Warhammer Wednesday: The Solemnus Crusade

Black Templar Space Marines appear to be popular at the moment, what with the release of Marc Collins' new novel about High Marshal Helbrecht*. So, today seems like the perfect time to remind you that I have written a few stories about the Black Templars Chapter myself.

In reading order they are: 

Sanctuary - a short story which first appeared Issue #38 of Inferno! magazine.

Crusade for Armageddon - the first in a planned trilogy, that follows the brothers of the Solemnus Crusade as they seek revenge against an Ork Warboss on the war-torn planet of Armageddon. It also features Steel Legionnaries and the crew of a Titan.

Conquest of Armageddon - espionage, timey-whimey shennanigans, Chaos Marines, more Orks, and a Kroot. What more could you ask for, excepte perhaps for the trilogy to have been finished?

The Relic - set after the events of the two novels. As it says on the Black Library website, "Dreadnought Brother Jarold leads warriors from the Black Templars Chapter in battle against the greenskins in the frozen Dead Lands. Following a distress beacon, they find another Dreadnought in the ice, buried for half a century. When the orks attack en masse, the two Dreadnoughts make a last stand against the bestial invaders."

The Armageddon Ominbus - my Black Templars stories were combined into this short-lived print-on-demand title, which now goes for upwards of £90 on eBay. Shame I've only got the one copy myself.

War for Armageddon: The Omnibus - The Relic is also available in this new omnibus that features of work of various other BL authors as well, with stories all set during the Third War for Armageddon.

Click on the images below if you would like to buy of of these titles.

Dave Allsop's accompanying illustration for Sanctuary.

* I don't think the High Marshal was a thing when I started writing Black Templar stories for the Black Library.

Warhammer Wednesday: Genestealer Cults

I was in the central London Warhammer store at the weekend and I have to say, I love the look of the new Genestealer Cults codex. I love the look of the miniatures, and the variation between them. I many way, they remind me of the good old days of Necromunda, and the huge range of figures that came with that game, birthed from its fertile background. Which is appropriate, seeing as how my first novel for Black Library was originally going to be a Nathan Creed novel, the climax of which had the bounty hunter uncovering a Genestealer cult.

I've always had a soft spot for Genestealers. The first short story I wrote for Inferno! magazine (and my first published 40K short story), Salvation, featured Genestealers (and a Carnifex).

Six years later I wrote another Space Marines vs Genestealers story, Sanctuary, which was reprinted in The Amargeddon Omnibus in 2011. It would be nice if Black Library republished that one as part of a collection of Genestealer stories. (In the illustration, Chaplain Wolfram of the Black Templars Solemnus Crusade takes on the Genestealers, as drawn by Dave Allsop.)

And if the opportunity ever arose, I would love to write a gamebook featuring a Genestealer cult.

Meanwhile, the new/old White Dwarf continues to go from strength to strength, and this month comes with a free comic written by George Mann.

Warhammer Wednesday: Free Shipping Ends Today!

Christmas has been and gone but Black Library's free shipping offer is still going - just. On top of that, it turns out that a couple of my Direct Exclusive titles are down to the last few copies and aren't going to be reprinted.

So if you fancy picking up a copy of the Warhammer 40,000 novel Iron Hands (there are less than 5 copies left!) or The Armageddon Omnibus* (there's a few more of those, but not many more) then follow this link.

* I'm also in the Necromunda Omnibus 2, but I don't get any royalties from sales of that particular title.

Warhammer Wednesday: Free Shipping!

If you've yet to pick up Herald of Oblivion, or Shadows Over Sylvania, or The Armageddon Omnibus, or Iron Hands, now's your chance, with free shipping until this time next week. 

Go on, you know you want to.

Warhammer Wednesday: Return to Armageddon

It's Armageddon week over at the Black Library, with a new story from the infamous Warhammer 40K warzone every day this week (from the likes of David Annandale, Guy Haley and Toby Frost).

Of course, Black Library has published numerous stories about the Third War for Armageddon before, including my very own Armageddon Omnibus. Don't delay, pick up your copy today.

