Black Library WH40k "Characters" Series Discussion

[LemartestheLost]

Hello Fraters, 

 

After seeing several references to it over a number of threads recently, I've decided to open a topic dedicated to the discussion of the 40k "Characters" series as I've scrolled through 5-6 pages and haven't seen one. After seeing the Leontus novel revealed this week, I must ask, is his inclusion in the series justified over literally dozens of other classic figures from over the decades? What merits an entry under this banner in your eyes? What has been your favorite/least favorite entry so far? Who are some characters you think are deserving of an entry? I'll start with Pedro Kantor, Brother Corbulo, and Anrakyr the Traveller. Cheers!

[Roomsky]

I'm curious about the comissioning process for these. Leontus gets a Character Series book, but Lazarus did not, both are new faces GW would clearly like to push. I almost wonder if they comission the tie-in books without an expected word count, and just slot them where they land based on how long it happens to be after editing. The Character series has also been limited to long-running characters before now - maybe the inverse is true and Leontus' full novel just ended up being too short?

 

Regarding the series as a whole, I think Ghazgkul had the unfortunate effect of giving us unfair expectations. It's both extremely well-written and goes into Thraka's backstory in greater detail than we've seen before. It was an ideal Character book for the character. The succeeding entries, whatever your opinion on them, have just been... adventures with the title character. You get in their heads, sure, but their history is ignored in basically all of them. Not that slapping a major character's face on a nice little hardback isn't a good marketing strategy.

 

If we're wishlisting, I'd like to see:

• Vect
• Eldrad
• Szarekh
• Typhus
• One of the modern Salamanders
• Yarrick (SHOW ME THE OLD MAN DYING OF BEING OLD)
• Belakor

Edited September 19 by Roomsky

[aa.logan]

Yarrick was my immediate thought when the series began, and the idea of old Old Bale Eye is a great one, but the Annandale stories already cover his key moments and are great so the need isn’t as pressing for me.

 

I fear any meaningful Eldrad story wouldn’t really be possible within the apparent limits of word count, so I’d probably rather not see him either.

I think of characters of a similar vintage who haven’t had books, Ulrik the Slayer and Prince Yriel have an awful lot of potential. 

[Casual Heresy]

 

I think of characters of a similar vintage who haven’t had books, Ulrik the Slayer and Prince Yriel have an awful lot of potential. 

 

I think a Prince Yriel one would be great. Especially since we're starting to get rumours of Eldar Corsairs getting some model love in the future.

 

I also agree that Ulrik would be a prime candidate for one of these, but I get the feeling that the serise is going to wind up being one novel per faction, and we've had an Astartes one in the form of the Helbrecht novel. Obviously the Cypher one alongside Huron Blackheart creates a problem with my theory, but then Cypher does what he wants anyway.

 

As for factions that still need a book in this serise, there are some that would cause issues as they don't have special characters. There are a few for the others I'd like to see.

 

Sisters: Junith Eruita

Agents: Kyria Draxus

Custodes: Trajann Valoris

Mechanicus: Anyone but Cawl please, he's had enough of the spotlight

Grey Knights: Voldus

Aeldari: Prince Yriel

T'au: Darkstrider

Necrons: Imhotek. I'd personally prefer Anrakyr but since he's out the codex right now I don't see it happening.

Votaan: They only have one special character right so him?

Tyranids: Swarmlord, could be an interesting story from a guard general's POV as he's outsmarted at every turn by the beast.

Genestealer Cults: ?

 

Beyond that I would hope for ones for the other divergent marines. As @LemartestheLost suggests, a Corbulo book would be great, hopefully to conincide with his new model (fingers crossed) in 11th edition.

[darkhorse0607]

In before wecanhaveallthree asks for the Horus novel again that is never coming out

 

I kind of view this series in the same way that I view the Kill Teams they put out, it's a way for them to dive a little bit deeper into a character/faction without committing a bunch to it. But as Roomsky said, I'm not sure where the "character series" (have they used that term like they did with the Heresy novels?) starts, and just regular novels start (again, as Roomsky stated, Lazurus did not officially get one if they are using that title, but kind of did since the book is about him, etc)

 

That being said if we are wishlisting

 

-Tyberos, either in Badab or current

-Anyone from the Thousand Sons other than Ahriman

-Another novel about Honsou, GW you cowards. Just make a separate thing from the Ventris plotlines

-Valoris, I feel like GW is pushing him but other than being a side character he hasn't gotten anything, plus it falls in with the whole High Lords are real people now thing that we were discussing in the other thread

-Voldus for the Grey Knights, or I'd even take one about Draigo unless GW is dumping that character

-Darkstrider for the Tau (by anyone but Phil Kelly please)

-Vect would be cool but he's not high on my priority list

-Imotekh for the Necrons

-Another vote for Corbulo

 

A Fabricator General story would be cool as well, especially post Vaults of Terra series

 

[grailkeeper]

 

 

-Anyone from the Thousand Sons other than Ahriman

 

I said it before but it's a shame we didn't get any high profile non pysker characters for the Thousand Sons during the heresy. They weren't all pyskers and its be cool to have one who was a really charismatic and important non pysker. Its really help bring home the loss caused by the rubric. Plus they're a legion of nerds. Having a cool jock would help play against type.

