Joshua Reynolds's Blog, page 38

Spear of Shadows

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My newest Age of Sigmar novel, Eight Lamentations: Spear of Shadows, is now on the shelves, both electronic and otherwise. You can read a quick interview with me, about the book, over at the Warhammer Community site. 

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From the blurb:

In the beginning, there was fire. And from fire came eight weapons of terrible power, honed to a killing edge by the chosen weaponsmiths of Khorne. Now, as the Mortal Realms echo with the thunder of war, the great powers hunt the eight wherever they might be found – whatever the cost. In a city of prophecy and secrets, Grungni, smith-god of the duardin, gathers together a group of mortal warriors from across the realms in order to seek the first of the eight. But they are not alone in their quest; agents of the Ruinous Powers want the weapon for themselves. Now the race is on, as man, duardin and daemon alike seek to claim the Spear of Shadows…

The book is something of an experiment in world-building. Besides being a rousing adventure (I hope), and a travelogue of the Mortal Realms,  it also contains a substantial number of connections to my other Age of Sigmar novels and short stories. Here are a few of the important ones, for those interested in such things:

-Both Volundr Skull-Cracker, Forgemaster of Aqshy, and the skaven warlord, Warpfang, made their first appearances in Legends of the Age of Sigmar: Black Rift. The Sword of Fire, Marrowcutter, is first mentioned here as well.

-Marrowcutter, the Sword of Fire, and the first of the Eight Lamentations to resurface, first appears in The Realmgate Wars: Fury of Gork. This novel also marks the first appearance of Lord-Celestant Gaius Greel, the Chaos sorcerer, Yuhdak of the Nine, and the cabal of war-sorcerers known as the Ninety-Nine Feathers.

-Shu’gohl, the Crawling City, and the Vurmite Order, first appeared in Legends of the Age of Sigmar: Skaven Pestilens.

-Adhema of Szandor, blood knight and agent of Neferata, first appeared in the Warhammer World exclusive novel, Nagash: The Undying King. 

-Skern, the Gallowswalker, had his first encounter with Ahazian Kel in the short story, “Road of Blades”. The Kels of Ekran were first mentioned in this short story, as well. They were later elaborated on in the novel, Hallowed Knights: Plague Garden. 

Now, you certainly don’t have to read any of the above to enjoy Spear of Shadows – except possibly “Road of Blades”, which functions as something of a prequel – but I encourage you to do so. Especially if you’re worried that Age of Sigmar offers little in the way of a concrete setting. I’m hoping to put a little more meat on the setting’s bones with this book, and those yet to come.

I also encourage you to check out the short story, “Auction of Blood”, which takes place roughly simultaneously with the events in Spear of Shadows, featuring a different set of characters who are also on the hunt for the weapons.

Eight Lamentations: Spear of Shadows is available in both hardback and electronic format from Black Library, as well as Amazon.com and its subsidiaries. A paperback version is due out sometime next year, if you’d prefer that.

Auction of Blood

I’ve got a new story out today. “Auction of Blood” is part of Black Library’s annual ‘Summer of Reading’, and also ties in to my forthcoming novel, Eight Lamentations: Spear of Shadows.

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From the blurb:

Palem Bok is a humble collector of the arcane, a trader of sorts but a resourceful one. He has to be, for Bok is also a spy for the Queen of Mysteries, Neferata herself! Sent to an illicit auction in Greywater Fastness, his mission is the retrieval of an esoteric item for his vampiric mistress. But Bok soon finds that this seemingly simple task is far more dangerous than he bargained for.

I had a lot of fun writing this one. I’ve been wanting to explore how Neferata’s interdimensional spy network might work, as well as the particulars of the city of Greywater Fastness. I’ve also been wanting to do a story about the grittier side of Age of Sigmar – the places where Stormcast Eternals and Chaos champions rarely tread.

Too, Palem Bok, bookseller and spy, is a different sort of character to those introduced in Age of Sigmar, so far. For one thing, he’s not based on an existing miniature! For another, he’s a character very much in the tradition of the Old World, and Warhammer Fantasy.

Bok is an innocuous sort, all but unnoticeable amid the bombast and pageantry of Age of Sigmar. He’s a little man in a big world, with a knife up his sleeve, and a love of rare books. I’d honestly love to write more about him, so if you enjoy the story, be sure to let Black Library know, via their Facebook page. Specifically, maybe on this post here.

