So if you’re reading this, you’ve probably arrived here one of two ways. Most likely, you’ve clicked over from the Black Library Readers’ Hall of Fame (BLRHoF) piece at Tabletop Battles (formerly Goonhammer), so you’re already familiar with how the balloting works. I’ve managed to keep the formatting exactly the same as we’ve had it on TTB, so unless you’re a brand-new voter this should all be quite familiar.
If, however, you’re a Substack reader who wasn’t aware of the BLRHoF initiative, here’s a quick intro. We’re walking the entire contents of the Black Library’s history of novels, year by year, and choosing those with “cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance” to be inducted into the Hall. After a recent, major site upgrade broke the polling feature on Tabletop Battles, the main article is still hosted there but the polling itself will be done here. Sure it’s a tiny bit awkward, but the Hall marches on!
So here are the books of 2008, and as always…
Reminder: this is not a knockout competition. You can vote in as many books as you feel are worthy of inclusion- every book that ultimately gets enough votes will be inducted!
The Ballot: The Class of 2008
Warhammer 40,000
Book: Cain’s Last Stand, by Sandy Mitchell
Synopsis: “After a long and distinguished career defending the Imperium from its many enemies, Commissar Cain is enjoying a well-deserved retirement on Perlia, teaching in a schola progenium. But when a Black Crusade threatens the sector, all able-bodied citizens must rise to the defence, including Cain and his cadets. As the forces of Chaos overwhelm Perlia, can the wily commissar prove himself to be a real hero of the Imperium one last time?”
Note: Book six in the Ciaphas Cain series.
Book: Dark Disciple, by Anthony Reynolds
Synopsis: “Ever driven by his lust for power, Marduk, aspiring Dark Apostle of the Word Bearers Chaos Space Marine Legion, strives to unlock the secrets of an ancient and deadly artefact. This quest throws him and the Word Bearers into a deadly warzone and a desperate battle between their Imperial enemies, the alien tyranids and a third faction as sadistic as it is mysterious. Surrounded by foes, this could be Marduk’s sternest test yet.”
Note: Book two in the Word Bearers series.
Book: Hammer of Daemons, by Ben Counter
Synopsis: “Grey Knight Alaric is taken back to the Eye of Terror and stripped of his armour and weapons. He is forced to fight in a gladiatorial arena for his daemonic masters, who worship their god, Khorne, with endless slaughter. His only chance to escape is to find a legendary weapon with the power to destroy the forces of Chaos that imprison him, before he is killed, or worse, corrupted.”
Book: Ice Guard, by Steve Lyons
Synopsis: “After the withdrawal of Imperial troops is ordered from the ice world of Cressida, a squad of Valhallan Ice Warriors led by the indomitable Colonel Stanislav Steele are are sent on a rescue mission to find a stranded Imperial dignitary and bring him off-planet to safety. But the occupying Chaos forces are everywhere, bent on the annihilation of the natives. If that wasn’t bad enough, Stanislav and his troops face a race against time as Imperial Battleships in the upper atmosphere are preparing to virus bomb Cressida, destroying all life upon the planet.”
Book: The Killing Ground, by Graham McNeill
Synopsis: “The Ultramarines are the epitome of a Space Marine Chapter. Warriors without peer, their name is a byword for discipline and honour, and their heroic deeds are legendary. Returning to the Imperium after completing a deadly mission in the heart of the Eye of Terror, Ultramarines exiles Uriel Ventris and Pasanius find themselves on a war-torn world where warp-tainted rebels hold the balance of power. As the pair of Space Marines try to save the planet from the Ruinous Powers, they find that they themselves are suspected of being in league with the Dark Gods, and their chances of a triumphant return to their Chapter look bleak…”
Note: Book four in the Chronicles of Uriel Ventris.
Book: Red Fury, by James Swallow
Synopsis: “Following the tragic events that led the Blood Angels to the brink of civil war, the Chapter’s strength has been badly depleted. The Blood Angels must act, and act quickly, before their enemies learn of their weakness and attack. With tempers flaring, and mutants running wild on their homeworld, can the Blood Angels and their successor Chapters put aside their rivalries and rebuild the Chapter before it is too late?”
Note: Book three in the Blood Angels series.
Book: Relentless, by Richard Williams
Synopsis: “After being thrown off his ship in a bloody coup, a spaceship captain must fight his way back to power and take back his command!”
