2022 - BL highs and lows, best book/story of the year

[theSpirea]

Hello Warhammer and Black Library fans,

 

Since nothing is coming out this Saturday and if we check the release dates from the previous years, there shouldn't be any surprises in the last two weeks this year. It means we can start our tradition and talk about BL 2022 releases and recap this year in general.

 

To make it easier for you to recall what was published this year, I'm attaching the lists of 2022 releases (reprints are not included, everything else should be in). Limited = only limited edition came out that year (for example Warboss). Limited+General = both Limited/Special edition and also general release came out that year. Not everyone buys Limited Editions, some people wait for ebooks or paperbacks. Not to discourage anyone from participating and to avoid unnecessary arguments what is considered as 2022 release, let's go with any book published this year counts.

 

If my sheet is correct, there were 40 novels (more than in the previous years), 1 novella, 46 short stories, 11 anthologies, 0 audio dramas.

 

I didn't manage to read everything, there are still many titles from this year I plan to read so my highs and lows from what I've read so far.

 

My top 5

 

• Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! - Nate Crowley - Originally published in 2021 as a Limited edition only, we plebs had to wait almost a year to get our hands on this one. Nate's portrayal of Orks is now my head canon. He managed to masterfully balance their ridiculousness/humorous nature but at the same time doesn't take anything away from their brutality. Something Mike Brooks, imho, completely failed to achieve and just rolled with the silliness only. This is a book I've already read twice and plan to read it again very soon.
• Assassinorum: Kingmaker - Robert Rath - I was the one who wouldn't shut up about Rath's first WH story (The Garden of Mortal Delights - AoS short story 2019). I was disappointed when I found out it's probably the only AoS piece and he moved to 40K. This quickly changed once I read War in the Museum which made my top 5 in 2020 along with The Infinite and the Divine. This year isn't any different and Mr Rath again made it to my top 5 with Kingmaker. If you've never read anything by Rath, go and buy it all. Support him as much as you can, you won't regret it
• The Dark City (Vaults of Terra #3) - Chris Wraight - The Carrion Throne is my top 5 sci-fi novel and I might even go as far to say my favorite BL novel. Masterful prose, decent characters, and the top-notch grimdark atmosphere. Wraight remains my top 1 BL author and I don't see anyone taking over anytime soon.
• Prince Maesa - Guy Haley - Prince Maesa's short stories were the highlights in the Inferno! anthologies. I expected they would be eventually collected in a separate anthology. What I didn't expect was for Haley to go back and tweak them and publish it as a novel. The reason I include it in my top 5 is I haven't enjoyed any fantasy novel this much since my childhood when I was reading David Gemmell and similar authors. Is it the best book ever? No, but somehow Haley managed to recapture the magic I experienced decades ago when I started exploring this genre.

 

Honorable mentions

 

• The House of Moons - Jeremy Lambert - AoS short story, first one I've read by Lambert and will keep an eye on more of his stuff, seems promising.
• Witchbringer - Stephen B Fisher - I'm still reading it but it's shaping as one of the better IG books and Stephen definitely gets the 40K atmosphere. Another upcoming author to keep an eye on.

 

Letdowns

• Void King - Marc Collins - Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book and Marc can write. Unfortunately, everything that the book managed to build in the first Act was abandoned and turned into predictable, pointless bolter-porn cliche in the second and the third act. Partially the fault is definitely on my side for expecting more politicking and more insight into Rogue Traders. You can easily replace the Rogue Traders protagonist with anyone else and the book wouldn't change.
• The Triumph of Saint Katherine - Danie Ware - The issue here is very likely mine here as well. I just can't connect with any of Ware's characters. They all come out as whiny daddy-issues teenage girls. I don't really see them as strong female characters. Reminding me on every page they love Empra and sing and all is tiring. The book is very short but took me forever to read. I very much prefer the way Fehervari's take on SoB in Requiem Infernal. Unfortunately, Ware made it to my don't-read-authors list. Not because she can't write but I just don't care about a single character she created.

