Author Archives: Michael

RAPID FIRE: Alec Worley Talks Perdition’s Flame

Welcome to this instalment of Rapid Fire, my ongoing series of quick interviews with Black Library authors talking about their new releases. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read or listen to it.

In this instalment I spoke to Alec Worley about his new Warhammer Horror audio drama, Perdition’s Flame, which is available to order right now! It’s Alec’s first Black Library audio drama, and one of the first few Warhammer Horror releases to land, so I’m really excited about this one.

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RAPID FIRE: Robbie MacNiven Talks Scourge of Fate

Welcome to this instalment of Rapid Fire, my ongoing series of quick interviews with Black Library authors talking about their new releases. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read or listen to it.

In this instalment I spoke to Robbie MacNiven about his first ever Age of Sigmar novel, Scourge of Fate, which was released in ebook over Christmas but is now available in hardback as well. Bonus points go to Robbie for not just a vintage BL reference in his inspirations but also my favourite Warhammer-related pun for a long time!

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The Solar War On-Sale and What Happened Next

“First Siege of Terra book sells out in minutes!” As a headline that has a good ring to it, right? It could even have been the line that Black Library took publicly after the £50 Limited Edition hardback of John French’s The Solar War went on sale – and did indeed sell out – this Saturday. As with many a headline, however, while it’s technically accurate it doesn’t entirely do justice to the reality of what happened. In this article I’m taking a look at what happened when the latest Limited Edition hardback went on sale, how Black Library responded and what I would love to see in future.

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QUICK REVIEW: The Wrath of Khârn – William King

First published in issue 231 of White Dwarf way back in 1999 before being included in 2001’s Dark Imperium anthology, William King’s classic 40k short story The Wrath of Khârn is now available as a standalone e-short. As well as having a pun-tastic title it’s a bloody, all-action story showing Khârn where he’s most comfortable – in the thick of the fighting, claiming skulls for Khorne. As he leads a frontal assault on the walls of a Slaaneshi temple he revels in the slaughter inflicted on his foes, but the decadent temptations of Slaanesh test even the Betrayer’s loyalty to his god.

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RAPID FIRE: Justin D. Hill Talks Cadian Honour

Welcome to this instalment of Rapid Fire, my ongoing series of quick interviews with Black Library authors talking about their new releases. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read or listen to it.

In this instalment I spoke to Justin D. Hill about his latest 40k novel, Cadian Honour, which was released in ebook over Christmas but is now available in hardback too. It’s available to order right now, so check out the interview and then head out and grab a copy of the book!

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QUICK REVIEW: Solace – Steve Lyons

This short story is featured in Inferno! Volume 2, which is out now.

Steve Lyons has written plenty about various Imperial Guard regiments over the years, and with his short story Solace he’s tackled the Mordian Iron Guard in a 40k equivalent of a Wild West tale. Guardsman Maximillian Stürm and the remnants of his squad are lost in the forests of Silva Proxima after a devastating aeldari ambush, wounded and weary, when they stumble upon a backwater village apparently untouched by the xenos. The villagers seem welcoming at first, but Stürm is suspicious of their reasons for living in the forest, how they’ve managed to survive, and what they might be hiding.

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Warhammer Horror – What We Know So Far (March 2019)

First announced at Black Library Live in 2018, the new Warhammer Horror range is almost upon us – the first titles are due to go up for pre-orders on Saturday 23rd March, so there’s really not long to wait now. That being said, I’m sure I’m not the only Black Library fan who’s keen to know more about what this new range is going to mean for stories set in the worlds of Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and so as I find my own excitement growing I thought I’d take a look at what’s been confirmed so far.

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Eight Lamentations: War-Claw – Josh Reynolds

After the excellent novel Spear of Shadows, Josh Reynolds’ Age of Sigmar series Eight Lamentations continues with the audio drama War-Claw. When one of the infamous Eight Lamentations is located in Aqshy, the Realm of Fire, Grungni sends Owain Volker and Zana Mathos to retrieve it in his name. Before they can lay claim to the weapon, however, Owain and Zana are forced to find refuge with the tattered survivors of a devastated outpost. Tension and mistrust grows as it becomes clear that there are agents of other powers also seeking the same prize, and their survival hangs by a thread.

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QUICK REVIEW: What Wakes in the Dark – Miles A Drake

This short story is featured in Inferno! Volume 2, which is out now.

Miles A Drake’s second Black Library short story (after 2017’s The Flesh Tithe), What Wakes in the Dark is another dark and sinister story of the Death Spectres, set over a hundred years before the Great Rift opened. After receiving an ominous warning foreshadowing darkness and death, Sergeant Achairas joins his forces with those of radical Inquisitor Astolyev to investigate the sudden loss of contact with a secret Inquisitorial outpost. What they find beneath the surface of Thirsis 41-Alpha is worse than anything they could possibly have imagined, as an ancient alien menace comes to wakefulness…and the rest is pretty much history.

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QUICK REVIEW: Faith in Thunder – Robert Charles

This short story is featured in Inferno! Volume 2, which is out now.

The first Black Library contribution from Robert Charles, Faith in Thunder is an Age of Sigmar story dealing with questions of redemption, faith and how to maintain hope in the face of terrible odds. Niara Sydona battles for survival in an ogor fighting pit alongside a handful of other wounded and weary prisoners, including the last remaining Freeguild soldier under her ill-fated command. Each of them copes in their own way, as influenced by their upbringings and outlook, but if they’re to have any chance at not just survival but also escape, they’ll need to cooperate despite their differences. Keep reading…