And while we’re talking short stories, be sure to check out “Road of Blades” – a semi-sort of prequel to Eight Lamentations: Spear of Shadows, introducing one of the novel’s major characters, Ahazian Kel.

“Auction of Blood” is available via the Black Library site, as well as on Amazon. Eight Lamentations: Spear of Shadows will be available for preorder from September 2nd.

Nu-World Knockout

18thWall Productions’ Cryptid Clash! continues, and this time out, Gav Thorpe brings the violence with “Conquest of the Nu-World: Ban-Manush Vs. Buru”.  As a newly terraformed colony world goes silent, a team of mercenaries and middle-management set out to investigate. But something is waiting on them. Something hungry…

Edited by James Bojaciuk and myself, Cryptid Clash! pits cryptozoological creatures against each other – and anyone unlucky enough to be caught in the middle – in a battle to the death. William Meikle’s “The Mouth of the Ness: Loch Ness Monster Vs. Kraken” started the series off, and is still available via the 18thWall Productions site, as well as Amazon and its affiliates.

Grab a copy of “Conquest of the Nu-World” from the publisher, or from Amazon, today. And if you enjoy it (or “The Mouth of the Ness”), be sure to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads.

Cannibal Snapshot

It’s the beginning of the month – sort of – and that means a new story has dropped on my Patreon page. “Snapshot of a Chicago Cannibal, Circa 1893” was first published in 2008, in a venue which has since vanished into the mists of the antediluvian interwebs.

The story is one of my early experiments in stream-of-consciousness writing, and remains one of my favourites from that period. After some idle research into the Bloody Benders, as well as a re-read of Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel, The Jungle, I thought the stockyards of 1893 Chicago might be exactly the sort of hunting grounds the surviving Bender would gravitate towards. As to the other predators that prowl the urban jungle -well, your mileage may vary.

While I’m not often a fan of my own work, I do think this is one of the better stories I’ve written. Why not risk a buck, and see if you agree? And if you’re looking for something cheaper, check out “The Roaring Ship”, a new, absolutely free Royal Occultist story, available only on my Patreon page.

The Steel Soul

A bit of humble bragging to start the week off right. A reader named Max Fitzgerald recently sent me a picture of his swell Gardus Steel Soul conversion. 

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That’s pretty cool, ain’t it? I particularly like the eyes.

Gardus, if you weren’t aware, is the main protagonist of my newest novel, Hallowed Knights: Plague Garden. He’s also appeared in my novellas, “The Gates of Dawn” and “War in the Hidden Vale”. And you can read more about the Hallowed Knights Stormhost in Wardens of the Everqueen, by Clint Werner, and Mortarch of Night, written by myself and David Guymer.

I encourage you to pick some or all of those up, if you get the chance, particularly Plague Garden. And if you’ve read the latter and enjoyed it, why not leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads? Word of mouth is the best way to sell these sorts of books, and to ensure that there’s more of them in the future.

Oh, and if something I’ve written has inspired you to create something – a model conversion, fan art, whatever – please do share it with me, if you’re so inclined. I always enjoy seeing that sort of thing.

The Roaring Ship

It’s not quite the first of the month, but there’s a new short story up on my Patreon page. And this one is free to read, even if you’re not a patron! Just my way of saying thanks to patrons and fans alike.

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“The Roaring Ship” finds the Royal Occultist, Charles St. Cyprian, and his assistant, Ebe Gallowglass, journeying to Norfolk to investigate sightings of a ghostly Zeppelin. It’s a story of ghosts, zombies and black magic.

If you enjoy it, why not think about becoming a patron? A few dollars buys you a look at a whole passel of stories, including several more Royal Occultist tales. And check back on August 1st, when a brand new short story will be added to the list.

Ring the Bell

William Meikle’s “The Mouth of the Ness: The Loch Ness Monster Vs. Kraken”, the first instalment of 18thWall Productions’ new novella series, Cryptid Clash!, is now available as a Kindle download. 

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From the blurb:

“Then come, brother,” the seer said. “Let us make such an end as the songs are made of—even if none are left to sing them.”