 

Looking back on all these books, it was actually pretty strong year for BL but somehow I have mainly negative memories and impressions. This is cause by the clash of their terrible marketing/communication and difficulty getting these books. It seems it's unfortunately hurting my enjoyment and I will have to take necessary steps next year to mitigate it.

 

I decided not to comment on BL performance, I've said it all already in other threads so no need to repeat it since nothing has change, and very likely not going to.

 

Let's hear your 2022 recap.

 

 

[Carach]

I think The Dark City is the only 2022 novel I've read this year (half way through Echoes. . .) so I am probably missing out on a lot, but I am gonna wager that The Dark City will be at or near the top of many people's lists.

 

Was a great book to complete a great trilogy. 

Edited December 8, 2022 by Carach

[System Sound]

For me, this year BL output was a resounding "Ehhh..."

 

The few books that I remember (read: left an impression, enough to be remembered) that came out this year and I've read is:

 

Ahriman Eternal - As a massive Tsons fan, I was very excited for this one, even got the LE, a first for me, but after reading it, all that was felt is "so this a build up for a sequel"? For a space wizard book this felt very... grounded? I'm probably the only one but, at this point I want McNeil to writte a new Tsons trilogy. His HH Tsons fiction was by far my favourite. McNeil's work felt more "esoteric and mystical" while French's felt dry and less magical.

 

Bookeepers Skull - A fun, short horror novel. Another solid offering from WH line.

As a side note, as some one who has to pass multiple corn fields on my way to work in early mornings, a few weeks were a bit tense after reading this.

 

Echoes of Eternity - Probably the best Siege book so far. But good grief is this one bleak. But also made me like Blood Angels a lot more.

 

 

[DukeLeto69]

Read less BL this year than any year in past decade. Lots on shelf yet to read but not been in the mood (so no SoT).

 

Not sure on date published (so could be some 2021 releases) but standouts for me (the things I enjoyed most) in no order...

 

Vincula Insurgency - Abnett

Volpone Glory - Kyme

Dark City - Wraight

Bookkeepers Skull - Hill

Wraithbone Phoenix - Worley 

[DarkChaplain]

I'd say The Wraithbone Phoenix and Prince Maesa are my top picks of the year. They both delivered fresh takes and dynamic narratives with engaging characters.

 

Maesa managed to pull together a bunch of short story fragments and tie a bow around all of them in a way that felt more like classic fantasy in some ways than a simple BL slog. And damn was it bittersweet.

 

And The Wraithbone Phoenix was simply a stellar romp through Varangantua that was both distinctly Warhammer Crime but also utterly unlike what's come before in terms of novels. As much as I adore Noctis & Lux or Quillon Drask, Baggit & Clodde bring a really necessary dynamic into Warhammer Crime, lifting it just enough beyond the serious, grimdark baseline to remind you that yes, it's not all just depressing, faceless crowds - you can also philosophize about the nature of the Imperium and throw wisecracks while your pants are burning off your cheeks.

 

Honorable mentions go to The Bookkeeper's Skull, which I thought suffered from being too short to fully build up its climax; it's got about 80% setup, 10% clues and suddenly a 5% climax followed by 5% epilogue. It didn't fully earn the way it ended.

 

Another pick is Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of Waaagh!, which I'd say is solidly on spot #3 for me, but also had some problems (like the exit of one character, or the abrupt jump to the stuff with Ragnar; I didn't particularly care for that section where the perspective is changed entirely. Also, there was stuff left on the cutting room floor that I absolutely wanted to read about in hindsight, going by the author's comments on reddit. That book deserved to be full length (like The Bookkeeper's Skull) but was hamstrung just the same by the short novel format.

 

And another mention for Warhammer Horror: Gothghul Hollow was great fun. It's nailed the gothic horror atmosphere, including the inherent romanticism of haunted castles, curses and family feuds amidst the spookiness. I'm really scratching my head at the big Murghast-cycle reveal at the end, but that's series baggage, not down to the novel. The reason why it doesn't make the top three for me is that it's by necessity unresolved in the wider sense (even though the immediate scenario is resolved) and I'm still holding out for the rest of the series; sadly, Werner's follow-up hasn't picked me up fully since it's release, especially since the horror so far is in the god-awful decisions the cast makes throughout half the book so far.