Book: Scourge the Heretic, by Sandy Mitchell
Synopsis: “The human Imperium is a dark, dangerous place. While Space Marines and the Imperial Guard battle aliens among the stars, it is the job of the Inquisition to hunt down the heretics who corrupt society from within. When an Ordo Hereticus warband is sent to investigate an inter-planetary people-trafficking operation, they soon find something much more sinister than people being smuggled and suddenly they are up against some very dangerous enemies indeed.”
Note: Book one in the Dark Heresy series.
Book: Titanicus, by Dan Abnett
Synopsis: “When the vital forge world of Orestes comes under attack by a legion of Chaos Titans, the planet is forced to appeal for help. The Titans of Legio Invicta, although fresh from combat and in desperate need of refit and repair, respond, committing their own force of war engines to the battle. As the god-machines stride to war, the world trembles, for the devastation they unleash could destroy the very world they have pledged to save.”
Book: Wolf’s Honour, by Lee Lightner
Synopsis: “For ten thousand years, the Thousand Sons have sought revenge upon the Space Wolves for the destruction of their home world of Prospero. Now, the time may have come for their final victory. When the Chapter comes under attack, it falls to Ragnar Blackmane and his brothers to launch a lightning strike on the Thousand Sons in a last ditch attempt to stop their ruinous plans. With the aid of brothers long thought lost, Ragnar seeks to retrieve the Spear of Russ, and not only save the day, but regain his honour. But his nemesis, the sorcerer Madox, has claimed the spear and stands between the Young Wolf and his victory.”
Note: Book six of the Space Wolves series.
The Horus Heresy
Book: Battle for the Abyss, by Ben Counter
Synopsis: “Now that news of Horus’s treachery is in the open, a time of testing has come. Some Legions have already declared their allegiance to the Warmaster, while the loyalty of others lies firmly with the Emperor. As Horus deploys his forces, a small band of loyal Space Marines from disparate Legions learn that a massive enemy armada is heading to Ultramar, home of the Ultramarines, headed by the most destructive starship ever constructed. Unless they can intercept the fleet, and destroy the mighty battleship the Furious Abyss, the Ultramarines may suffer a blow from which they will never recover.”
Note: Book eight of the Horus Heresy series.
Book: Legion, by Dan Abnett
Synopsis: “A Great War is coming, and it will engulf the Imperium of Man. The Space Marines of the Alpha Legion, the last and most secretive of all the Legiones Astartes brotherhoods, arrive on a heathen world to support the Imperial Army in a pacification campaign against strange and uncanny forces. But what drives the Alpha Legion? Can they be trusted, and what side will they choose when the Great War begins? Loyalties are put to the test, and the cunning schemes of an alien intelligence revealed.”
Note: Book seven of the Horus Heresy series.
Book: Mechanicum, by Graham McNeill
Synopsis: “As the flames of treachery spread throughout the Imperium, Horus plots to subvert or destroy all those who would stand against him. On Mars, home world of the Mechanicum priesthood, the great manufactory-cities have long produced much of the weaponry required for the expeditionary fleets across the galaxy - making the world invaluable to whoever controls it in the coming war. Now, the Warmaster’s agents begin to stoke the fires of rebellion, turning the loyalist forges and the mighty Titan Legions against one another. And, with whispers spreading of an ancient terror lurking beneath the Red Planet’s surface, the Dark Mechanicum rises...”
Note: Book nine of the Horus Heresy series.
Warhammer Fantasy
Book: Ancient Blood, by Robert Earl
Synopsis: “Life in the Old World is a constant struggle for survival, especially for the nomadic strigany people, who wander the lands of the Empire. As reports of strange illnesses and disappearing bodies increase, the Elector Counts of Averland and Stirland decide to get rid of this menace once and for all, by driving the strigany out of the Empire forever. As the strigany are rounded up, a massive force of hard-bitten mercenaries is sent to intercept them, but would-be slaughterers find the tables turned when they discover the strigany have dark and ancient allies who rise to their defence.”
Book: Blood for the Blood God, by C. L. Werner
Synopsis: “The Skulltaker is a feared champion of Khorne, a lone warrior of hideous strength and power who roams the Chaos Wastes slaying all who stand between him and his destiny. Blood for the Blood God tells the tale of this terror of the north and his gory quest to be free of the curse inflicted by the Blood God, Khorne. Can anyone defeat him or will the Wastes be drenched in the blood of fallen champions?”
Book: Curse of the Necrarch, by Steven Savile
Synopsis: “Feared and reviled, the reclusive necrarch vampires lurk in their lairs, engrossed in mad experiments and dreams of depraved glory. When one of these foul creatures invades an Empire town and slaughters its inhabitants, its knight protector, the ageing hero Reinhardt Metzger swears vengeance.”
