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[Rain]

I’m still convinced that Sevatar was initially intended to become the founding Grey Knight with the glaive that ADB mentioned in his Grey Knights book. Then something changed among the powers that be, and the role was pawned off onto a new Night Lord who BL pulled out of their maelstrom to take on the role for whatever reason. Most likely as simple as ADB changing his mind.

[Scribe]

God.

 

In 2 short answers, ADB gives me more desire to read a new book than anything GW/BL has put out in pretty much a decade.

 

Absolutely tragic that they dont just drive up a truck full of a cash and dump it at his feet begging him to write more.

[DukeLeto69]

1 hour ago, Scribe said:

God.

 

In 2 short answers, ADB gives me more desire to read a new book than anything GW/BL has put out in pretty much a decade.

 

Absolutely tragic that they dont just drive up a truck full of a cash and dump it at his feet begging him to write more.

I have never really got the devotion to ADB some have. He is good no doubt. Some of his books are excellent and amongst my favourites. But he isn’t THAT good. 
 

He is lauded by some parts of the fandom like he is the BL God (Emperor). Clearly taste is subjective and if anyone loves his work that much then more power to them. 
 

I really really like a lot of his work but not universally. There are times when his themes or set ups can be somewhat samey.

 

BUT

 

I will add that, apart from Cadian Blood, I think I am right in saying ADB has focused exclusively on Space Marines (of different flavours)? THAT may be the problem for me as generally I prefer stories about other factions. 
 

I would love to see ADB write an Inquisition book. Or WH Crime book. Something different from his standard oeuvre. Move away from the super human genetic warriors (and not only by inserting baseline human characters as observers of astartes).

[Scribe]

7 hours ago, DukeLeto69 said:

I have never really got the devotion to ADB some have.

 

Because he 'gets it' in a way that seemingly is getting lost.

 

He wasnt writing about the big movers and shakers, he isnt shrinking the setting, he was expanding it.

[darkhorse0607]

9 hours ago, DukeLeto69 said:

I will add that, apart from Cadian Blood, I think I am right in saying ADB has focused exclusively on Space Marines (of different flavours)? THAT may be the problem for me as generally I prefer stories about other factions. 

 

Thanks for reminding me that I need to re-read Cadian Blood.

 

But also to be fair I think everyone has that thing that they can look at and say "I don't get it." I'll never understand some folks fanatical devotion to Abnett for example. Is he a great author from a technical stance, absolutely, but for me that's drowned out sometimes by his narrative choices

 

But moving on so this doesn't turn into another thread of author fighting

 

Nice to see that WHC couldn't come up with 5 articles for the Black Library celebration about BL stuff, given that this is the second day in a row where there hasn't been anything about BL (apart from the poll) on WHC during the "celebration"

[DukeLeto69]

6 hours ago, darkhorse0607 said:

 

Thanks for reminding me that I need to re-read Cadian Blood.

 

But also to be fair I think everyone has that thing that they can look at and say "I don't get it." I'll never understand some folks fanatical devotion to Abnett for example. Is he a great author from a technical stance, absolutely, but for me that's drowned out sometimes by his narrative choices

 

But moving on so this doesn't turn into another thread of author fighting

 

Nice to see that WHC couldn't come up with 5 articles for the Black Library celebration about BL stuff, given that this is the second day in a row where there hasn't been anything about BL (apart from the poll) on WHC during the "celebration"

Not author bashing. I totally love some of ADB’s novels but I often see total devotion to him as if he is infallible. Might just be me but I do see Abnett fans generally able to also admit his failings. Less so ADB fans.

 

I like both authors very much but they both deserve some criticism from time-to-time. Only author who gets s total pass from me is Fehervari = perfection!
 

Saying all that when will we ever see Black Legion 3? It has been so long it will be impossible to live up to expectations now!

[DukeLeto69]

8 hours ago, Scribe said:

 

Because he 'gets it' in a way that seemingly is getting lost.

 

He wasnt writing about the big movers and shakers, he isnt shrinking the setting, he was expanding it.

He certainly gets an aspect of the setting. Possibly locked into a 3rd edition stasis (not a bad thing).

 

I’d class writing a series on Abaddon as being the big movers and shakers!

 

HH doesn’t count as whole series is ostensibly about the movers and shakers.

[Rain]

2 hours ago, DukeLeto69 said:

He certainly gets an aspect of the setting. Possibly locked into a 3rd edition stasis (not a bad thing).

 

I’d class writing a series on Abaddon as being the big movers and shakers!

 

HH doesn’t count as whole series is ostensibly about the movers and shakers.

Stuck in the stasis of the absolute peak of Chaos lore, art, and game design. Not exactly a failing for a Chaos faction focused author.

 

Also, while the Black Legion books feature Abaddon, he really isn’t the protagonist. Khayon, is clearly the protagonist, and Abaddon shares secondary character space with Khayon’s oddball Khorne and Slaanesh buddies, and his edgy Eldar girlfriend. The Night Lords trilogy is just about a bunch of random schmucks who barely have two bolt rounds to rub together.