[Roomsky]

Personally, this was a pretty good year out of Black Library for me. There's only one book I genuinely didn't enjoy reading, and I'm positively spoiled for regarding the top 5.

 

Top 5:

1. Echoes of Eternity - Everything I could want out of a Siege book, out of an ADB book, and out of a Blood Angels book. Masterfully written and entertaining from start to finish. Masterpiece.
2. Ghazgkull Thraka - This was everything this book should have been. It's funny, clever, and serious when it needs to be. Full of character and has a weight to it that Brooks' ork work doesn't quite measure up to.
3. Day of Ascension - A wonderfully written book that's just as long as it needs to be, and even about a faction that could use more attention. Also surprisingly tonally perfect for an author's first 40k novel.
4. Vincula Insurgency - It's modern Abnett's skill applied to pre-Vervunhive Ghosts. What's not to love?
5. Outgunned - Flowers proves himself again to be a superb author. This book is dripping with character and wit and it never gets bogged down with the shooty-shooty bang-bang.

Honourable mention: Twice Dead King: Reign

And in fairness to Rath, I haven't read Kingmaker yet.

 

 

Bottom 1:

1. Astorath: Angel of Mercy - This book sucks.

 

Pleasant Suprises:

1. Rogal Dorn - I wouldn't have expected the author to deliver a book this good.
2. Mortarion - I wouldn't have expected the author to deliver a book this good.

Honourable Mention: Vulpone Glory - This released last year but I didn't get to it in time. I wouldn't have expected the author to deliver a book this freakin good.

 

Disappointments (because none of them are actually bad):

1. The Dark City - Even having softened on it a bit, this book fails utterly to live up to its predecessors. It's half bloat and the payoff is iffy.
2. The Wraithbone Phoenix - The first Crime novel that I wasn't in love with. Flashes of brilliance throughout but I never really connected with the main characters or the emotional core.
3. The Vorbis Conspiracy - Crime disappointment #2, despite a strong opening this anthology meanders before a mediocre finish.
4. Void King - What could have been a really fun read marred by a confusion of action. Excess Bolter Porn is the killer of any good novel.
5. Huron Blackheart - A really fun read, but it just doesn't live up to Brooks' previous writing. Could have done far more for the title character than it did.

[Sothalor]

Looking through that list, I was a little surprised how many of this year's releases I haven't read. Well.

 

In terms of what I have read, so far I'd say top of the list would be:

• Vaults of Terra: The Dark City - As I said in my overlong rambling review, it's not just well written, this completes Vaults of Terra as one of the definitive allegorical literature pieces for 40k as a setting for me. It pushes the notions of what tie-in fiction can be.
• Echoes of Eternity - I appreciate the prose and how well-written it is. It stands as an exceptional work on its own. I'm also going to be contrarian and say that this one calcifies ADB's boundaries as an author to me. I see the same beats, devices, tropes, repeating (echoing, you might say?) across his body of work, and particularly his more recent novels. Boundaries are not necessarily bad, but I found my enjoyment of Echoes surprisingly hampered by this.
• Assassinorum: Kingmaker - A solid action-adventure and intrigue novel that also showcases 40k's adaptability as a setting for all sorts of stories and genres. Just a fun read overall.
• The Vincula Insurgency - Character work and worldbuilding that addresses a rarely-considered facet of the setting. It's a gothic science fantasy linguistic anthropology study wrapped in clash-of-cultures urban insurgency. Just typing that out makes me realize how bizarre it sounds. And it works fantastically.

 

Pre-emptive mention goes to Sanguinius: The Great Angel. Chris Wraight doing a deep dive into the Great Crusade-era Blood Angels legion sounds magnificent. I'm just still waiting on my copy (ordered from GW direct) to arrive.