 

"Brother, I have channelled the aether to allow me to spend a dozen lifetimes penning this treatise on the subnuminous nature of reality".

 

"Cool. I just killed two Wolf Lords and now I'm going to kill a third"

Edited September 19 by grailkeeper

[LemartestheLost]

 

I'm curious about the comissioning process for these. Leontus gets a Character Series book, but Lazarus did not, both are new faces GW would clearly like to push. I almost wonder if they comission the tie-in books without an expected word count, and just slot them where they land based on how long it happens to be after editing. The Character series has also been limited to long-running characters before now - maybe the inverse is true and Leontus' full novel just ended up being too short?

 

Regarding the series as a whole, I think Ghazgkul had the unfortunate effect of giving us unfair expectations. It's both extremely well-written and goes into Thraka's backstory in greater detail than we've seen before. It was an ideal Character book for the character. The succeeding entries, whatever your opinion on them, have just been... adventures with the title character. You get in their heads, sure, but their history is ignored in basically all of them. Not that slapping a major character's face on a nice little hardback isn't a good marketing strategy. 

 

Same here, it's all very confusing. In regard to new characters being thrust into the spotlight, I'm surprised Morvenn Vahl's new book wasn't given the "characters" LE treatment since they're pushing faction specific High Lords within months of each other. Once again, GW/BL logic confounds even the greatest minds XD. Hot take, but I've enjoyed the audiobook of Huron Blackheart: Master of the Maelstrom by Mike Brooks vastly more than anything else in the series so far. Andrew Wincott's narration, especially as Huron and Valthex is just *chef's kiss*.

[byrd9999]

 

I said it before but it's a shame we didn't get any high profile non pysker characters for the Thousand Sons during the heresy. They weren't all pyskers and its be cool to have one who was a really charismatic and important non pysker. Its really help bring home the loss caused by the rubric.

 

I thought they *were* all psykers... do you have any examples?

Edited September 19 by byrd9999

[byrd9999]

Jenetia Krole, kicking ass and being cranky, deserves her own book.

[grailkeeper]

 

 

I thought they *were* all psykers... do you have any examples?

All their non pyskers became rubricae. None became an important character at any point that I know of. 

Edited September 20 by grailkeeper

[darkhorse0607]

 

Jenetia Krole, kicking ass and being cranky, deserves her own book.

 

If we are including Heresy characters then add a vote for Jenetia for me as well

 

And Sevetar if you can convince ADB to come out of wherever he disappeared to

 

And anyone for the Raven Guard other than Sharrowkyn. Kaedes Nex rolling around Istvaan and his escape from there would be cool

 

I'd take a Raldoron book set shortly after the Siege and how he comes to terms with everything

 

Marius Gage and his adventures in Ultramar after the Dark Angels, Blood Angels, and Ultramarines left since the mainline series basically forgot about him after Know No Fear

 

A random one that I'm 50/50 on is a book about Iasus from the 22nd chapter of the UItramarines. I feel like the dichotomy between how the Ultramarines present themselves and the use of the Destroyer chapter/companies is really interesting, and while it was touched on during Guillimans novel and Ruinstorm, I would really like to explore it more, especially their service with the Night Lords and given that I'm not a huge fan of Spear of Ultramar which resolves that thread I'd like to see more.

 

What I am not 50/50 on is a book about Alepheo of the Blood Angels. As much as I am mixed on French's work, The Passing of Angels is absolutely one of my favorite stories from the Heresy, even if it is extremely short. A full-length novel about Alepheo in the same vein would be top-tier for me

[byrd9999]

 

All their non pyskers became rubricae. None became an important character at any point that I know of. 

Interesting! Thanks for that.

 

I was always under the impression that being psychic was a prerequisite to joining the legion.

 

In that case, Helio Isidorus is a named non-psyker. He appears a few times in John French's Ahriman series, even getting his own 1st person pov micro short story ( i guess there's not much to say when you are barely-sentient dust).

[byrd9999]

*pushes spectacles up the bridge of my nose* ermm, ackchually...

 

It appears there is conflicting lore about this. Black Library books and the Horus Heresy black book #7 Inferno portray the entire legion as being psychic.

[DarkChaplain]

Yeah, the Rubric affected all but the most powerful/significant/beloved-by-Tzeentch Thousand Sons. It wasn't simply a psyker/non-psyker divide.

[byrd9999]

That was my understanding, based on the Thousand Sons being the smallest legion  (hence the name) because only humans with psychic ability were inducted.

 

I have read somewhere (Codex?) that part of the induction process of creating a Thousand Son Astartes involved the mind leaving the body and needing to navigate through the warp back to it. But this could refer to the post-Rubric legion.

 

I would be curious to know which sources say that there are T Sons with no psychic ability.