 

ADB is not a perfect writer and some of his “cool” characters like Sevatar and Lotara begin to grate on me with their Marvel quips and nonsense, but he is definitely in the top 3 BL writers.

[Scribe]

6 hours ago, DukeLeto69 said:

I’d class writing a series on Abaddon as being the big movers and shakers!

 

And how much of either was about Abaddon?

 

Jesus...

[DukeLeto69]

I rest my case

[Marshal Loss]

One thing ADB used to post intermittently (in response to certain comments that I won't go into) that always stuck with me was how Talos meeting Abaddon in Soul Hunter was one of the defining moments of the former's life, but for the latter it was 'just a Tuesday'. That random example for me encapsulates his approach to the setting and what makes his writing so good. When at his best I think he nails the delicate balance between showing the big characters and the big events that diehards and casual fans alike froth over while still expanding the setting with careful use of perspective and clever characters who, while often incredibly important themselves, are largely bit part players whose own narratives make the picture bigger rather than simply echoing past codex blurbs. He's also very astute in his research and use of previous lore/showing a high degree of fidelity to what came before him. 

 

To that end, to me at least, the Black Legion series isn't really about Abaddon at all even though he's a defining and continuous part of it who looms over key moments; you can see that in how the novel approaches his own in-universe mythology where by Abaddon's own admission it doesn't really matter, and as Scribe notes above he's rarely on screen. It's a series about the birth of the Black Legion and with it, more importantly, the birth of the concept of the long war.

 

Anyway, hope the guy is doing great and we see more (BL3!) from him in the future. He's a top bloke.

[DukeLeto69]

25 minutes ago, Marshal Loss said:

One thing ADB used to post intermittently (in response to certain comments that I won't go into) that always stuck with me was how Talos meeting Abaddon in Soul Hunter was one of the defining moments of the former's life, but for the latter it was 'just a Tuesday'. That random example for me encapsulates his approach to the setting and what makes his writing so good. When at his best I think he nails the delicate balance between showing the big characters and the big events that diehards and casual fans alike froth over while still expanding the setting with careful use of perspective and clever characters who, while often incredibly important themselves, are largely bit part players whose own narratives make the picture bigger rather than simply echoing past codex blurbs. He's also very astute in his research and use of previous lore/showing a high degree of fidelity to what came before him. 

 

To that end, to me at least, the Black Legion series isn't really about Abaddon at all even though he's a defining and continuous part of it who looms over key moments; you can see that in how the novel approaches his own in-universe mythology where by Abaddon's own admission it doesn't really matter, and as Scribe notes above he's rarely on screen. It's a series about the birth of the Black Legion and with it, more importantly, the birth of the concept of the long war.

 

Anyway, hope the guy is doing great and we see more (BL3!) from him in the future. He's a top bloke.

All excellent points well made. And yeah I agree the Black Legion books are not primarily focused on Abaddon so if saying “doesn’t write about big movers and shakers” only actually applies to the protagonist, then yeah sure.

 

My original point was about what comes across as unbridled fan devotion by some elements of the fandom that puts him on such a high pedestal as if he is infallible. I don’t get it. He’s consistently good and sometimes absolutely great but… Of course it is all subjective and back to my other original point that perhaps I don’t get it due to his ongoing focus on space marines. 

[wecanhaveallthree]

Quote

I don’t get it.

 

Come now, Duke. Surely you understand the appeal of skimpy slave girls lusting over their muscle-bound masters? The quirky band of spike-clad no-goodniks quipping and high-fiving and brawling? 'This is my ghost wolf, and my deck of psychic tarot cards which summons demons, and my hot drow girlfriend (who's also a slave girl), and how I pwn those stuck-up Imperials who called me a nerd in high school, and...'

 

Look at the stereotype of the Warhammer fan. Look at the themes that underpin ADB's work. There you'll find understanding.

 

Quote

but wechat you love drizzt and pern and anne 'made her fortune writing sci-fi mills & boon' mccafferey, don't you think it's a little hypocritical?

 

THE HEART THAT PUMPS THE HAEMOGLOBIN IS MYSTERIOUS, AND SO IS ITS DARK WILL.

[DukeLeto69]

I am not going to post on ADB anymore in this thread as it is going off topic (and I am a good B&C citizen not a chaos acolyte lol).

 

Happy to continue discussing in an appropriate thread. Wasn’t my intention to derail new releases.

[Marshal Loss]

23 minutes ago, DukeLeto69 said:

My original point was about what comes across as unbridled fan devotion by some elements of the fandom that puts him on such a high pedestal as if he is infallible. I don’t get it. He’s consistently good and sometimes absolutely great but…

 

You can say that about any author with a reasonable following in this random though, frankly - I feel the same way about Abnett. To each their own!

 

But yes, let's avoid derailing the thread further