Gav Thorpe's Blog, page 25

February 2016 – Q&A

This is a compilation of questions that have been emailed and messaged to me recently.

If you want to ask about anything, you can post a comment here or get in touch through the contact page (and newsletter subscribers can just reply to any of my emails).

Tom asked on the blog: Currently I’m also writing a few 250 word test pieces for the Black Library author pool and find myself conflicted between writing descriptive text and keeping below the tiny word count. Do you have any tips for writing engaging scenes within limited page-space or any advice generally regarding the author pool process?

My advice would be to pick a very specific thing – something that can really be summed up with a killer last line – and then work back from there the shortest time and distance possible. Action (as opposed to description) and reaction are the meat of it. If I get a chance, I’ll perhaps try to write a 250-word piece to demonstrate what I mean… Good luck, write freely and edit hard!

[Additional response: You could also take a look at my Three Top Tips for Black Library Submissions blog post.

Tim asked on the blog: Do you and the other writers ever say to Neil Roberts, “Did you have to make it look so damn good? I’ve got to live up to that cover!

We just say, “Please judge this book by its cover”, over and over.

Shawn asked on Facebook: Amazing cover [Angels of Caliban]. Looking forward to the book. Is Dreadwing still coming as well?

This incorporates elements of the storyline that would have been in Dreadwing.

Karl asked on Twitter: @DennisHamster is it true you are writing a HH space wolves audio? And if so when is it coming?

It’s called The 13th Wolf. I don’t have a release date yet.

Benz asked on Facebook:Any chance you get to write or hint about where Corax go or disappear to?

Nothing in the works for post-Heresy at the moment. I like the mystery that surrounds the Primarchs that left after or during the Scouring – an area ripe for fan invention.

Richard asked on Goodreads: [In relation to Black Library open submissions] Would it be worthwhile to mention success with other projects? Perhaps the editors would like to know if a submitter sold 40k novels of their own mil sci-fi series. Thanks for the advice.

Definitely. I believe the open submissions process is for previously unpublished writers, if you are already published (not self-published) even if it’s an ezine or digital anthology, it’s worth contacting Black Library directly. They will then probably ask you to pitch for a test short story commission (I’ll blog about this in a little more detail soon).

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**

Interview with Combat Phase – February 2016

You can listen to an interview with Kenny Lull of the Combat Phase podcast, where I talk about the Legacy of Caliban series (Ravenwing, Master of Sanctity, and The Unforgiven), Dark Angels in the 31st and 41st Millennia, and the origins of Dennis the Hamster.

Listen to the interview (starts at 26:00 – contains spoilers!)

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**

Interview with Black Library – February 2016

Here’s an interview I gave to Black Library about The Emperor Expects, book three in The Beast Arises series.

The Beast Arises: Gav Thorpe Speaks (originally published 18/02/16)

This weekend saw the release of ‘The Emperor Expects’, the third book in The Beast Arises event series. This volume is by Black Library veteran Gav Thorpe, and we sat down with Gav to find out all about what we can expect from this novel and beyond…

BL: What can you tell us about the story of The Emperor Expects?

GT: Politics, Space Marines and giant battleships! The story breaks into three main threads. Firstly we have the ongoing powerplays of the Senatorum Imperialis, in this instance focused on the emergence of a new common foe for Inquisitorial Representaive Wienand and, of course, Grand Master of Assassins Vangorich. We also continue the unfolding tale of Koorland, last of the Imperial Fists, as he comes to terms with the disaster at Ardamantua and the growing realisation that the Imperium cannot combat the ork threat in its current state. Finally we have a new arrival in the form of Captain Kulik, commander of a battleship in the Imperial Navy. Through Kulik we see the Imperial Navy at the forefront of the battle against the orks – and what a bloody place it is.

BL: This book is the third novel in The Beast Arises series. How did you find writing a novel as part of an ongoing series?

GT: As it is still relatively early in the series, this instalment was not too difficult. While some of the sub-plots are starting to take shape and the character count is growing, we kept quite a tight rein during the planning process. Having just submitted my draft for book 8, I can say that things get a lot more complicated as we go along! The most important part for me was to give readers a satisfying story in one episode whilst still making everything relevant to the longer arcs – it’s a serial but each volume should still have a clear narrative that begins and ends within the covers.

BL: The Imperial Navy plays a big part in this book. Judging by the amount of your previous novels that feature ship-to-ship combat, would it be fair to say you’re a fan of spaceship battles in the far future?