 

Also, the fraters above are making me think I should nab that copy of Prince Maesa sitting on my FLGS shelf. From the descriptions, it sounds sort of like a spiritual successor to Gilead - originally a series of shorts following a wandering elf noble protagonist stitched together into a novel. Maybe a back to back read of them would be interesting...

[Krelious]

I've read quite a few titles this year but I have a large backlog of books I recently purchased

 

Echoes of Eternity is top tier as ADB has yet to write a bad novel

 

I recently finished The Infinite and the Divine which I found engaging and fun while my only real complaints are the final fight went on for too long and was hard to follow.

 

I am now almost halfway through Twice Dead King: Ruin and im pleasantly surprised how solid it is.

 

I want to get through the rest of the Wolftime and then Dawn of Fire but I also have a bunch of other novels to read and I may want to pick up twice dead king reign depending on what I think of Ruin.

 

I have a backlog of ADB books and quite honestly his words are like honey dipped in mana from heaven, quite frankly I feel sad I dont have 3 heads to read my books with, as I find myself buying books and then trying to budget my time and figuring out what and when to read while also making sure I can actually buy copies as I have unfortunately found a lot of supply issues with novels even 1 year old and people price gouging on ebay. One up and down Is I found a hardcover copy of Armageddon at a local bookstore and the owner gave me a discounted price and then unfortunately I find out that a SE is being released in 2023 which I am tempted to buy for my ADB hardcovers/SE collection I have going.

 

I would say my low is the Dark Imperium series as I found them to be mediocre and tedious to slog through. When I read a 40k novel I expect excellence and I tend to do a lot of research on goodreads.com to figure out if the novel is worth my time and sometimes I just find myself reading stories because they are essential to the main plot and not because I actually enjoy them which is a bummer. If I had any standing criticism it would be on a meta level that I think GW should maybe slow down a bit as I feel a bit overwhelmed with the Horus Heresy and 40k plot lines moving at the same time to the point Im thinking of just forgoing much of the Heresy novels I still have not read as much as it pains me, I just want the siege to be over and move on. I think moving on in the future GW should only let quality writers write critical lore novels as it feels very disjointed and annoying to read lore novels in sequence written by authors you dont like. I would mention Abnett, Thorpe, and French as authors I do not care for.

 

2023 im looking forward to many new novels and hopefully very fruitful discussions on the End and the Death.

 

I will say 2022 personally was an interesting year for me getting back into reading and finding my mojo again as I was a bit messed up from loss and grief in my life for many years. I found myself kind of annoyed trying to pick up reading in 40k as I really only kept up on the siege series and little else, I found myself annoyed with all the price gouging on older novels as personally I think audio books and kindle are heresy that ruins the purity of reading.

 

Sometimes I think im wasting my time reading Warhammer 40k like its just juvenile highschool fantasies that I have stuck with out of commitment but then I might read a novel like Apocalypse or Spear of the Emperor and feel its all worth the commitment to understanding it all, building a greater tapestry of the setting in my mind.

 

All I have to say is that I quite enjoyed it when Nassir Amit told Kargos "Eat traitor."  Those interactions really hit home with the tragedy of the heresy being a war where brothers are pitted against each other, I think ADB really knows that the soul of the story doe not lie with the titanic godlike characters of the Emperor or the primarchs but what really hits us are the human elements of small characters who are just along for the ride and blameless in the whole thing. Everyone goes on about Magnus doing nothing wrong but what about marines like Kargos?

 

 

Shes a spooky ghost now, sort of.

Edited December 9, 2022 by Krelious

[Kelborn]

Thank you for the thread and the list covering all of this years releases, @theSpirea! Very much appreciated!

 

Felt like I've been listening to BL stuff this whole year but seemingly way less of this years releases than I thought I have.

 

My personal top four of 2022's releases ('cause that's all I did of above list):

 

#4: Huron Blackheart

 

A fun but sadly short take on Huron. Intriguing from beginning to end though it shines more in those scenes between Huron and his officers. Andrew Wincott did a perfect job in voicing Huron. Certainly not outstanding one but entertaining nonetheless and it's another good example of how a interesting story can be cut short when its length is limited.

