Guest Author April - Graham McNeill

The project taking up the bulk of my writing time just now is a Horus Heresy novel called The Crimson King, which is a direct follow up to my previous novel, A Thousand Sons.

At the end of that novel, Magnus the Red - the titular king - and the Thousand Sons legion had barely escaped the burning of their homeworld at the hands of the Space Wolves and found themselves exiled on the Planet of the Sorcerers. The Crimson King follows the remnants of the Fifteenth Legion in the wake of that battle as they seek to restore their former greatness in the face of inevitable damnation, relentless hunters and revelations from their own ranks that threaten all they once believed in.

The Crimson King will be available later in 2016, but you can prepare for that moment by reading A Thousand Sons by following this link.

Warhammer Wednesday: Macragge's Honour

It's only available to order until 8 January 2014, so don't delay - order today!

And They Shall Know No Fear...

Calth awaits...

Did you know that today is Know No Fear Day? No? Well you do now.

Inspired by Dan Abnett's latest Horus Heresy novel, Know No Fear, Games Workshop stores all over the world are running campaigns in which the forces of Chaos, spearheaded by the Word Bearers Legion, will attempt to destroy the Ultramarines Chapter once and for all.

Here in the UK a number of stores are running Know No Fear-themed campaigns for half term week too, so get yourself over the Games Workshop site and check out what's happening near you.

By the way, the Word Bearers are also the villains of my second Warhammer 40K novel Iron Hands, which is available again now as a Direct Exclusive from Black Library.

The Iron Hands Return

Ace Warhammer author Chris Wraight has announced on his blog that he is currently writing a new Iron Hands novel. My own Iron Hands novel - called Iron Hands, interestingly enough - was first published in 2004 and although I was asked to pitch a sequel and did so, it was never picked up. Since then the Iron Hands have received little love - other than appearing in Graham McNeill's Horus Heresy novel Fulgrim.

However, the original Iron Hands is now available to buy again as part of Black Library's Print on Demand range. It's also consistently appeared on Black Library's website Most Popular list, currently alongside the aforementioned Mr Wraight's Battle of the Fang and the Horus Heresy anthology Age of Darkness. But if you still need persuading as to why you should order a copy for yourself, here's the publisher's blurb for Iron Hands.

With Abaddon the Despoiler’s Thirteenth Black Crusade engulfing the galaxy, Iron-Father Gdolkin and his company are pulled away from the defence of Medusa to honour an ancient oath to the Adeptus Mechanicus. A trail of clues leads Gdolkin to a long-lost world, home to an ancient weapon that might turn the tide of war in the Imperium’s favour. But for Gdolkin, the quest is personal, as this mysterious planet might also contain the answer to the oldest mystery of the Iron Hands Chapter... the resting place of the Primarch Ferrus Manus.

You can order your copy of Iron Hands here.

James Swallow at Salute 2011

Dan Abnett at Adepticon

The guys at RHQ-TV recorded a great interview with Dan Abnett earlier this year at Adepticon. And you can watch it for yourself here...

Mission: Games Workshop - Salisbury

Having written on and off for first Games Workshop and then the Black Library for the best part of seventeen years* I've visited a fair number of Games Workshop stores up and down the country, as well as as far afield as Holland and Australia, but I've always been a little shy about introducing myself and admitting to the staff that I'm a published BL author. But all that is going to change, as of today!

Following the example set by other BL authors, such as James Swallow and Richard Williams, I am going to continue to visit GW stores in every town I visit (if at all humanly possible) and simply introduce myself. And I started today in Salisbury.

So thanks to Matt and Anthony for making me so welcome and taking the time to talk about everything from Space Marine Battles books and the Horus Heresy to Hammer & Bolter and Warhammer fiction. And, guys, if you're reading this, I'll see what I can do.**

Whilst in store I also made an unexpected but very welcome discovery, but more about that another time. And who knows where I might end up next? If you're a GW store manager, it could be your store. You have been warned!

* Crikey! Is it really that long?

** Nudge-nudge, wink-wink!

More Dan the Man

Adelie High has been busy of late, videoing Dan Abnett answering questions sent by fans over the Internet, and then distilling his wisdom down into easily digested chunks. You can sign up to Adelie's YouTube channel here, but in the meantime, here's a round up what you'll be able to see there.

Dan on writing for the Black Library.

Dan on writing in general.

Dan on the Horus Heresy.

Dan on the Inquisition.

Dan on Comics.

Dan on Gaunt's Ghosts.

And Dan on Prospero Burns.

Enjoy!

Dan Abnett talks Space Wolves and Prospero Burns