Upcoming BL Stuff - 2023

[Felix Antipodes]

This is partly why I didn’t start a page for the Lion book.  I figured it would fill up with speculation like several other big releases or they would relocate the NR&BA thread here when it was no longer relevant there, as has been done before.

 

Nothing new for release next week (for W40K).  Will probably pick up the Kloster AoS novel as I’ve enjoyed his short story stuff In the past.

[b1soul]

On 3/30/2023 at 8:14 AM, wecanhaveallthree said:

I don't want Moderatehammer where everybody inspects themselves and their actions, takes responsibility for their toxic traits and strives to better themselves and be open to change and positive growth.

 

40K is a harsh setting and harsh measures are required for human survival. Genodical fanaticism weaponised against the perceived enemies of Mankind is a thing.

 

I don't want Peacehammer, but I do want intelligent Primarchs who are able to identify their own flaws even if they are still unable to fully overcome them. Or maybe Primarchs  who can make a compelling argument why certain traits most would characterise as their "flaws" could actually be their virtues.

 

This is the Lion we're talking about. If Guilliman is a thinker who can fight...the Lion is a fighter who can think. There should definitely be depths and some introspective ability in him.

 

Commenting on the wider setting...

 

40K only became balls-to-the-wall GrimDark with 3rd Edition. 1st and 2nd (especially 1st Edition) were more...GrimFunny. I feel like current 40K has evolved from all of that. In modern Black Library works, more realism has been applied to motivation and characterisation. The whole..."I'm just gonna commit genocide and slaughter because this is a Grimdark setting"...well, that "top-down" whacky-logic (or even dark-comedy) approach has been largely dropped.

 

You can still have plenty of genocide or callous brutality by the Imperium, but modern 40K authours seem to adopt a more "bottom-up" approach, asking "Would this actually make sense for an average-intelligence person to do...how about a superhuman with a hyper-genius intellect? Does this actually make sense for species survival or could any idiot see that this is self-destructive? Would dysfunction or incompetence at this scale be even remotely plausible...or is this more appropriate in a morbid comedy setting?"

 

I guess 40K has lost a lot of its zany charm, but it has "matured" and become more "serious" as a literary setting, for better or worse. I don't mind a return to what I affectionately term "Grimderp" every now and then, but for the return of the Lion, I prefer a very serious treatment that really highlights the intelligence of the character, regardless of how angry or bitter he may be.

[Scribe]

2 hours ago, b1soul said:

40K only became balls-to-the-wall GrimDark with 3rd Edition

 

So, the foundational edition which set the tone for the IP for over 20 years?

 

Grimdark is what 40K is. It's not a setting about personal growth, even for the man children that are Primarchs.

[DukeLeto69]

1 hour ago, Scribe said:

 

So, the foundational edition which set the tone for the IP for over 20 years?

 

Grimdark is what 40K is. It's not a setting about personal growth, even for the man children that are Primarchs.

Why can’t characters have personal growth (or character arcs) in a grimdark setting?

[Scribe]

16 minutes ago, DukeLeto69 said:

Why can’t characters have personal growth (or character arcs) in a grimdark setting?

 

In terms of positive change?

 

Because it leads to them getting dead. ;)

[Scribe]

I mean its the same old song and dance we have had since 7th or so.

 

People make claims that there is some shift, or improvement, or 'less grimdark'. It isnt, and never should be.

 

I liked this from the back of the Custodes collectors edition. This is what the 'Good Guys' should look like.

 

[Tolmeus]

"They do not deserve their Emperor. They do not deserve us."

 

What a savage statement. Thanks for sharing, that certainly is the most grimdark yet realistic view on the Imperium and Warhammer40k overall that I have read till now.

[grailkeeper]

On 4/1/2023 at 2:01 AM, Roomsky said:

 

Divisive is a good word, though not a down-the-middle split, he just seems to really work for you or he doesn't.

 

I think he's great. Sort of a Thorpe that's more fun to read (packed with fun details, rarely gets bogged down or boring.)

I'm divided myself. I really liked his Alpharius book. I didn't like the Ork book and found the Huron book particularly poor.

[Scribe]

3 hours ago, Tolmeus said:

"They do not deserve their Emperor. They do not deserve us."

 

What a savage statement. Thanks for sharing, that certainly is the most grimdark yet realistic view on the Imperium and Warhammer40k overall that I have read till now.

 

The only one I can see myself playing on the Imperial side. None of this foolish "Good" or "Evil" or "Right" or "Wrong".

 

Just duty.

 

(Also why I take such a poor view on what Abnett did in the End and the Death).

[DarkChaplain]

On 3/15/2023 at 3:03 PM, Felix Antipodes said:

Well that was quick…they have just announced the next Dawn of Fire novel on WarCom

 

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2023/03/15/the-faith-of-the-indomitus-crusade-is-tested-in-dawn-of-fire-martyrs-tomb/

 

And for those complaining about it being an old boys club this one is by Marc Collins

 

 

 

 

There we go. I'm currently reading Marc's Helbrecht: Knight of the Throne and there are a few references in there to what I assume will be the crux of the Dawn of Fire novel. Helbrecht and co protecting shrine worlds is mentioned multiple times throughout. In the prologue, Guilliman gives Helbrecht the task to defend a host of shrine worlds (though not mentioning Velua or the "Golden Chain" by name in this instance), and by the first chapter, that shrine world crusade has already happened.