And bring it along to Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014, and I'll even sign it for you! :-)

Warhammer Wednesday: Mission Games Workshop - Chiswick

After utterly failing to get into the London Film and Comic Con on Saturday, I took a stroll through West London, eventually finding myself at the Chiswick Games Workshop store.

Jake the store manager was there, just as he was the last time I was in the branch, only it turned out he'd been to Bromley and back in the interim! Anyway, Jake had nice things to say about my Black Templar stories and The Relic, so here are some pictures of some of the minis on show this week.

Black Templars and Crimson Fists.

An impressive-looking gun.

A downed Drop Pod.

Warhammer Wednesday: Greenskins, greenskins everywhere!

It's all about the galaxy-bothering greenskins over on the Black Library website at the moment. Well, if you like Ork stories then you'll love The Armageddon Omnibus, my short story The Relic, and Herald of Oblivion. There's even an Ork in one of my Nathan Creed stories in the Necromunda Omnibus 2.

Short Story Saturday: There is Only War

I could just have easily waited until Warhammer Wednesday to post this update, but seeing as the book arrived today (on Short Story Saturday) now seemed like as good a time as any.

There is Only War is the latest Space Marine mega-anthology from Black Library and features that old favourite short of mine The Relic, featuring everyone's favourite religious fanatics the Black Templars.

The Relic has been published before, of course, and is currently also available as an eShort and as part of The Armageddon Omnibus available here.

There is Only War is also available as an eBook and as part of The Space Marines 2013 eBundle, which contains several novels and numerous short stories!

Short Story Saturday: The Black Library Advent Calendar

In the run up to Christmas, Black Library are releasing a new short story every day. The theme? The Lords of the Space Marines*.

Today's story is Guy Haley's The Crusader, about High Marshal Helbrecht of the Black Templars Chapter. Those of you who follow this blog will already know that I've written a thing or two (or, to put it another way, 120,000+ words) about the Black Templars myself.

So if you enjoy today's Advent Calendar offering, why not consider purchasing The Armageddon Omnibus for yourself this Christmas, or downloading The Relic, a story about Dreadnought Brother Jarold of the Solemnus Crusade?

* Yup, more 40K. I sometimes wonder whether BL will ever publish another Warhammer short story. ;-)

Warhammer Wednesday*: The Novels That Never Were

Considering all the books I've written, there's a fair few I haven't written too. I don't mean the Bible, the Complete Works of Shakespeare and the Yellow Pages - I'm talking about the books that at one stage or another I was supposed to write but which, in the end, never came to be. And most of these were supposed to be set in the worlds of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000.

Many of these made it to full synopsis stage and submission (and in some cases second synopsis stage), or, failing that, rough summaries at the end of other proposals. However, for one reason or another, you will never** get to read...

Bounty Hunter - my Necromunda-set Nathan Creed novel.

Legacy of the Damned - the follow-up to The Dead and the Damned (and various other stories besides).

Champions of Armageddon - the conclusion to the Black Templars Solemnus Crusade trilogy set at the time of the Third Armageddon War.

Corpse Taker - the second in the Books of the Dead series (and it was intended to be a series) that began with Necromancer.

Iron Hands: Ex Machina - the sequel to the recently digitised Iron Hands.

Indomitable - my Empire Army novel about the crew of a Steam Tank.

Across the Desert of the Dead - a Khemri-set Path to Victory gamebook, not unlike Shadows Over Sylvania.

Dreadnought - another Warhammer 40,000 gamebook akin to Herald of Oblivion.


* The 13th of November. Spooky and, as they say, unlucky for some.

** Or it is, at best, very unlikely...

Warhammer Wednesday: Crusade for Armageddon

Crusade for Armageddon was the very first Warhammer 40,000 novel I ever wrote. It was published back in 2003 and yet, several years on, some people are still discovering if for the first time.