 

#3: Ghazghkull

 

Some might be wondering why it's "only" on rank three. That's because although I really enjoyed it and expecially since BL is seemingly giving Xenos a chance to stand in the spotlight, the other two remaining were more of my taste. Not saying that Ghaz wasn't good, oh hell no. But it suffers from the same issues like Brutal Kunnin' and that's just my personal opinion here: not enough Orks

Now bear with me. The imperial scenes were good but I caught myself becoming impatient and longing to return to Makaris point of view. Give us a whole novel from Ork perspective, GW. Give it to Brooks or Crowley and I'll be damn happy! ;)

 

#2: The Twice-Dead King: Reign

 

Crowley is relatively new to the ranks of BL authors but man did he arrive with a banger. The duology of the Twice-Dead King is a marvellous and wonderfully character driven story with relatable characters you really emphasize with and care for. And in doing so, you might even forgett that we're talking about a soulless cold and merciless race of Egyptian space robots. Pair it along with The Infinite and the Devine and you'll find yourself with well-crafted tales who are dramatic. tragic, impactfull and sometimes even hillariously comedic.

 

#1: Assassinorum: Kingmaker

 

I don't know where to start. It's simply amazing and one of the best books I've listened to this year. It combines stuff that I love (Knights) and stuff I never cared about (Assassins) and leaves me with wanting more. I so hope that we'll get a sequel 'cause damn, it's just that good. If I have to recommend one book to read of this year, it's this. 

Characters - great

Plot - well-crafted

Worldbuilding - chefs kiss

If you haven't read it thus far, do yourself a christmas gift and get it. You'll hopefully as delighted as I was!

 

Honorable mention: Eisenhorn trilogy

 

Why the hell did I sleep on this one? Like assassins, inquisitors never caught my interest. Out of boredom did I start Xenos and...now I'm addicted. I did the entire trilogy in one row and holy Emperor. It's marvellous. I was fascinated by all the little details and worldbuilding stuff Dan added in subordinate clauses. The characters have become some of my favorites of the entire franchise. The twists were gut punches, how it should be. Dan has always been a favorite author of mine but now, he's back at the top again. Started Ravenor now and instantly got myself the latest Eisenhorn omnibus in order to start right anew (sidenote: I listened to the audios - Toby Longworth, chapéu!). This time, I'll take my time to dive into the world that is the Hellican subsector and see what I can learn from it for my own craft. Just to be clear, because of Eisenhorn, I am now about to join a running Dark Heresy game group. 

 

If some 40K novel are like amazing movies, Eisenhorn feels like a wonderfull dinner with my loved ones, packed with surprises, delicious tastes and an excquisite strong wine to round it all up. 

It truly feels like, the older I get, the more do I acknowledge the well crafted storys about "regular" men like Eisenhorn instead of the bombastic, larger than life Space Marine tales.

 

And you know what? It feels good. Very good.

 

Cheers,

Kel

[Tolmeus]

Since I have read most of the time the Primarch book series, I did not get to read many of the book releases of this year (my pile of shame is up to 20 books or so now).
Nevertheless, I could bring forth a highlight and disappointment:
 

Caution though, I use spoiler!

Highlight: Siege of Terra - Echoes of Eternity

I guess no surprise here. I have not read most of Aaron Dembski-Bowdens book till now, but it was definetly interesting to get a new angle for the series. Due to this angle it felt of course much more immersive than the greater pictures we got until then. Of course, the disadvantage is therefore that many plotlines are left untouched. I was also more than surprised to see such a big portion of the novel covered into retrospective. The first and second battle between two figureheads of their legions were nonetheless great, all the more because of their common background. Unfortunately I share the opinion that the perspective of Sanguinius was not taken up enough and the ending felt too rushed. The last pages gave me goosebumps though.

Disappointment: Rogal Dorn - The Emperors Crusader
Who read the threat about the Rogal Dorn novel may already know why I listed this book as disappointment. It is by far not a bad book. But I had hoped that much for something new about this character. For most of the information and insights I could relate to the Horus Heresy or the Siege of Terra Series. To get revelations or suitable gap-fillings like in Perturabo or Mortarion, this story was not suitable in my opinion.