 

So this would be another case of DoF building up a spine that previous works slot onto like ribs.

[skylerboodie]

Spoiler tags for story content in this thread please @DarkChaplain

[DarkChaplain]

Please, tell me what to bloody spoiler, at least. Because none of this even goes beyond the book's synopsis, let alone the extract. It's nothing but timeline placement: Book A happens after book B, there are references to what's coming up that narrow the timeline down.

 

Nothing that I posted constitutes a spoiler. I said not a single thing about either novel's actual plot - one novel isn't out yet, the other does something else entirely.

 

And just to make this clear: This is the synopsis for Helbrecht:

 

Quote

An heir of Sigismund has been reborn.

The Shrine Worlds Crusades are over. The Rubicon Primaris has been crossed.

Chastised by Guilliman, the Primarch Returned, and guided by a vision from the holy God-Emperor Himself, High Marshal Helbrecht is called to the ruinworld of Hevaran. Forged in the fires of the Scouring, Hevaran is sacred in its desolation, condemned never to rebuild… Yet hidden upon its barren surface is a sacred relic. Questing to reclaim it with but a few select souls to aid him, Helbrecht must trust in his skill, his wrath, and his faith as an ancient enemy returns to test him as never before.

 

It's printed on the back of the book, it's sitting on every store page for the novel, it's even been mentioned on WarCom. There is no spoiler to it.

[theSpirea]

Bookdepository is closing: https://www.bookdepository.com/closure

 

The best site to order books from, always the cheapest+free shipping. (They had BL paperbacks often on sale for $8-10), not once I received damaged books (hundreds of orders) and a great selection.

 

I was my main source for BL paperbacks and there's no alternative with the same pricing. Oh well, I guess I am cutting down on purchasing physical books. First GW and their ridiculously limited print runs of regular hardbacks and now this.

[Lord Marshal]

More Warhammer Crime.

 

Edited April 5, 2023 by Lord Marshal

[System Sound]

King of the Spoil cover is looking very nice.

 

But it does seem that just like Horror, the output for both imprints dropped a lot. 1 new novel and 1 anthology is not much for both...

Edited April 5, 2023 by System Sound

[aa.logan]

Chains was good, bodes well for The King of the Sprawl.

 

wish Once a Killer was all new, but can’t have everything I suppose. Again, the stories that made up the last Crime Week were all good and definitely worth checking out.

[theSpirea]

I was just about to post it. This is great news. I agree the output is low and I as much as I love short stories, 1 anthology per 1 novel is a bit too much but as long as they keep the imprint alive, I take that as a positive sign

[Casual Heresy]

More crime is always welcome, but the low level of output is annoying. The imprint has produced some of the best work BL has published in my opinion. Hopefully there is at least one more not previewed here, but we all know what they say about hope in the 41st millenium.

 

I am still happy to be getting anything at all and I'll be picking these up the minute they go on preorder.

 

 

Edited April 5, 2023 by Casual Heresy

[Ubiquitous1984]

I dunno, I think less is more when it comes to Crime.  If we had 2-3 novels per year I could see the setting becoming a bit stale.  It’s best to leave us wanting more!

[chevalierdulys]

so basically in april & may only two new novels? (The rest are just new formats or compilations of already published stuff)... odd

[DukeLeto69]

1 hour ago, Ubiquitous1984 said:

I dunno, I think less is more when it comes to Crime.  If we had 2-3 novels per year I could see the setting becoming a bit stale.  It’s best to leave us wanting more!

But but but I want another Chris Wraight Crime novel! And Guy Haley Crime novel! And Marc Collins Crime novel!

[Scribe]

15 minutes ago, DukeLeto69 said:

But but but I want another Chris Wraight Crime novel!

 

I really enjoyed that book.

[System Sound]

2 hours ago, chevalierdulys said:

so basically in april & may only two new novels? (The rest are just new formats or compilations of already published stuff)... odd

Highly likely that Lion book is coming in April, to tie into Arks of Omen: Lion.

[cheywood]

18 minutes ago, System Sound said:

Highly likely that Lion book is coming in April, to tie into Arks of Omen: Lion.

The Lion: Son of the Forest is out April 22nd, but even with its inclusion there are only two new novels out this month: The Lion and Kloster’s AOS vampire novel, The Last Volari. 
 

2 hours ago, chevalierdulys said:

so basically in april & may only two new novels? (The rest are just new formats or compilations of already published stuff)... odd

 
BL may or may not have listed all novels releasing in May. In the past they’d do a full update for one month and a half update for the next. Could be the case here. 

Edited April 5, 2023 by cheywood
Wrong title

[SkimaskMohawk]

It's kinda annoying to have all of these different crime novels stuck on the introductory chapter to their characters so to speak. Bloodlines left us with the mystery of the cult and the scar on the main characters chest, as well as a dangler on the inquisition. And that was getting close to three years ago. 

 

I'll admit to not keeping up with every anthology, so I'm sure there's some continuation out there, but from what I've read, it all taking place on the same planet is more than a little pointless now. Characters haven't wandered into others' areas, there's no maps to give context to the enormous city, nothing. Each novel could have been on a different planet and it wouldn't have mattered at all.