Here's what one new convert had to say about it:

Crusade for Armageddon was the very first Warhammer 40K book I ever read. As such it, and the Black Templars, have always held a special place in my heart for igniting my undying love of all things 40K. Having lost my original copy to one of my greedy friends however I had not gotten a chance to re-read this classic until the Black Library released it, and the sequel Conquest for Armageddon, as a print on demand special. Now that I have read Crusade for Armageddon for a second time I can say that while much of my positive feelings towards it were undeniably nostalgia, it is still a heavy firepower novel sure to please any 40K fan.

Crusade for Armageddon follows a crusade fleet of the Black Templars Chapter, the most zealous and dedicated of all The Emperor's space marines, as they hunt down the vile ork warlord that destroyed their home and slew many of their brethren. Eventually the Black Templars track the ork down to Armageddon, a forge world vital to the Imperium of man that is already besieged on all sides by the greenskin menace. Rather than heed the call for help by the beleaguered Imperial defenders however, the Templars go on their own quest through the desolate ash wastes to avenge their fallen.

The plot is pretty straight forward, the Black Templars have an objective and they pursue it regardless of the dangers. Despite the simplicity of the plot however there is a good bit of depth to the three unique perspectives that alternate throughout the story. One perspective follows the Black Templars, warrior-monks armed and armored with the best weapons in the Imperium, as they hunt for the ork warlord that blighted their honor. Another perspective follows the warlord titan Tyrannus Maximus, a land battleship, as it copes with the loss of its titan legion and takes severe damage fighting in the wastes. And the last perspective follows a platoon of Steel Legion Imperial Guardsmen as they try to survive long enough to relay highly important information back to HQ. Though the character of the Black Templars are pretty flat (duty bound and zealous) the way their Chapter is portrayed is quite vivid. Readers get a sense of just how strict and unmerciful they are, even compared to the Emperor's other devout space marine Chapters. The inclusion of the Tyrannus Maximus and crew as well as the Steel Legion platoon provide a more human outlook to the conflict at hand. On a final note, though the orks themselves don't have a perspective in the story they are described quite vividly. Reading this story I could easily depict the shoddy weapons and jerry-rigged vehicles of the vile greenskins.

The action is the real draw here. This is what hooked me as a kid and bound me to 40K forever more. Readers will experience first hand the zealous fury of the Black Templars, from tactical marines to assault squads and even the implacable might of a dreadnought. There is also some titan on titan action courtesy of the Tyrannus Maximus and readers get to see a battle between giants wielding weapons capable of leveling entire cities. The last fight is, of course, the best of all. A courageous assault on an ork factory that draws all the individual perspectives together into one glorious attack. If you are looking for some intense action you are unlikely to do better than Crusade for Armageddon.

Is my review tainted by nostalgic bias? Absolutely. But does that mean Crusade for Armageddon doesn't deserve five stars? Not at all. Crusade for Armageddon is an explosive good time that shows the Black Templars as they are meant to be shown. The only problem will be getting your hands on a copy, I suggest a visit to the Black Library website where you can order one as print on demand and the sequel, Conquest for Armageddon, will be included as well.

5 stars!

Crusade for Armageddon is now available along with its sequel Conquest of Armageddon (and a couple of short stories) as The Armageddon Omnibus, which you can purchase direct from the Black Library here.

Black Library - Free Shipping!

Which means you can order both my Path to Victory gamebooks - Herald of Oblivion and Shadows Over Sylvania - or classic novels such as The Armageddon Omnibus and Iron Hands, and pay nothing for postage.

So what are you waiting for? As Mr Brian Butterfield would say, 'Call Now!'

Warhammer Wednesday: La Croisade d'Armageddon

A few of my Black Library novels have been available in French editions for a while now, but it was only the other day that I came across this particular review for Crusade for Armageddon.

What to expect when following one of the most devout Astartes chapters in pursuit of their vilest enemy, one who has violated their honor? A bloodbath of course. But a green bloodbath.


That's exactly what we get in Jonathan Green's novel of the Black Templars, the Astartes devotees, always on a crusade for the liberation of the Imperium. Following the loss of their planet Solemnus, these crusaders will do everything to find the foul ork responsible for the loss of both their Chapter world and the endangerment of the genetic heritage of the chapter.