Happy to see read novels like 'Horus' or 'The End and the Death' in 2023 and interact a bit more in this forum!

Edited December 11, 2022 by Tolmeus

[Carach]

On 12/9/2022 at 12:08 PM, Kelborn said:

now I'm addicted.

 

Wonder how many other wh40k fans/BL readers will be nodding at this with a knowing smile - I certainly did. 

 

The only other series that has really had the same effect (feeling like you know every character like they're your own friends and foes) for me is the very non-wh40k Master & Commander series.

 

There are one or two shorts (who's names others will have to clarify as I cannot remember) one should read before the first Bequin book, but I would suggest you read the first Bequin novel *before* reading the Magos segway novel. As the Magos book kinda takes away some of the mystery, I feel...

 

 

 

 

Edited December 12, 2022 by Carach

[DukeLeto69]

24 minutes ago, Carach said:

 

Wonder how many other wh40k fans/BL readers will be nodding at this with a knowing smile - I certainly did. 

 

The only other series that has really had the same effect (feeling like you know every character like they're your own friends and foes) for me is the very non-wh40k Master & Commander series.

 

There are one or two shorts (who's names others will have to clarify as I cannot remember) one should read before the first Bequin book, but I would suggest you read the first Bequin novel *before* reading the Magos segway novel. As the Magos book kinda takes away some of the mystery, I feel...

 

 

 

 

Totally agree. There is much more enjoyment in reading Pariah BEFORE you read The Magos (ie order they were written rather than chronologically)

[theSpirea]

Noticed my top 5 is actually only 4 books. I don't think I'm able to choose the 5th one. There are a few other good books but I wouldn't rate them that high. One of the candidates would be Sigismund

 

Thank you everyone for sharing your favourite books, I will use it as tips and recommendations to increase my never-ending to-be-read pile.

Edited December 12, 2022 by theSpirea

[Urauloth]

This thread has made me realise how big my backlog is; if you start re-reading, you'll never get around to the new stuff!

I haven't made it to Echoes or Day of Ascension yet, both of which I expect to like a great deal. I usually drop everything for a new SoT book, but this time I had 6 on the go at once, so that seemed a bit unreasonable. Now it's stuck in my ebook queue at a time where audio is a far more convenient format, so I might actually have to read it next year.

 

Of the books I did get around to, the biggest and best surprise was Mortarion. I don't usually find Annandale very interesting, and I didn't really think the exemplary battle from the FW black books needed expanding on, so I might have passed on this altogether. I'm glad I took the time to read what others on the forum had to say about it, because it's one of my favourite BL novels as it happens. It's exactly what I wanted out of a Death Guard novel.

 

The Wraithbone Phoenix deserves all the praise it's getting and continues to keep the bar extremely high for Warhammer Crime. There's something very oldschool about its satirical elements, and it makes an exceptionally successful whole out of its blend of slapstick, tragedy, philosophical rumination and bloody mayhem. It also puts some crime into Warhammer Crime, which is very welcome - it's a terrific imprint, but on balance it has a few too many procedurals and not quite enough heists for my liking.

 

The rest of 2022 that I've read:

• Gothgul Hollow: Mixed feelings. Some great descriptive work and good atmosphere, but I think it suffers for being part of a multi-author cycle, and it spends a long time working up to a revelation I figured out very early. I also think it's another odd case of a Warhammer Horror novel which could easily have... not been. (A counterpoint to Grim Repast, which is a full-bore horror story under a different brand).
• Void King: I liked this one, but I get why so many people found it disappointing. Much stronger in the first half than the second.
• The Vincula Insurgency: I was almost guaranteed to like this because the worldbuilding of the Sabbat Crusade is one of my favourite things in Warhammer. Didn't disappoint. Would be happy to see more "dossiers" featuring old Ghosts characters. They don't have to be big or lead to anything groundbreaking - in fact it might be better if they don't, just getting to spend more time with the characters and setting is enough.
• Throne of Light: This felt essential after Wolftime, which was so disconnected from the rest of DoF it was almost a stand-alone book. I think Gate of Bones is the high point of the series, but I liked Throne, and it has one of the better post-heresy outings for the Word Bearers (the hunting hounds especially are great).
• The Vorbis Conspiracy: My only complain about this is that it's anticlimactic, but that's deliberate. All the shorts in this collection are good. Very surprised that I even liked McNeill's, which almost never happens. Standout here for me is Noah van Nguyen, whose forthcoming novel I'll be wanting.

