Black Library Weekly: Remembering John Blanche

And welcoming Warhammer Wordforge

I never really knew John Blanche.

When I think of the foundational artists I came up with in my hobby, those whose visual imaginings perfectly encapsulated the fantastic worlds they were depicting, I think of Ralph McQuarrie, Larry Elmore, and (later) Tony DiTerlizzi.

Though he was certainly a contemporary of all of them. there wasn’t a lot of Warhammer Fantasy in Dragon Magazine and my gateway to Warhammer 40,000 came many years later in the form of omnibuses for Gaunt’s Ghosts, Eisenhorn, and Ciaphas Cain.

But much like dark matter, you don’t need to see a thing to have it made plain through its gravitational influence. Blanche was foundationally influential on the worlds of Warhammer, and even if you didn’t know the first thing about it you could see the mark he made by the reaction to the news of his passing.

There were also some wonderful tributes posted across the hobby, including by Dan “Swiftblade” Richardson on Tabletop Battles, Simon Berman on Bell of Lost Souls, Ben Sledge on TheGamer, and Wargamer’s Timothy Linward.

And, finally, the one from Games Workshop with that very touching final line.

I never really knew John Blanche, and yet I can only imagine how much poorer my life would have been had he himself never been.

Thank you, John.

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Arrivals & Departures

While previously I’d focused more on what was right around the corner with Up for Preorder, the new Arrivals & Departures section will also serve as a reminder to what’s been released this past weekend.

Arrivals

If anyone else found the lack of a deluxe edition of Jude Reid’s Armageddon: Season of Fire puzzling, at least we weren’t left scratching our heads for long. After all, the tie-in novels from previous editions had been given the royal treatment, so why not this one?

Well, the wait is over and it seems well worth it- that’s a stunning treatment. Reid must be friends with someone in the design department because the deluxe editions of her books have been home runs (see below).

In addition, we get a trio of superb novels arriving in paperback for the first time. Voidscarred by Mike Brooks (review), Mike Vincent’s The Remnant Blade (review), and Jonathan D. Beer’s Tomb World (review, author interview).

Departures

The only ‘new’ book leaving the “Upcoming Releases” lists is a paperback reprinting of Horus Rising by Dan Abnett that I’d added to the Coming Attractions section at some point. A new reprinting, perhaps, one little distinguishable from ones before it? Amazon yields curious results, sometimes, like this possible mini-less reissue of the Warhammer Character Encyclopedia by Wade Pryce releasing on 1/5/27.

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Music in the Sighing of a Reid

With apologies to Lord Byron, Jude Reid’s string of visually striking deluxe treatments is pretty impressive. Here’s a pocket visual history of her novels, any of which would make a nice display in your library/museum.

Creed: Ashes of Cadia, 2023

Creed wasn’t a bad Special Edition, but the treatment looks a bit plain with a spine layout indistinguishable from an academic text. I suspect it looks better in person, which as you’ll see is a bit of a trend.

Don’t worry, it only gets better from here.

Daemonbreaker, 2024

There’s something very elegant in the line art and white front cover here, and the sprayed edges really make for a gorgeous piece.

Morvenn Vahl: Spear of Faith, 2024

Not just a Limited Edition, Morvenn Vahl received the Mega Limited Edition treatment this time. A set of six illuminated prints accompany the book, which- and the pictures do it no justice here- is a lush black velvet rather than the flat black it appears here. There’s also a second book, 56-pages and cloth-bound, called The Book of Saints.

Fulgrim: The Perfect Son, 2025

If there’s a poster child for books that look far better in person than they do in the promotional pictures, it’s this one. An absolutely stunning treatment, here’s what I wrote at the time:

As it turned out, one of the nicest things about this design wasn't something that translated well in photographs- its satin finish. The book is absolutely sumptuous in person with a rich magenta hue, and the "it's nicer than I expected" comments rang through the Black Library community on Reddit.