GT: I’m a huge fan of the Age of Sail – Hornblower, Nelson, Trafalgar and all of that. That period is a large inspiration for the style of the Imperial Navy and for space combat in Warhammer 40,000 in general (with a bit of Jutland and the War in the Pacific thrown in). I remember many, many years ago White Dwarf published some Jes Goodwin drawings of ships and naval crew and I loved them instantly (that was back when Space Fleet was released, for those ancient enough to remember). Many years ago I worked on the Battlefleet Gothic game, where I was fortunate enough to breath some new life to those images and ideas, particularly the background. There have been some novels and stories that have dealt with the Imperial Navy, the best being Gordon Rennie’s ‘Execution Hour’, but not since then have they really been at the centre of a book. The nature of the war against the orks and Admiral Lansung’s antics among the High Lords served up the opportunity to revisit this great institution and I hope fans like the way I’ve portrayed them.

BL: You mentioned that this won’t be your last contribution to The Beast Arises. Without giving too much away, what can readers look forward to later in the series?

GT: As I mentioned earlier, I’ve just finished book 8. It is concentrated on the ongoing Space Marine plot, with the Imperium’s finest taking the fight to the orks in massive, epic combat, alongside the Astra Militarum, Imperial Navy and Adeptus Mechanicus. BIG BATTLES. I mean really big. Not-seen-since-the-Horus Heresy-big.

BL: Apart from The Beast Arises, what other new Black Library stories can we look forward to from yourself this year?

GT: The biggest release on the cards at the moment is my next entry into the Horus Heresy: Angels of Caliban. I’ve really enjoyed revisiting the Dark Angels on both sides of the Ruinstorm. I have some more HH titles coming up on the schedule, one that is Raven Guard-related and another that is under wraps for the moment. As for later in the year, who knows? I’m putting together pitches to the editors at the moment. The world is my synthi-oyster. It’d be nice to write another Phoenix Lords book after ‘Asurmen’, but I also really enjoyed exploring the Adeptus Mechanicus in ‘The Beast Arises’ so maybe something about Titans and Knights… What would people like to read?

Thanks, Gav. We can’t wait to see what you come up with next. To check out Gav’s work with the Imperial Navy, pick up ‘The Emperor Expects’, book 3 of The Beast Arises, now.

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**

The Emperor Expects Hardback – Out Today

The Emperor Expects is available today in hardback (eBook and mp3 are already available). If you’re unsure whether to make a purchase, here’s what others have to say about it:

Stayed up late to finish #TheEmperorExpects. Bloody hell. I did not expect that ending. Just brilliant. Well done @DennisHamster.

— Ryan (@MajorRawne) February 13, 2016

“The characters are a strong part of this book. They are truly… – human. Yes, that’s exactly it – Gav has created believable characters who are truly alive on each page… Gav Thorpe – you are now an amazing and fan friendly author in my view. And I can’t wait for the ‘Angels of Caliban'” 5 out of 5 stars

– Andrey Nalyotov, Goodreads

“Finished it few short minutes ago. Excellent story. Brings back memories not only of BFG, but also of Inquisitor: Battle for the Emperors Soul”

– Michal TorogTarkdacil Cap, Facebook

“I finished it way too soon, Really good work Gav, I enjoyed the hell out of it”

– Will Wright, Facebook

If you’ve enjoyed The Emperor Expects, you might also like to read these blog posts:

Author’s Notes on The Emperor Expects

My Writing Playlist for The Emperor Expects

The Artwork for The Emperor Expects

The Emperor Expects Competition

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**

The Beast Arises – Reviews

My new novel The Emperor Expects, book three in The Beast Arises series, was released on Saturday. If you’ve not dipped your toe in the orky waters yet, here are some reviews for the first two books in the series:

I Am Slaughter by Dan Abnett

“With one book scheduled for release each month for the next year, this is just the first step on what promises be a fascinating journey through a whole new period and an insight into what else the Warhammer 40,000 universe still has to offer.”

– Michael Dodd, Track of Words

“For byzantine intrigue, a look at how the Imperium is actually run, and very great action as only Dan Abnett can write, I highly recommend this book and this new series.”

– Heinz Reinhardt’s, Goodreads

“I Am Slaughter, is an awe-inspiring introduction to the year long Black Library event, the Beast Arises, and with Dan Abnett at the helm of this opening story, it is in good hands.”