I've dipped into Briardark, but I can't say I'm impressed so far.

[Kelborn]

8 hours ago, Carach said:

 

Wonder how many other wh40k fans/BL readers will be nodding at this with a knowing smile - I certainly did. 

 

The only other series that has really had the same effect (feeling like you know every character like they're your own friends and foes) for me is the very non-wh40k Master & Commander series.

 

There are one or two shorts (who's names others will have to clarify as I cannot remember) one should read before the first Bequin book, but I would suggest you read the first Bequin novel *before* reading the Magos segway novel. As the Magos book kinda takes away some of the mystery, I feel...

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting. Track of Words lists Bequin after the Magos but I'll keep that in mind. :)

ToW also lists all shorts, etc. which enables one to enjoy the ride to its fullest.

 

Oh yeah, I loved the movie adaption and did one or two books of the respective series. Dan certainly has a knack for worldbuilding and dragging the reader into the worlds he creates. 

If he'd just manage to improve his endings, it'd be absolutely perfect. It's still amazing, don't get me wrong. That's probably the only criticism I have. And that's complaining at the highest level.

[Sothalor]

40 minutes ago, Kelborn said:

Interesting. Track of Words lists Bequin after the Magos but I'll keep that in mind. :)

 

Ignore that. Go into Pariah with a blind read. It's a book to be experienced; its a master-class first-person narrative that immaculately plays with the liminal spaces between audience knowledge versus character knowledge. 

 

The Magos is a more conventional third-person narrative that sets up the background and context of events leading up to Pariah - but reading it first will spoil much of the impact and mystery of Pariah.

[DarkChaplain]

The Magos is set before Pariah, but was published what, 8 years later? It's basically filling a narrative gap. In doing so, it diminishes the mystery that Pariah expects the reader to step into, by making sense of the confusion that novel introduces.

 

In a sense, Pariah wants the reader to share a seat with its protagonist in being in way over their head, trying to make heads or tails of the things happening throughout. If you read The Magos first, you're undermining that entire premise. It's added context that's best appreciated after stumbling in the dark by yourself, coming up with wild theories.

[Aramis K]

2022 then, my favourites were:

 

The Twice-Dead King: Reign by Nate Crowley

 

Assassinorium: Kingmaker by Robert Rath

 

Both just great sci-fi adventures.

 

Also enjoyed Echoes of Eternity and The Dark City.

 

And based on recommendations here I've got Wraithbone Phoenix lined up.

[cheywood]

A little late to the game but I wanted to finish Sanguinius first. Here’s my top reads of 2022. I think I’ve read every 40k novel/novella this year except for Shadowsun (which absolutely won’t end up on this list) and Da Gobbo’s Demise (which maybe could make the list).

 

1. Echoes of Eternity sits head and shoulders above everything else this year. Not because this was a bad year (it was honestly a pretty incredible year for 40k/HH fiction and maybe AOS’s best year yet), but because it’s one of the greatest works of prose ever published by BL. You could open this book to any page at random and find sentences that ache with more beauty than anything ever written by most of BL’s authors (with some obvious exceptions I don’t think I need to name).

 

After this I’d say I have relatively similar feelings about the rest of the books, with no absolute preference for one over the other.

 

Twice Dead King: Reign: Between this and Ruin Nate Crowley has crafted a work filled with pathos, excitement, insight and some absolutely gorgeous words. I know he’s only got 3 novels and a novella out, but it’s clear to see that Crowley has an incredibly bright future at BL, maybe up there with the best. 
 

