Upcoming BL Stuff 2024

[cheywood]

1 hour ago, Kelborn said:

New releases and books are all fine but (imho) they fall behind translations. 

Talking about another of their IPs here but it's insane how few books are actually translated and how many of the recent releases aren't.

 

It's probably due to lack of demand but damn... I'd love to see some fair/ equal representation in stores.

Not to get too far afield, but I wonder how long it will be until publishers start using AI book translators, and what the ethics of that will be.

[The Scorpion]

24 minutes ago, cheywood said:

Not to get too far afield, but I wonder how long it will be until publishers start using AI book translators, and what the ethics of that will be.

Reminds me of that one news segment in Cyberpunk 2077 about how an AI had won the Nobel Prize of Literature for the second consecutive time

[The Scorpion]

On 3/24/2024 at 10:46 AM, LemartestheLost said:

While scrolling the interwebs this morning, I clicked through eBay to check and see how many copies of Lord of Excess had been grabbed by scalpers. Interestingly enough, as of nearly a full day after release, there are only 2 listings for the book I can find so far, although I'm sure a dozen have already been sold. While it is true that this book has received MINIMAL advertising since it was first announced, and it was written by a very junior BL author, we've seen eBay swamped with other Hardback only releases under similar circumstances. Who knows, maybe the hype just wasn't there for the scalpers on this one and they sat home this weekend. It's also possible that GW might have figured something out in regard to stopping the scumbags. This release would've been the perfect trial run for any new systems/software they're experimenting with. Either way, it's a definite break in the trend of having 40-80 copies listed 15 minutes after preorders go up, and for that I can be thankful. Random outlier release, or the beginning of a new age? I suppose we'll know if they dump a load of LEs on us next month.

 

If you tried to grab the book yesterday, what was your experience, and was there anything different about the process? I'm curious to know!

I read the short story A more perfect Union and it was... okay. It reminded me of David Guymer who goes to great lengths to connect minor pieces of Lore and ensure they are more than a footnote someone spoke of once and never again. Guymer is writing a short story about the Consecrators? He makes sure to name-drop Nakir, their Chapter Master. Guymer needs a crusade-era EC character? He brings in Arkuduana from the fog of the Black Books.

Mc Cormick is similar: we get mentions to things like the Tlaloc, flagship of Iskandar Khayon in the Black Legion books. We get mention of the Maru Skara, a thing I had hithertho only seen in the black books, and so on...

 

[Guest Triszin]

I just want more Chris wright books

[cheywood]

1 hour ago, Triszin said:

I just want more Chris wright books

His last website update mentioned he’s been quite busy in the past year or so. I’m hoping for one if not two books from him this year.

[Sothalor]

From the sounds of things chatting with my local GW store manager, I doubt things will improve in terms of communication or marketing - at least, for the foreseeable future.

 

It seems like some of the store managers have expressed concern during their meetings/trainings/prep sessions about how little stock they receive of BL products, and how little advertisement the BL stuff gets from GW.

 

The attitude from corporate management appears to be that they don't see it as an issue because the stock moves quickly enough so as to not take up warehouse space (AKA, it sells out fast), and they don't need to devote more resources to advertising or communicating release dates because the customer base does enough of that work for them that the "hardcore collectors will find a way to get their hands on things" (AKA, ebay).

 

Personally, I'd call that a rather shortsighted approach to developing an IP and fanbase, but what do I know? 

[darkhorse0607]

Article today about the Siege of Vraks novel that amazon/fnac posted a while ago

 

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2024/03/27/discover-the-untold-story-of-the-siege-of-vraks-in-this-new-death-korps-of-krieg-novel/

 

Also someone check on GW, they're actually advertising a book. I am afraid they're sick or something

[theSpirea]

The LE looks interesting, but unfortunately, Lyons isn't a writer who justifies the LE price tag.

[grailkeeper]

I loved Dead Men Walking when it came out. Wasn't as mad about his second Krieg novel a decade later. I'm not sure if it wasn't as good or I've changed in the intervening years. 

[Ubiquitous1984]

Good to see a new book being announced!  

[wecanhaveallthree]

Quote

I'm not sure if it wasn't as good or I've changed in the intervening years. 

 

I think it's just a matter of Dead Men Walking being such a good book that the follow-up was merely a competent Guard story in comparison.

Edited March 27 by wecanhaveallthree
!!

[Sothalor]

A preview and advertising of an upcoming novel?

 

Alright, GW. Please keep it up and make me eat my words.