– Ryan Head, Goodreads

Predator, Prey by Rob Sanders

“The action is plentiful, and well-choreographed. The dialogue is sharp. The world-building, as mentioned, is a real highlight.”

– Hachi Snax, HachiSnax Reviews

“The scale of the Orc incursion is clearly set out but enough details are left out to leave you wanting more and at the end there is still a strong sense of mystery over the Orcs, their origins, leader, goals and especially their technology. There is also a nice twist at the end and a couple of nods toward the HH novels.”

– John Murrie, Stumpy Heaven

“Sanders has created some good characters here, and fleshed out some that were created by Abnett. I cannot wait for the Beast Arises series to continue.”

– Rob, Goodreads

You can find more information about The Emperor Expects here.

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**

The Emperor Expects – My Writing Playlist

I recently blogged about the music I was listening to whilst writing book eight in The Beast Arises series, and as I used the same playlist for book three, The Emperor Expects (out this week) I thought I’d post it again as people seemed to find it interesting.

Getting some grand, martial music is a good start for Space Marine drop assaults and Imperial Knights laying waste to their foes, but it’s also important to find some tracks that add a bit of pacing to the playlist; for more reflective scenes, maybe the soundtrack to a stirring speech or creating the mood for the stealthy approach of an assassin. These are very strident, up-tempo tracks for the most part. It’s about constant motion, pushing the conflict on and on – Mad Maxesque action-as-narrative (essential to get the deluxe version of Mad Max: Fury Road for all the extra and extended tracks).

300 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Tyler Bates
Aliens, James Horner
Army of Two: The 40th Day, Ea Games Soundtrack
Batman Begins – Original Motion Picture soundtrack, Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard
Battlecry, Two Steps from Hell
Blood of the Dragon, Nox Arcana
Cataclysm vol. 1 – Heroes, Erik Ekholm
Cataclysm vol. 2 – Power, Erik Ekholm
Cataclysm vol. 3 – Kingdom, Erik Ekholm
Dredd (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Paul Leonard-Morgan
Dune, Toto
Epic Adventure and Action vol. 01, Epic Score
Epic Adventure and Action vol. 08, Epic Score
God of War: Ascension (Original Soundtrack), Tyler Bates
Holst: The Planets, London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Colin Davis
Mad Max: Fury Road (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Deluxe Version], Junkie XL
Percussion Power: Intense, Cinematic & Explosive, Tyler Lee Bates
Selected tracks from The Science Fiction Album, various Artists
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), James Horner
The Dark Knight (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard
Verdi: Messa da Requiem, Katia Ricciarelli, Shirley Verrett, Plácido Domingo, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Claudio Abbado & Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano
Wagner: The Ring Without Words, Berlin Philharmoniker
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, Doyle W Donehoo
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine (The Soundtrack), Sascha Dikiciyan & Cris Velasco

You can also see this playlist on the iTunes store.

If people are interested I’ll post the playlist for all the books I write – I’d love to know if you read The Emperor Expects whilst listening to my playlist, and if it enhances your reading of the story – let me know in the comments.

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**

The Emperor Expects – Extract

My new novel The Emperor Expects (book three in The Beast Arises series) is out this week, and you can read an extract here:

Lansung was the last to arrive, a roll and crash of drums and the climax of the clarions announcing his presence. Above, amongst the smog of incense that hung constantly beneath the dome, vast chandeliers carved as flights of ribbon-trailing cherub-like figures holding burning torches blazed into light, banishing the gloom that had previously filled the room.

Into this brightness stepped Lansung, the medals on his broad chest glinting, the gold of his brocade glistening.

Though still corpulent, the Lord High Admiral’s considerable frame showed signs of being slowly eroded by his busy schedule of late. His jowls hung a little looser, his chins wobbled a little more with skin than fat. Vangorich estimated that Lansung had lost twenty, perhaps as much as twenty-five pounds, in recent weeks, and wondered whether the stress of such politicking was taking a toll in other ways. Whatever the cause, the loss of weight could not be overlooked. Certain compounds, toxins, stimulants and soporifics had to be administered in precise doses relating to the target’s body mass and Vangorich would have to take this into account if his plan for the coming conference did not bear fruit and more drastic measures became necessary.

It was no coincidence that Lord High Admiral Lansung had chosen this venue for his announcement. Probably more than half of the names circling the hall were of starships; such was the nature of war in an interstellar empire. The echo back to Dorn holding council with his brothers was also a striking image to be exploited.

