Author Archives: Michael

Isha’s Lament – Thomas Parrott

Thomas Parrott’s first longer-form Black Library story, Isha’s Lament is a Blackstone Fortress novella, an entertaining and insightful tale of survival, exploration and the after-effects of trauma. Brakus Andradus – once a soldier, now a hunter – is part of a group of explorers who find a ruined, dead ship within the fortress, and in doing so unwittingly trigger a calamity that endangers everyone on both the fortress and Precipice. Despite his failing health Brakus ventures back in search of a way to prevent disaster, accompanied by a motley group of uneasy companions, and in the darkness faces up to his fears.

Keep reading…

The Black Library Weekender 2019 – Roundup

The 2019 Black Library Weekender – the sixth such event, held at the Belfry Hotel in Nottingham – has come and gone, and I’m gradually getting back to normality, a little lighter in the wallet but filled with energy and excitement off the back of a great couple of days. In this article I’m going to try and give an overview of how the event felt (to me) and why I enjoyed it so much, including a few highlights of the seminars I made it to and some comments on the upcoming titles announced at the end of the event. There’s lots to cover, so if you’re only interested in certain areas feel free to click the links below and head straight to a particular section.

Keep reading…

Author Spotlight: Edoardo Albert

Welcome to this instalment of my Author Spotlight series of interviews, which aim to give an overview of each author’s background and approach to writing, and a slightly more detailed look at one of their books in particular. In this instalment I spoke to Edoardo Albert about his background, influences and route to writing for Black Library, some fantastic advice for prospective authors, and his new 40k novella Lords of the Storm (which is available to buy right now).

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: Ghosts of Iron – Marc Collins

Marc Collins makes his Black Library debut with Ghosts of Iron, a tale of duty, faith and sacrifice for the servants of the Omnissiah. On the forge world of Sareme, as the forges are overrun by hereteks and the Great Rift sears the skies, Magos Domina Calliope Vartothex seeks out the silent bulk of the Warlord Titan Fury of Mars. Accompanied by the last failing remnants of her skitarii allies, Calliope holds the final, faint chance of survival for the Adeptus Mechanicus on Sareme, which rests upon her ability to connect with the Fury of Mars’ ancient Machine Spirit.

Continue reading →

Author Spotlight: Nate Crowley

Welcome to this instalment of my Author Spotlight series of interviews, which aim to give an overview of each author’s background and approach to writing, and a slightly more detailed look at one of their books in particular. In this instalment we’ve got Nate Crowley talking about his early inspirations, writing for all sorts of publishers, and his new 40k novella Severed (which is available to buy right now). Read on to find out more about some intriguing, off the wall stories and an exciting new voice in Black Library fiction!

Keep reading…

Author Spotlight: Danie Ware

Welcome to this instalment of my Author Spotlight series of interviews, which aim to give an overview of each author’s background and approach to writing, and a slightly more detailed look at one of their books in particular. In this instalment we’ve got Danie Ware talking about her early inspirations, writing for Black Library and other publishers, and her latest Sisters of Battle novella – Wreck and Ruin (which is available to buy right now). If you fancy getting to know a great writer a little more – especially if you like the Sisters of Battle – this is a great opportunity!

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: A Firstborn Exile – Filip Wiltgren

Filip Wiltgren’s second Black Library story, A Firstborn Exile is a direct sequel to The Firstborn Daughter and sees Lieutenant Ekaterina Idra of the 86th Firstborn continuing to battle against not just the Tovogan rebels but the ingrained prejudices of her own people. Joining up with more Vostroyans under the command of a famously rigid Colonel with rather different values to her own, Idra and her men are soon caught up in brutal city fighting against a dug-in enemy. Before long, any bureaucratic differences of opinion are outweighed by the need to survive against overwhelming odds.

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: Apex Predator – Gavin G Smith

Gavin G. Smith’s first Black Library story, Apex Predator is a tale of Knightly rivalry stretching back millennia, as Sethena of House Cadmus and the remnants of her lance desperately try to survive while outnumbered and hunted by Traitor Knights. With Imperial forces stretched to breaking point, Sethena’s Knights remaining battered and under-resourced, and a full-strength lance of enemy Knights on the prowl, the war on Turris appears all but over. At the edge of endurance, Sethena looks for any possibility of fighting back, and the ghosts of her Throne Mechanicum offer tantalisingly vague hints of new tactics to employ.

Keep reading…

Author Spotlight: Jamie Crisalli

Welcome to the second in my series of Author Spotlight interviews, which aim to give an overview of each author’s background and approach to writing, and a slightly more detailed look at one of their books in particular. In this instalment I spoke to Jamie Crisalli about her work for Black Library, from the process of coming through an open submissions window to her new Age of Sigmar (well, technically Warcy) novella The Measure of Iron. Whether you’ve read all of Jamie’s BL short stories already or not, this is a great opportunity to find out more about an up and coming author!

Keep reading…

Sisters of the Vast Black – Lina Rather

Lina Rather’s debut novella, Sisters of the Vast Black is a beautiful little story of faith, love and hope in the midst of endless, cold space, featuring secret-keeping nuns, living spaceships and a sinister government trying to reclaim power. The sisters of the Order of Saint Rita travel the edge of space in their sentient ship Our Lady of Impossible Constellations, offering medical aid and religious comfort to scattered colonists far from the main systems. After answering the call of a brand new colony, the sisters find their peaceful lives threatened by the shadow of a war long thought over.

Keep reading…