[grailkeeper]

4 hours ago, wecanhaveallthree said:

 

I think it's just a matter of Dead Men Walking being such a good book that the follow-up was merely a competent Guard story in comparison.

Glad to hear it's not me!

[The Scorpion]

6 hours ago, grailkeeper said:

I loved Dead Men Walking when it came out. Wasn't as mad about his second Krieg novel a decade later. I'm not sure if it wasn't as good or I've changed in the intervening years. 

To me the "Krieg" novel's highlight was the story of the Death Korps origins.
I was a quarter into the book when I realized that Colonel Jurten's story was the main plot, not the Kriegsmen's assault on the Ork-held hive. The whole "regular" plot was just a reflection of what the flashback/main story ended up producing. An epilogue interwoven with the tale of the Siege of Ferrograd.

I trust Lyons to deliver quality when it comes to Krieg. He has goon enough grasp of the faction's themes in my opinion, having read the Krieger short stories he has written.
Is enough for the Limited Edition to be worth the price tag? I might have been. It might have not. But when paired with a title like SIEGE OF VRAKS it definitively does.

 

6 hours ago, darkhorse0607 said:

Article today about the Siege of Vraks novel that amazon/fnac posted a while ago

 

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2024/03/27/discover-the-untold-story-of-the-siege-of-vraks-in-this-new-death-korps-of-krieg-novel/

 

Also someone check on GW, they're actually advertising a book. I am afraid they're sick or something

Well consider me hyped! Bring in the shovelheads! Bring in the poison gas! What a lovely day is it in Vraks!


 

[aa.logan]

The bonus short, Less Than Human, is great, for what it’s worth. 

[Felix Antipodes]

Since it has a LE included I’m not sure if this will be released soonish or held back like the others with LE editions seem to have been.  I’ve enjoyed his other Krieg stories so will be looking forward to its release in 2026 later this year.

[DarkChaplain]

We can still look forward to an audible release if they hold it back from release on their own terrible store, at least :')

[Nagashsnee]

Is it just me or is the normal cover of the krieg book really poor quality. It looks more like something a fan would make then a proper commissioned cover piece. 

 

Happy about the book tho. 

[The Scorpion]

44 minutes ago, Nagashsnee said:

Is it just me or is the normal cover of the krieg book really poor quality. It looks more like something a fan would make then a proper commissioned cover piece. 

 

Happy about the book tho. 

It does look blatantly 3D-rendered, but it's not the end of the world imo

[System Sound]

I think it's trying to imitate the forge world books photography. Where it's a mix of real miniaturea with digital backgrounds.

 

I'll take this over most HH covers any day...

[LemartestheLost]

1 hour ago, Nagashsnee said:

Is it just me or is the normal cover of the krieg book really poor quality. It looks more like something a fan would make then a proper commissioned cover piece. 

 

Happy about the book tho. 

 

Was going to mention the same thing. BL needs to step it up with some of these hardback covers. Genefather, Creed: Ashes of Cadia, Fall of Cadia, and this one have all been particularly subpar in my opinion. Especially with Fall of Cadia and Siege of Vraks. Two of the biggest moments the setting has ever witnessed, and we just decide to use perhaps the lowest quality official art we've seen for the faction in years? They could have styled the cover of this novel similarly to the art at the bottom of the Warcom Article, but instead we have about 10 copypasta'd kriegers doing nothing of note while half obscured by Microsoft paint airbrushed dust. Behind this action-packed scene is the blandest Reaver Titan I think I've ever seen. It's so frustrating watching them miss easy layup after easy layup.

 

I'll probably be picking this one up on audiobook, so my bookshelf still looks relatively pretty.

Edited March 28 by LemartestheLost

[The Scorpion]

On 3/27/2024 at 9:05 AM, theSpirea said:

The LE looks interesting, but unfortunately, Lyons isn't a writer who justifies the LE price tag.

I learned the Ragnarok tank existed thanks to Lyons. I would not discard him just yet.

[darkhorse0607]

Some stuff on order from today's article

 

Deathworlder (all versions, no LE)- Victoria Hayward

 

Shadow of the Eighth (paperback)- Justin Hill

 

German Caphias Cain Hero of the Imperium and Fall of Cadia Part 2

 

French Scions of the Emperor

 

A selection of Space Marine short story ebooks

[aa.logan]

Deathworlder should be enough to get me reading a BL book on release day again…

[theSpirea]

Funny the article says "Discover how they fare in hardback, eBook and MP3 audiobook formats." but it's getting paperback only. They can't even get that right.