.  My little boy has been obsessed with Thomas from an early age so I have been heavily exposed!  It's going to be pretty jarring having The Great Khan voiced by the guy who I am used to hearing converse as a Chinese train from a kids TV show!

Edited October 3, 2022 by Ubiquitous1984

[System Sound]

7 hours ago, DarkChaplain said:

By the way, there's either a reprint or a new edition of Visions of Heresy coming supposedly July 2023. For 80€ on Amazon right now.

My money is on a new edition. The previous one came out in what, 2014? So its missing quite a few HH novels and SoT now too.

[aa.logan]

56 minutes ago, Ubiquitous1984 said:

I sure hope that isn't the case - that would be a slap in the face to Jonathan Keeble and his producer, who are one of the best audio teams around not just in the BL universe but also the wider audiobook scene. 

I love Keeble’s narration generally just not the yellowface/blackface (voice?) that’s used on White Scars and Salamanders characters. I’m a fan of this move.

[DarkChaplain]

So what's next, then? Re-recording Scars, The Path of Heaven. Warhawk of Chogoris and Warhawk? Because those are all the same, all Keeble.

[theSpirea]

This smells of PR/PC agenda. Keeble is one of the best BL has and there's nothing wrong with the original audios.

[aa.logan]

1 hour ago, DarkChaplain said:

So what's next, then? Re-recording Scars, The Path of Heaven. Warhawk of Chogoris and Warhawk? Because those are all the same, all Keeble.

I hope so, yes. 

[skylerboodie]

3 hours ago, System Sound said:

My money is on a new edition. The previous one came out in what, 2014? So its missing quite a few HH novels and SoT now too.

Would be nice if this tied in with end of the Siege releases, ie both Dan Abnett's volumes out by July 2023. Can't see the point of doing an updated version now that doesn't cover all the final novels' detail. 

[lansalt]

4 hours ago, System Sound said:

My money is on a new edition. The previous one came out in what, 2014? So its missing quite a few HH novels and SoT now too.

There's an updated 2018 edition that was also released in WH+ months ago.

[caladancid]

On 10/2/2022 at 10:52 PM, aa.logan said:

I’ve not listened to any of the White Scars audiobooks because a lot of the accent choices make me feel mighty uncomfortable (same with the Salamanders ones); maybe they’ve re-recorded and re-released with that in mind?

This is so strange to me. I tried a little google to see if folks were complaining about this. No success. Then I listed to the samples, did not have the accents. So I’m left wondering how the accent choices make you personally uncomfortable if you haven’t heard them and it’s not on a preview. 
 

Also based on this I’m assuming you’ve never lived in an Eastern country. Their ideas on this stuff would probably surprise you. 

[cheywood]

16 minutes ago, caladancid said:

This is so strange to me. I tried a little google to see if folks were complaining about this. No success. Then I listed to the samples, did not have the accents. So I’m left wondering how the accent choices make you personally uncomfortable if you haven’t heard them and it’s not on a preview. 
 

Also based on this I’m assuming you’ve never lived in an Eastern country. Their ideas on this stuff would probably surprise you. 

This issue isn’t as black and white as you’re making it out to be. There’s plenty of Asian people in western countries who think it’s offensive to use a stereotypical Asian accent if you’re not of Asian descent, and the stereotype has a long history of prejudice behind it. Games Workshop is presumably being conscientious of that. Whether you consider the issue important or not, it makes sense for a major company to be cautious in the content it puts out these days. People are highly concerned with the views of others, as your comment and mine both show.

[Fire Golem]

On 10/3/2022 at 12:31 PM, theSpirea said:

This smells of PR/PC agenda. Keeble is one of the best BL has and there's nothing wrong with the original audios.

If you’re gonna throw round phrases like ‘PC Agenda’, at least keep up with the terminology - were on ‘Woke agenda’ these days. 

[caladancid]

35 minutes ago, cheywood said:

This issue isn’t as black and white as you’re making it out to be. There’s plenty of Asian people in western countries who think it’s offensive to use a stereotypical Asian accent if you’re not of Asian descent, and the stereotype has a long history of prejudice behind it. Games Workshop is presumably being conscientious of that. Whether you consider the issue important or not, it makes sense for a major company to be cautious in the content it puts out these days. People are highly concerned with the views of others, as your comment and mine both show.

I appreciate the thoughtful comment, but I did not say the issue (racism) is not important. My two points were 1) wondering where it was coming from without an apparent experience and 2) raising my direct and personal experience with the topic, something that often people skip over and offer their own take without either personal experience or knowledge of cultural factors. 

[phandaal]

3 minutes ago, caladancid said:

42 minutes ago, cheywood said:

This issue isn’t as black and white as you’re making it out to be. There’s plenty of Asian people in western countries who think it’s offensive to use a stereotypical Asian accent if you’re not of Asian descent, and the stereotype has a long history of prejudice behind it. Games Workshop is presumably being conscientious of that. Whether you consider the issue important or not, it makes sense for a major company to be cautious in the content it puts out these days. People are highly concerned with the views of others, as your comment and mine both show.

I appreciate the thoughtful comment, but I did not say the issue (racism) is not important. My two points were 1) wondering where it was coming from without an apparent experience and 2) raising my direct and personal experience with the topic, something that often people skip over and offer their own take without either personal experience or knowledge of cultural factors.

Audiobook narrators change their voice to portray different characters. One would think an accent would be a helpful way to distinguish different cultures in an audiobook.

Asians are more likely to laugh at Uncle Roger and Steven He than get offended over an accent. Someone would have to actually know Asian people to understand that though.

55 minutes ago, cheywood said:

This issue isn’t as black and white as you’re making it out to be.

Pun intended?

[Petitioner's City]

Isn't it also nice to have more diversity in who voices the heresy and BL in general?

I love Keeble's voice, but it's nice to have more people involved, especially if it diversifies the "who" people imagine in Warhammer.

It's also that both audiobook versions are themselves adaptations, and it's great to have multiple adaptations of things - each adaptation brings different things to the original text itself, which i find as a culture buff a rewarding thing to experience too. I've always loved how changes happen in that way. 

Recently also on Feedback the BBC radio 4 head of commissioning drama (ie the person most responsible for commissioning English language audio dramas and adaptations full stop) discussed why new adaptations are made when older recordings are done (at 13:40 mins) - you might appreciate this @DarkChaplain and @aa.logan!

 

[cheywood]

31 minutes ago, caladancid said:

I appreciate the thoughtful comment, but I did not say the issue (racism) is not important. My two points were 1) wondering where it was coming from without an apparent experience and 2) raising my direct and personal experience with the topic, something that often people skip over and offer their own take without either personal experience or knowledge of cultural factors. 

That’s entirely fair. I can’t speak for AA, but I would say that GW is presumably taking into account the views of western culture more than that of Asia. With the increased sensitivity towards bigotry of all sorts, but especially those of Asian and Pacific Islander descent, it makes sense for GW to change it.