The author has demonstrated all the devotion of this chapter, more attached to the visions of their champion (granted by the Emperor himself) rather than psykers. Their desire to defeat the enemy rather than to obey others. Their need to ensure the death of the monstrosities they fight rather than give them a chance to recover. That's how they can show they are the most implacable and devout servants of the Emperor on the battlefield.


A very good novel that takes us to the heart of the turmoil on Armageddon, showing us a permanent hell where survival is a struggle and where the biggest fight is sometimes hidden from view. I look forward to a sequel to the adventures of Black Templars.

Of course there is a sequel, Conquest of Armageddon, but I'm not sure if that one's available in French yet.

Both novels are available again in English in The Armageddon Omnibus, which also contains two bonus short stories and A History of the Most Honourable and Holy Solemnus Crusade.

I is for Industries, as in SLA Industries - a.k.a. Dave Allsop's art

Dave Allsop once illustrated a Black Templar story of mine that appeared in Inferno! magazine (and available again as part of The Armageddon Omnibus) called Sanctuary. Here's the picture:

Chaplain Wolfram - kicking bottom and taking names

How cool is that?

Dave did a few pieces for Black Library, back in the day, but he - or at least one of his creations - is in the news again at the moment. And very exciting news it is too!

Anyway, Dave is another of those wonderful artists who've kindly agreed to be a part of Artists' Month here on www.JonathanGreenAuthor.com, so on with the interview...

1. How did you start out as a professional artist?

I've been working in the games industry since 1993 through a variety of different jobs. I've been a games designer, writer, graphic and concept artist, but I've been working as a freelance Illustrator since 2003. I was getting tired of video game work so I decided to pack that in and go back to just straight art, and I've been here since.

2. What was it that gave you your big break and led to what you are doing now?

My big break was getting on board with Magic the Gathering. I'd done concept art on Phyrexia back 1997 but in 2000 I started getting actual card illustrations to do.

3. What is your preferred method of working? Which medium suits your style best?

I work solely in Photoshop these days. When painting I've always been digital, but until recently I did the sketch phase in paper and pencil. Now I do all my sketches in Photoshop as they're easier to alter and manipulate. Plus I don't have the hassle of scanning it all in.

4. Which setting do you prefer – Warhammer or Warhammer 40,000?

Oh, that's a difficult one - I guess WH40K, as I'm more familiar with the setting. But I really like the grittiness of both.

5. What is the appeal of working creatively within these settings?

I've not produced art on Warhammer for quite a while, but when I did I just liked how grim and detailed everything was. GW has spent decades honing and defining their style. The imagery is instantly recognisable and great fun to work on. I grew up on the GW settings.

6. How did you set about illustrating the Black Templars short story Sanctuary for Inferno! magazine?

I was always a fan of the genestealers, and I wanted to get across the unstoppable force of them, they just keep coming and coming. In the art I tried to have the genestealers literally swarming the Chaplain, so the illustration is intentionally crowded. In a way I wanted it to harken back to Space Hulk, which is all confined spaces and claustrophobia.

7. How does working for Wizards of the Coast compare to working for Black Library?

Both have distinct visual styles, but the tone is very different. My art for Wizards tends to be brighter and more colourful. My work on Black Library tends to be closer to my own style and preference - dirty, high contrast and bleak.

8. Of which piece of work are you most proud?

Probably the new cover for SLA Industries.

9. Is there anything you haven’t illustrated that you would still like to?

Chaos (40K or WH), particularly Nurgle. A few classic D+D monsters I've not done yet. My own version of the Cthulhu Mythos.

10. What are you working on at the moment?

Several art commissions for Paizo, and getting ready for Conpulsion in Edinburgh on the 6th of April!

11. What advice would you give to any aspiring artists wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Work on your art every day, and for as long as possible; most of your learning will come through repeated effort and challenging yourself. As far as working professionally, prove to your art director that you are eager, reliable and punctual. If you can be all of these things, more work will follow.