Called to a strange, Scottish abbey by a Wyrd vision, a band of Vikings discovers a monster which may usher in the end of the world. It emerged from the Loch Ness with its deadly long neck, and their weapons could not harm it. Were that not bad enough, soon this monster from the Loch Ness would battle a Viking legend with eight longboat-destroying arms…

“The Mouth of the Ness” is the first volume of Cryptid Clash!, a series which pits cryptozoological creatures against each other in fights to the death. And as you might be able to tell, I’m excited about it. Besides contributing a story, I’m a co-editor for the series, along with James Bojaciuk. I might’ve mentioned it once or twice or a few times over the past year and some change.

William Meikle’s “The Mouth of the Ness” kicks things off in gory style, with a tale of vikings, sorcery and sea-beasts. But there’s more to come, with stories from Gemmell Legend Award winner Gav Thorpe, Clint Werner, David Annandale and Nikki Nelson-Hicks to look forward to.

So, in the words of the immortal Dario Cueto…ring the bell!

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Bayonets and Chilli

It’s a new month, and that means a new short story available on my Patreon page. But wait – there’s also a new bit of free to read flash fiction by me over at Gumshoe Review. So you have options this time around.

“Murder is a Meal for Two” is my first attempt at writing what could charitably be called a cosy mystery – no ghosts or ghouls need apply. Just two quick-witted private detectives investigating a case of food poisoning that may be more than it seems. I’d like to write more with Dixon and Dorsey, if time and interest allows, so if you enjoyed the story be sure to drop a line and let me know, or even leave a comment at the site.

Over at Patreon, “The Bayonet” is as different as can be. It’s a nasty little horror story, about a shell-shocked veteran, monsters that may or may not be real and a racist bayonet with a mission. It’s probably one of the more unpleasant things I’ve written of late, so, fair warning, it may not be to your taste.

That said, it’s only a buck, so why not give it a try? Becoming a patron nets you “The Bayonet”, as well as a handful of other short stories at the moment, with more to come. Besides the one-a-month schedule, I’ll also be adding some free, patron-only content in the future, in the form of hard-to-find reprints of my earlier stories, as well as a few PDF collections for download.

Anyway, go check those out.

Tasting the Dark

Weird Ales 3: Last Orders, an inebriating anthology from Theresa Derwin and Lynne M. Cochrane, is now available in paperback. Besides luminaries such as Gav Thorpe, it also includes a nasty little story by me. “Tenebrae Dark” sees a corporate headhunter find more than he bargained for in his search for the secret of the eponymous drink.

It’s a fairly quick little story, and one I wrote almost a decade ago. What can I say – sometimes it takes a ridiculously long time to find the right market for a given work.

Weird Ales 3: Last Orders is available in paperback from Amazon.com and its subsidiaries. Why not grab your copy today?

False Lamentations

Black Library has updated its coming soon section with September’s releases, including my Age of Sigmar novel, Eight Lamentations: Spear of Shadows and my Horus Heresy audio-drama, Blackshields: The False War.

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From the blurb:

In the beginning, there was fire. And from fire came eight weapons of terrible power, honed to a killing edge by the chosen weaponsmiths of Khorne. Now, as the Mortal Realms echo with the thunder of war, the great powers hunt the eight wherever they might be found – whatever the cost. In a city of prophecy and secrets, Grungni, smith-god of the duardin, gathers together a group of mortal warriors from across the realms in order to seek the first of the eight. But they are not alone in their quest; agents of the Ruinous Powers want the weapon for themselves. Now the race is on, as man, duardin and daemon alike seek to claim the Spear of Shadows…

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From the blurb:

Renouncing fealty to all masters or driven mad by the rigours of war, the Blackshields are a stain upon any Legion they once served. Regarded as little better than pirates, their loyalty is only to themselves. Infamous among their mercenary ranks is Endryd Haar, a former World Eater, driven by hatred, his blade pledged to no banner but his own. But estranged from his Legion and surrounded by a battered warband of warriors, how long can Haar and his Blackshields hope to endure?

Running time approximately 72 minutes. Performed by Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Tim Bentinck, Steve Conlin, Matthew Hunt & Toby Longworth

Both Eight Lamentations: Spear of Shadows and Blackshields: The False War will be available from Black Library in September. On a related note, I may or may not be doing a signing at Warhammer World in September, so keep your eyes on this space.