"I remember thinking how flat red it looked in the pictures compared to the glorious magenta of my author copy," noted Jude Reid in an exchange we had on BlueSky. "Nice that people are pleased with how it looks in the flesh."

With Armageddon: Season of Fire, the design team at the Black Library have delivered once again. Unfortunately, it’s not so apparent that the same care has gone into its marketing…

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Integrated Marketing

So let’s talk about that marketing for a moment. Two Sundays ago, the Sunday Preview was short, sweet, and to the point with just three items available:

• Warhammer 40,000’s new Armageddon box,

• The standard hardcover of Armageddon: Season of Fire

• White Dwarf #525

Notably absent was any mention of a deluxe edition of the book, which was curious because past tie-in books were given the bonus treatment. Like lots of folks, I went ahead and ordered myself a copy of the standard hardcover (and we’ll get into that experience in a moment).

Lo and behold, just one week later we get the Special Edition and what feels like it should be a celebration is instead a bit of a “gotcha!” See, while we do have a few “completionists” in the Black Library Nutters group on Facebook ordering one of every edition that’s released, most folks who want deluxe editions will not feel the need to also purchase the standard one.

Most of the time, when deluxe editions are offered either in advance of, or at the same time as the standard edition, folks can choose which version they want. But the end result this time is you’ve got a bit of heartburn in the community as those who would normally have just gone for the Special Edition find themselves already locked in to a standard edition.

In this case, a simple acknowledgement that there would be a Special Edition in the future, perhaps in this article, would have been the right move.

But hey, no points for guessing what my Black Library Giveaway book for July’s gonna be.

Credit Where Due

If this was a miss on the part of the Black Library, we did have a couple of hits this week in the marketing department. If you logged in Saturday for the usual preorder window, you might have been surprised to note that they had a queue system in place due to the expected demand for the new 11th Edition box.

So the first bit of credit comes to whomever decided not to release the Special Edition of Armageddon: Season of Fire on the same day, saving many of us from the traffic jam just to get a book.

Second, hats off to whomever suggested letting folks in the preorder queue read an excerpt of Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s Helsreach. They also had lore primers and even painting tutorials, all things you could enjoy without losing your place in line.

Finally, one more bit of integrated marketing has been a welcome sight. While the Sunday Previews have done an okay job of listing the upcoming WarhammerTV content, the new format for that information is outstanding. WarhammerTV is one of Warhammer house media’s most-maligned avenues, and whoever pitched this format (pictured above) deserves a raise.

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Bigger in Texas

I’ve spent most of the last week in Houston with my wife and three daughters as Jimi is getting treatment at MD Anderson. As I often like to do when visiting a different city, I make a point to stop in at the local Warhammer Store and pick up something for the Museum.

I’ve never found a state prouder of its own identity than Texas- and it’s not close. It’s everywhere. The state flag, state outline, state name. You can’t go a hundred yards without being reminded where you are, with the clear subtext that this fact should be regarded as one of God’s own blessings.

And so it came as little surprise when we stopped in at the Warhammer Store in Houston and met the manager Kenzie, the first thing she said when she learned we were from Kentucky was, “I’m sorry.”

“You know, sorry that you’re not from Texas,” she helpfully clarified with a laugh, lest there be any doubt.

The first thing I noticed in Kenzie’s store was the prominent display of Black Library books on the table (pictured above). I’ve never seen an official store do more than simply having the books on shelves, so this was a welcome sight.

Kenzie shared that the store had been founded in 2009, making it one of North America’s oldest still-operating locations. Speaking to her, it wasn’t hard to see why as she did a terrific job of mixing sales with conversation. Was there anything in particular that brought me in that she could help me find? Did I know about the new release box, and that there was a special coin I could get for ordering it? And of course, ordering in Houston for Louisville delivery, that would be no problem at all¹!

As a onetime FLGS owner, I love to see staff that take both sides of the role seriously. She was also very friendly with my daughters, and we each walked out with a Mini of the Month. And while I’d arrived hoping to pick up Commissar Yarrick for the Museum, they were all out. Still, Inquisitor Greyfax will certainly look great somewhere.