With a magnanimous wave of a ringed hand Lansung invited his fellow High Lords to sit down at the ornate table sitting somewhat lost in the middle of the vast chamber. Vangorich found his place towards one end amongst the other lesser participants, though this was of no surprise. He had always been fascinated by the physical representations of more abstract concepts like power and influence, and the seating arrangements of any Senatorum conclave were a study in the principles.

Somewhat more surprisingly, Lansung chose not to sit at the head of the table as Vangorich had expected, but settled between Tobris Ekharth, the Master of the Administratum, and the Speaker for the Chartist Captains, Juskina Tull. They were close enough to the head of the table to make it clear they were in ascendance, but nobody claimed the empty chair that would once have been occupied by the Sigillite or Dorn during their long councils.

On reflection, Lansung’s positioning made some sense. Vangorich knew that the head of the Imperial Navy was about to announce a fresh offensive against the tide of orks encroaching upon the Segmentum Solar – and assumed the other High Lords were equally informed – and such an expedition would require considerable supplies and logistical support. By choosing to associate himself with the Administratum that would provide those supplies and the merchant fleet that would carry them, Lansung was elevating the status of both organisations above even the Astra Militarum and the Adeptus Arbites who had thus far been waging much of the fight against the barbarous greenskins.

Sat on the opposite side, at the far end, Vangorich’s own position was almost as far away from Lansung as was possible whilst still remaining at the table. Only poor Hektor Rosarind, the Chancellor for Imperial Estates, was further away from the seat of power.

The chair to the right of the Assassin was empty; the Inquisitorial Representative, Wienand, was not present. Her absence annoyed Vangorich more than the admiral’s posturing. He had figured she would be an easy ally to win during the coming council. Of almost equal measure was his annoyance that Wienand’s chief aide and bodyguard, Raznick, had managed to disappear. He had a suspicion, but no evidence as yet, that Raznick had been sent to Mars; no doubt to make inquiries regarding Vangorich’s ongoing operations at the heart of the Cult Mechanicus.

The Grand Master had at least hoped to see Wienand’s public assistant on Terra, Rendenstein. She was proving as elusive as her mistress. The Inquisitorial Representative was being far more cautious since Beast Krule had killed her last second.

Lansung made no pretence of allowing the Lord Commander or the Head of the Administratum to open the proceedings. This was his war council and he rose up, hands balled into fists on the age-worn wood, and looked up and down the length of the table. There was a chorus of mechanical whines as vox-trackers were powered to catch the coming oration, while flashes from pictograph-capture units reflected from the marble columns and dark walls as the scene was recorded for posterity by the Senatorum’s recollection scribes.

‘In each age of man there comes a time when we are most sorely tested,’ Lansung began, speaking quietly, with forced gravitas and sincerity. ‘I beg leave to bring forth a motion before the Senatorum Imperialis that will define this age, and humbly lay upon the deliberations of those gathered here such meagre thoughts as I can collect on the subject that vexes us most at this time.’

Vangorich wanted to laugh – there was nothing humble or meagre about Lansung – but he kept perfectly silent and still, seemingly fixed upon the Lord High Admiral while in fact he gauged the reactions and temperament of the other High Lords.

‘The encroachment of the orks staggered us, I admit. These savages we thought broken, scattered and of little consequence. Like many others, I allowed hopes of peace to outweigh distrust and conscience of duty. Their remarkable offensive has caught us off-guard. Even the might of the Imperial Fists, the honoured defenders of Terra itself, has been insufficient to match this threat.’

A few of the senators drew in sharp breaths. Vangorich was amazed that Lansung would openly criticise one of the First Founding Chapters as he seemed to be doing.

‘We must not allow ourselves to be intimidated by the presence of these armoured ork stations in unexpected places behind our lines. If they are behind our forces, we are also at many points fighting actively behind theirs. Both sides are therefore in an extremely dangerous position. And if the Imperial Guard and our own Navy are well handled, as I believe they will be – if the brave Navy retain that genius for recovery and counter-attack for which they have so long been famous, and if the Imperial Guard shows the dogged endurance and solid fighting power of which there have been so many examples in the past – then a sudden transformation of the scene might spring into being.’

This intrigued Vangorich even further. There had been consistent whispers that Lansung was organising a fresh offensive using the fleet he was gathering at Lepidus Prime, but was he really going to openly promise a reverse of the war’s fortunes?