You can find more of Dave's art here, at his website, and here, on DeviantArt.

Thanks again to Dave for being involved - and good luck with the movie!

All images shown are variously copyright Wizards of the Coast, Games Workshop and Dave Allsop, all rights reserved, (c) 2012.

In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Warhammer 40,000 game. To find out how Black Library is marking this momentous occasion follow this link. And in other 40K-related news...

To hear about how Dan Abnett found the experience of writing his latest Horus Heresy novel Know No Fear, click here. (The interview starts at about 01.45.)

And there's an interesting insight into the writing process here by another Horus Heresy author, James Swallow.

Tony Hough, who illustrated my books Knights of Doom and Bloodbones, also illustrated the 40K universe in the early days. And he just so happens to be selling some of those illustrations here.

And lastly, I discovered the other day that The Armageddon Omnibus and Iron Hands (my 40K novels available again as Direct Exclusives from Black Library) are BL's two best-selling PoD reprint titles. Which is nice.

I first wrote for the 40K universe before the foundation of Black Library, contributing colour text to Codex: Tyranids, Codex: Chaos, Codex: Angels of Death, and Epic 40,000. My very first piece for Inferno! Magazine (one of BL's early publications) was a 40K story called Salvation.

If you're curious about my other 40K fiction contributions, click here. And of course this summer sees the publication of Herald of Oblivion, my first Warhammer 40K gamebook.

Space Marines

I have recently embarked on a new Space Marines story for Black Library and so decided it was time to dust off my previous Space Marines stories for the reading public.

First off there are my Space Marine novels that are now in print again, thanks to the wonders of Print on Demand technology.

Here's what fans have been saying about The Armageddon Omnibus:

Awesome!!!!!

Love this omnibus...

Amazing omnibus, been looking for these books a long time, great writing, my new favorite BL author.

And here's what they've had to say about Iron Hands:

This is a great book and well worth the read I have a copy of when it first came out and I am now rereading it again its just as good if not better the second time around.

[A] fracking awesome, Space Marine novel, I loved it from start to finish.

Don't forget, you can also pick up my Imperial Fists short story But Dust in the Wind for the eReader of your choice here.

Iron Hands - available now from the Black Library

I popped onto the Black Library website today, only to be confronted by this!

First published in 2004, Iron Hands - my second Warhammer 40,000 novel - is available again as part of the Black Library's Print on Demand range, for only £13.99. (You'll also find The Armageddon Omnibus there.)

So why not treat yourself to a late Christmas/early New Year present to make up for all those socks grandma gave you this year?

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.

Black Library - Last Shipping Dates

Black Library have announced their last shipping dates before Christmas.

They're also offering free shipping on orders over £10. So if you're looking to buy a Loved One one of my Warhammer or Warhammer 40K novels or short stories for a bit of festive cheer, now is the perfect time to order. (You only need to order one of my Print on Demand titles to receive free shipping.) And of course there are eBooks too - which don't cost anything to post. Marvellous!

Here's the entirety of the JG catalogue currently available from Black Library.

Print on Demand titles

The Armageddon Omnibus

Iron Hands

Daemonifuge (my comic strip Ephrael von Stern - Sister of Sigmar is reprinted within)

Ebooks

The Dead and the Damned (my first Warhammer 'novel')

Hammer & Bolter #9 (featuring my short story Sir Dagobert's Last Battle)

The Relic (Black Templars short story)

But Dust in the Wind (Imperial Fists short story)

New Books!

So I've received some wondrous items from the Black Library recently.

First up is The Armageddon Omnibus. I love the use of the Black Templar Chapter icon on the chapter headings. The book also features A History of the Most Honourable and Holy Solemnus Crusade which I wrote especially for the omnibus.

Secondly there's the complete Daemonifuge - all three books of it - which also features my Warhammer Warped Visions story Ephrael von Stern - Sister of Sigmar. This has to be the pinnacle of my comics career to date.

And lastly, there's Aurelian by Aaron Dembski-Bowden... 'Nuff said!