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June’s Black Library Weekly Giveaway: A Winner Appears!

Last week we unveiled a copy of Hive as the prize for June’s Black Library giveaway, and all folks had to do to enter was share their favorite book from Dan Abnett. We had some terrific entries:

Javericks, selecting First & Only, noted that his “collection of his works has mostly ended up in audiobook format now which, for me, means everything I have listened to has been elevated by Toby Longworth's narration.” I loved this one because I’m considering giving the Ghosts series a listen in audio, and it’s encouraging to hear that it’s well-done in that format.

Dawfydd Kelly had a deeper cut with Hammers of Ulrik, due to its centering on Middenheim. Bonus points for pointing out some of Abnett’s non-Black Library work, including Triumff and Embedded!

Then there was Jonas Kaufman, who I think spoke for most of us when he noted that “picking a favourite Dan Abnett book is like picking which pizza is best. They're ALL yummy!”

I threw everyone’s name into the ol’ randomizer, and the winner is…. Jonas Kaufman! Congrats, Jonas, feel free to order some pizza to celebrate and keep an eye on your messages here, we’ll be getting Hive into the post for you soon!

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Creative Uncommons (Redux)

Last week we shared a look at a 3-D printed custom slipcase for Hive that Vyas Sundarrajan made and shared with the folks at the Black Library Nutters Facebook group. Well, Vyas went back in the lab this week and reappeared with this absolute beauty, for Robbie MacNiven’s Carcharodons trilogy.

This is stunning work, and another great example of how much creativity goes into storing and displaying these wonderful books- as well as the generosity of spirit that brings so many of us together. Thanks again, Vyas!

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Black Library App Sales for June

A new month means a new slate of sales on the Black Library app. As a reminder, this is a very new (and very welcome) approach; previously there was only one eBook offered on sale each month. With the introduction of the new app, each month appears to be bringing with it a much larger number of eBook and audiobook releases at a discounted price (50% off the eBook, 66% off the audio).

For June, these are:

• Dante, by Guy Haley (narrated by Gareth Armstrong)

• Gloomspite, by Andy Clark (narrated by Harry Myers)

• The Gate of Bones, by Andy Clark (narrated by John Banks)

• Realm-Lords, by Dale Lucas (narrated by Richard Reed)

• Cadia Stands, by Justin D. Hill (narrated by David Sneddon)

• Helsreach, by Aaron Dembski-Bowden (narrated by Jonathan Keeble in an absolute masterclass of a performance²)

• Warboss, by Mike Brooks (narrated by Harry Myers)

• Renegades: Lords of Excess, by Rich McCormick (narrated by Richard Reed)

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ICYMI

Here’s what’s been going on this week for Warhammer content!

Black Library Dispatch

• First up is the big news that the site’s tweaking its branding. I announced yesterday that we were changing from The Black Library Dispatch to the more all-encompassing Warhammer Wordforge.

• This week’s review content takes a look at the audiobook for Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s The First Heretic, narrated by Gareth Armstrong. It’s a good origin story- but perhaps a little thinner than I’d hoped in the faith department.

• Finally, for you RPG folks out there, this week’s Warhammer RPG SITREP saw a new cover reveal from Cubicle 7 Games for Warhammer: The Old World.

Tabletop Battles

• This week’s review took us back to the Mortal Realms, courtesy of Saelfe. He cracked into Queen of the Rose Throne, the latest by Gary Kloster.

• TTB has been running a multi-part Lore Explainer series on Armageddon, beginning with a look at the planet and then the First War of Armageddon. Part Six (time jump!) landed this week, Rob “The Chirurgeon” Jones laid out what’s going on with Operation Imperator.

Warhammer Community

• All last week we saw a number of interviews with Warhammer studio staff about the upcoming new edition. Make sure to catch the installment with Phil Kelly (Shadowsun: The Patient Hunter, Farsight: Blade of Truth) on the latest developments in the lore.