If this has whetted your appetite, you can read the full extract at the Black Library site.

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**

The Emperor Expects – Author’s Notes

One of the nice things about working for a publisher like Black Library is that I get to do a variety of things. Not only is there a lot of scope for different stories within the fictional universes, there are many different formats in which to explore them. Sometimes it’s a standalone novella like Catechism of Hate. Other times I get to develop characters and storylines over several volumes, as I did with The Sundering. Then there are the audios, the short stories, the books that are longer-than-novellas-but-shorter-than-the-other-novels and many other lengths and types beside. (I’m still holding out hope for more comics or graphic novels at some point…)

The Beast Arises is something a bit different again. A series of short novels (50,000 words each) released in quick succession, telling a single story over twelve instalments. I’m lucky enough to have two books in the series, the first being The Emperor Expects.

One of the key architects of the series was Dan Abnett, veteran of the comics industry where serialization and shared storylines are the norm. This was not going to be quite the same as the Horus Heresy, which is half storyline and half setting where authors are rowing in the same direction, so to speak, but not necessarily all at the same speed or even in the same boat! The idea for The Beast Arises from the outset was of a tightly controlled narrative delivered sequentially over the course of a year.

In order to maximise the sense of urgency and pace the group of authors that was brought together concocted a storyline that would deliver intrigue, war and drama in equal measure, ending each instalment with a cliffhanger or revelation that simply demanded the reader wanted the next volume right away. This was going to be ‘blink and you miss it’ publishing, making the most of an active community speculating, cogitating and ruminating on unfolding events as they happened.

Although we laid down the spine of the story in those early meetings, there was still plenty of opportunities for individual authors to bring in characters and sub-plots to enliven the telling. The huge scope of the series – a war for the whole of the Segmentum Solar – means that all aspects of the Imperium and its armed forces are fair game for writers to explore.

And that meant I could shine a light on the Imperial Navy, which has been fantastic. I’ve had a thing for the Age of Sail since I was a teenager, and as my author’s dedication in The Emperor Expects attests, the Hornblower and Ramage books were frequent, influential reading for me. It was also great to return to some of the images and concepts that were developed when I was working on Battlefleet Gothic – the story gave me a chance to step aboard the bridge of one of the Emperor’s great warships in a way I hadn’t before. If people like it, it would be nice to do something longer, maybe even a series that is set on a battleship…

The intrigues between the High Lords are also a change of pace from much of the writing I’ve done – no less dramatic than bolters blazing but fraught and tense on a different level.

And the setting of the series – just 1,500 years after the end of the Horus Heresy – has given all of us a chance to look at some of the foundations and accepted norms of the Imperium in a different way. The legacy of the civil war and Second Founding, the splitting of the Imperial Army into the Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy, is still relatively fresh in the minds of many commanders and leaders. Other institutions such as the Ecclesiarchy and Inquisition are very different, far more nascent than in the 41st millennium.

I hope you are enjoying The Beast Arises, and if you like The Emperor Expects you’ll be pleased to know that I return to the series with Book 8 later in the year.

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**

The Emperor Expects – Out Now!

My new novel The Emperor Expects, the third book in The Beast Arises series, is out today as eBook and mp3, and pre-orders are now being taken for the Hardback which is released on Saturday 20th February.

About The Beast Arises series

1,500 years have passed since the end of the Horus Heresy, and the Imperium is at peace. The Space Marines keep the galaxy safe and the High Lords of Terra busy themselves with politicking and infighting. But something has been out there in the darkness, waiting… The orks have returned, and they are more powerful than ever before. Can the imperium hope to survive when the Beast Arises?

About The Emperor Expects

As ork attacks increase, the Imperial Navy musters a counterattack – but can even the greatest fleet assembled since the Horus Heresy make a dent in the power of the greenskins? Elsewhere, the last survivors of Ardamantua make plans for the future…

You can buy The Emperor Expects over at Black Library, and the first 500 hardback orders receive a free bookmark.

And if you want to see the brilliantly funny entries for my #theemperorexpects competition, follow this link.

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**

The Emperor Expects – Artwork

I’ve been so busy these last few months, I missed the opportunity to show off the great artwork for The Beast Arises series from Black Library. With my novel The Emperor Expects, book three in the series (out soon) I thought it was timely to blog it here. You can click the image above to get a larger version.

I’ve not come across the work of Victor Manuel Leza before, but even a quick glance through his website shows he’s more than up to the job of illustrating the series.

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**