Book: Dark Storm Gathering, by Chris Wraight
Synopsis: “In a war-torn land, human and elf adventurers are forced for form an uneasy alliance with the armies of the Empire to repel the forces of Chaos.
“The grim march of Tchar’zanek is underway. Across the Empire of Man, the toll from plague and mutation continues to grow, and hope begins to fade. Only the intervention of the high elves offers respite, but they are beset by foes of their own, the murderous dark elves. When the prospect of treachery behind Imperial lines looms, four heroes must work together to uncover the corruption before all is lost.”
Book: Elfslayer, by Nathan Long
Synopsis: “Gotrek and Felix reluctantly travel to Marienburg to fulfil a last request from Felix’s dying father, however, a chance meeting with their old acquaintance Max Schreiber sends them in a different direction entirely and right into the heart of danger. The Imperial wizard has been sent north to investigate some disturbing magical phenomena off the northern coast of the Empire. Pretty soon, the heroic duo and their companions find themselves caught up in a new adventure, fighting for their lives against the dark elves!”
Note: Book ten in the Gotrek & Felix series.
Book: Empire in Chaos, by Anthony Reynolds
Synopsis: “In a land ravaged by plague and swarming with mutants, a young woman and her companions become swept up in an epic battle to save the Empire from its most ferocious foes - the forces of Chaos.”
Note: Book one in the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning series.
Book: Heldenhammer, by Graham McNeill
Synopsis: “It is a time of legends. The lands of the old World are wild and untamed, where the primitive tribes of men struggle for survival. In this time of peril, by virtue of his valorous deeds, a young man claims leadership of the Unberogen tribe. His name is Sigmar Heldenhammer, and his actions will change history forever. This is the story of how Sigmar rose to power, culminating in the Battle of Black Fire Pass, where men and dwarfs fought against the vast hordes of orcs in their quest to safeguard the future of the Empire.”
Note: Book one in the Legend of Sigmar series.
Book: Knight Errant, by Anthony Reynolds
Synopsis: “The noble knights of Bretonnia are bound by duty and honour to fight for their king, and defend their lands from invaders. When the Lord of Bastonne falls ill, his two sons Calard and Bertelis are plunged into conflict as suppressed rivalries surface. As a horde of goblins swarms out of the forests, the knights gather their forces to repel the foul beasts, little suspecting that the true enemy has yet to reveal itself.”
Book: A Massacre in Marienburg, by David Bishop
Synopsis: “Marienburg is the greatest port of the Old World, and stands at constant alert against its enemies. When the port comes under sudden attack from a horde of undead led by an all-powerful necromancer, the people of Marienburg must fight a desperate battle to save their city, and themselves.”
Note: Book two in the Marienburg series.
Book: Masters of Magic, by Chris Wraight
Synopsis: “Under constant pressure from its enemies, the human Empire maintains mighty armies to protect itself. Crucial among these troops are the Imperial battle wizards, trained to rain fiery death upon their foes, or summon the fury of the heavens. When Grey wizard Lothar and his colleagues ride to war against a massive orc invasion, can the wizards control their rivalry and ambition long enough to defeat the enemy?”
Book: Nagash the Sorcerer, by Mike Lee
Synopsis: “Two millennia before the time of Sigmar, the Nehekharan empire flourished in the hot desert lands far to the south of the Old World. Unbeknown to its people, this mighty kingdom is about to be shaken to its very foundations, when a quest for ultimate power will damn the land and its people forever. Nagash, one of the priests of the cult of death, desires more than faith, and will stop at nothing to claim not… not even at death itself.”
Note: Book one of the Rise of Nagash series.
Book: Oathbreaker, by Nick Kyme
Synopsis: “In the bleak mountains of the Warhammer Old World, the dwarf race fights a bitter battle for survival against its ancient enemies. When the hold Karak Varn is overrun by skaven ratmen, Dwarf Thane Uthor makes a rash vow to cleanse the hold, despite the enormity of such a task. How can this band of dwarfs, brave and stalwart as they are, ever hope to triumph against such impossible odds?”
Book: Runefang, by C. L. Wener
Synopsis: “In this latest fantasy novel by author CL Werner, the fate of Wisseland hangs in the balance under a mighty assault from an undead hoard. Their only chance of survival is to retrieve a lost artifact, the legendary Solland Runfang.”
Just FYI, it seems I cannot enter votes. I have no clue why.