Warboss: Yet another brilliant work from Brooks. I don’t think his works are all that philosophically deep, but man are they fun. This is especially true with his ork novels, which are as funny as anything in 40k in my view. Warboss is more wide ranging than Brutal Kunnin, but it works equally well if not a little better. Plus it introduces the term ‘Hot-Git’ to the 40k lexicon and I don’t know if I’ve ever loved a word more. Can’t wait to see what people think of this when it gets a wide release next year.

 

Assassinorum: Kingmaker: I’ve wanted a novel about the Assassinorum for years (specifically one that wasn’t written by Swallow) and Rath absolutely delivers. It’s a pacy homage to spy fiction and game of thrones that plays very well with Rath’s uniquely immersive style of writing. Very curious to see what he comes up with next, as he seems to play with format and style in ways I don’t expect from BL. 

 

Sanguinius: The Great Angel: A beautiful look at the Great Crusade through the eyes of an ordinary remembrancer, this is the height of the Primarch series in my mind (unless Abnett is secretly writing the Horus novel instead of McNeil).
 

The Wraithbone Phoenix: I’ve been loving the Crime Imprint, but the first three novels emphasize the same sense of overbearing misery that defines life in the Imperium. I love that vibe, but it’s a breath of fresh air to get a more comedic, madcap style adventure. The fact that it also serves as a trenchant commentary on racism in the Imperium further cements its brilliance. Really want to see more novels about Baggit and Clodde. 

 

The Dark City: a slightly boring first half is more than compensated for by one of the most 40k endings I’ve ever read. Chris Wraight’s work communicates the bone deep exhaustion of the Imperium so incredibly well.  Very excited to see where it goes, if Wraight is even planning to follow up on it, and I’m planning a reread of the full trilogy next year. 
 

Day of Ascension: a fabulous debut, unsurprisingly so given Tchaikovsky’s reputation. Humanizing Genestealer cults while dehumanizing the mechanicus is, in hindsight, such an obviously brilliant approach. 
 

Ahriman Eternal: A great start to a new story. Hard to beat French’s imagery and exploration of his characters’ inner minds. Really curious to see where this goes, even if the novel feels like a preamble at times. French writing Necrons seems to hold immense promise.
 

Finally, Renegades: Harrowmaster and Sigismund both came close to cracking my list, but didn’t impress me quite enough. Still both excellent reads I’d recommend to anyone interested. The former is twisty and nicely cynical, the latter has some of French’s best prose. 
 

I’d also like to shoutout Guy Haley’s The Arkanaut’s Oath from AOS. Just a really fun adventure story with great characters. I’d be very interested to see Haley tackling a Votann novel, especially something small scale like a band of Hernkyn pioneers on an important mission. 
 

Edit: I also wanted to add that, on a general note, I think BL has brought in a lot of talented authors recently and I deeply appreciate the ways they’ve expanded the setting beyond just battlefronts and Power Armoured power fantasies. The change felt especially apparent to me this year, for whatever reason. 

Edited December 20, 2022 by cheywood

[Knockagh]

Reading this thread has made me realise just how disconnected I’m becoming from BL. Most of the books in the list I’ve bought and not read. Quite a few I haven’t bought at all. 
For Christmas I got lots of books and not one connected to GW, first time in well over a decade. 
I’m pretty sure my days of BL are fast coming to an end.

But the year hasn’t been without some highlights that I did read.
 

Echoes of Eternity, the siege still makes me want to be on my phone at 10am on a Saturday. Loved this, everything I wanted.

      

Kingmaker, a great, well put together book. Newish author who is a super world builder and explores a niche area in the 40K universe.

 

Ghazghkull. Orks written as they should be. Utterly alien and throughly nasty. Highlights the contrast of alien to human mind?set. No childish idiocy.

 

[Cactus]

I asked for the Wraithbone Phoenix for Christmas based on this thread. You weren't wrong! I guess I should get Kingmaker and Ghazghkull too.