• For those Black Library Bibliophiles out there, make sure to check out the latest collectible coin available at Warhammer stores this month. If you’ve got a Yarrick or Armageddon section in your library, this makes a terrific accompaniment.

• Well lookie here, what’s this coming up in the next White Dwarf? New Armageddon-set fiction from Russell Zimmerman (Seven Ships, Resounding)? Let’s go! “I knew that this was coming for months,” shared Russel on Facebook, “but I’m still kinda geeking out about being in a White Dwarf magazine, y’all. I wrote Armageddon fiction well before I had any inkling it had to do with the launch of the new edition, or a major new global campaign with the Return to Armageddon event, etc, etc. I didn’t know WHY they liked my story pitch, I was just glad to pitch it. But now that it’s all falling into place, it’s still pretty danged neat.”

WarhammerTV (paywalled)

• With the debut episode of the brand-new animated series Aeronautica Imperialis out last week, we’re counting down until the next installment, In Death’s Shadow, on 12 June. Can’t wait til then? Check out the episode 2 trailer!

Around the Webway

• Not technically Warhammer, but fans of Dark Future will be keen to note that The Oldhammer Fiction Podcast is diving in to Kim Newman’s Krokodil Tears this week.

• Cinderfall Gaming reviewed David Annandale’s Apostle this week, giving it 4/5 stars.

Cold Open Stories

• Two of Cold Open’s recent curated anthologies of fan-made Warhammer 40K fiction, XV and XVI, have now been made available in more formats, including EPUB, MOBI, PDF, and AZW3.

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Quick Hits

• Josh Reynolds (Neferata, Deathstorm) published the latest installment of the who’s-who in his Royal Occultist compendium, which you can find for free here and focuses on the Necromancer of Paris!

• The next chapter in Dan Abnett’s Brink releases this week. Look for it in the pages of 2000AD, prog 2485.

• John Goodrich (Mud and Mist) announced that his upcoming fantasy/noir novel Dead Wrongs will be releasing in July 2027 from Grand Central Publishing.

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Coming Attractions

Here’s a list of the known upcoming releases from the Black Library based on the available preorder information we have. As always, take all of this with a grain of salt unless it’s Games Workshop-confirmed.

This section will be updated weekly in this column, and anything in bold has been added (or updated) this week.

Upcoming but Undated

• Rynn’s World, by Steve Parker (Special Edition)

• Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! (Illustrated and Annotated Edition), by Nate Crowley

Current PODs in Production

• Hive, by Dan Abnett (Special Edition)

Upcoming in 2026

• Armageddon: Season of Fire, by Jude Reid (hardcover, 6/20)

• Armageddon: Season of Fire, by Jude Reid (Special Edition, 6/27)

• Tomb World, by Jonathan Beer (paperback, 6/27)

• The Remnant Blade, by Mike Vincent (paperback, 6/27)

• Voidscarred, by Mike Brooks (paperback, 6/27)

• Krakenblood, by Marc Collins (paperback, 7/14)

• Vagabond Squadron, by Robbie MacNiven (paperback, 7/14)

• Starseer’s Ruin, by Adrian Tchaikovsky (paperback, 7/14)

• Siege of Terra: Flames of Betrayal, by various (paperback, 7/28)

• Warhammer Age of Sigmar: The Ultimate Guide (hardcover, 8/11)

• Archmagos, by Guy Haley (paperback, 8/11)

• The Relentless Dead, by Steve Lyons (paperback, 8/11)

• Words of Waaagh!, by DK Books (hardcover, 10/6)

• The Sundering, by Gav Thorpe (paperback, 10/6)

Thanks again for joining me for all the going’s on in the Black Library, and see you next week!

1. I’ll confess that it did feel pretty good when she asked me if there were any of the books I might like to get, and I replied that I already owned all of them.

2. One of the best I’ve ever listened to. If you’ve never had the pleasure, run, don’t walk.