We’ve got a lot to talk about today, from the Raldoron preorder to a new Old World book, the month’s new promotions on the Black Library App to a very special September book giveaway… but first, I have a little bit of personal news to share.
Longtime readers will know that everything I’ve done that’s Warhammer related, from my first articles on Tabletop Battles (then Goonhammer) to this Substack and everything on it, all came as a result of my wife Jimi’s breast cancer diagnosis in 2024. Needing a little distraction brought me back to the books; the magic of the books soon rekindled my love of writing1.
Last week, Jimi lost her battle.
All cancers are bastards, but hers was particularly ruthless. Triple-negative inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), because of course my wife never did anything by halves. Notoriously aggressive, maddeningly hard to treat. It endured waves of chemotherapy and radiation, eluded a double mastectomy and lymph node removal, and outwitted the extraordinarily talented medical staff first at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, then MD Anderson in Houston- to say nothing of the very caring and dedicated team here in Louisville.
My wife was no stranger to pain. Our first child was born at home, the twins were an emergency caesarian and two that followed were delivered naturally. As a birth doula, she helped bring over two hundred souls into this world, an observer to the pain of birth when not herself a participant. But by the end, the debilitating agony of her disease spreading first into her lungs and then her bones proved too great to bear.
Getting Through It
If this all sounds like a tragedy, that’s because it is. She never saw her fiftieth birthday, and our children range in age from fifteen to eight2. The hole she leaves behind is massive. But what’s gotten us through every step of this journey has been a spirit of gratitude, and it’s that which I’d most like to share today.
Because while I am certainly sad, I am so incredibly grateful.
If you went back to right after I moved to Kentucky and offered me a deal: that I would meet the love of my life, get twenty amazing years and build an incredible family together, but that they would leave this earth far too soon… would I still take it? I think anyone would.
We’ve been beset by misfortune for the past two years. On the day we closed on our house, my wife lost her job. Three months later came her diagnosis. This past May I learned I was being laid off myself. Any one of these alone is a major blow to any family; all three in short order feels like cruelty.
And yet… losing her job allowed her to grieve its loss and be emotionally ready for the fight to come. Losing mine allowed me to focus entirely on being a caretaker at a time when she most needed it, traveling back and forth from Houston during her clinical trial every week or so.
And while it might sound absurd to see cancer as a blessing, the long battle gave all of us a long time to come to terms with it and what it meant for our family. I can only imagine the shock and devastation of a sudden loss such as a car accident, where so much of your life is ripped away in an instant. Our journey has been full of things that looked bad when they were in front of us, but then quite different in the rearview.
A week on and there are plenty of tears here. But there are far more smiles and laughter. When one of us threatens to be overtaken by sorrow, the comfort of a hug and sharing a fond memory are but an armlength away.
Sometimes that one of us is me.
I am grateful too for what Warhammer has given us throughout all this. It wasn’t just my place of refuge, but something we enjoyed together. She’d read and loved the Eisenhorn trilogy, and enjoyed listening to the audiobooks on our many road trips to Houston. It’s crazy to think that a little over a week ago, we visited the Warhammer Store & Cafe. And if not for all this we’ve had to endure, you wouldn’t be reading this today and I certainly wouldn’t be writing it.
I’ve also been blown away by the outpouring of love and support from the announcement on Facebook. Jimi touched so many lives in her time here, and seeing the deluge of tributes was a welcome reminder of what a hero she was to me, not just to me and our children but to so many more I (and probably she!) didn’t even know about. Were there in fact a Bell of Lost Souls, it surely would be tolling.
So there’s my takeaway for today: count your blessings, folks. All of them. Even the ones that don’t necessarily look like blessings.
Especially those.
September’s Giveaway
One thing that’s really nice about the Grapevine store is that they carry deluxe edition Black Library books as part of their active stock. When we visited they had three Special Editions of Justin D. Hill’s Bjorn, the Fell-Handed in stock, and when we left they had one less. Since I already had an ordered copy waiting for me at home this was a curious impulse buy, but one that makes perfect sense now.
So that’s this month’s giveaway, a Special Edition of ol’ Bjorn.
To enter, you just need to be a Wordforge subscriber (it’s free!) and leave a comment on this post answering the following question:
What is something that you are grateful for?
It can be anything from the superficial to the serious, this isn’t a test and there aren’t any grades being handed out. Instead, I’ll pick one random entrant next week!
Raldawrong or Raldaright?
Raldoron’s preorder got weird.
We knew it was going to be bad, right? I mean, there’s certainly plenty of cause to expect the worst going into an odd preorder window that opens at the same moment for the entire world. But weird? That I didn’t expect.
My first clue of how things were going to go came at about three hours before the window’s opening, when I went to buy myself a voucher. As I detail in my guide to collecting the Black Library, I always like to use vouchers to pay for my preorders in an effort to minimize the number of click-throughs. Typically the voucher arrives in my inbox in about fifteen minutes, but this one appeared to get lost in the warp (it would eventually arrive on its own the next day3).
Then there was the drop time. Games Workshop always gives its preorder window times at the hour, but veterans know that you should start expecting to see it up to five minutes early- a perfect example of the axiom, “early is on time, and on time is late.”
Eleven minutes before the hour as I was doing a bit of Wordforge writing, I clicked over to the preorder tab and hit refresh. This was part out of making sure I stayed logged in for the upcoming window, and partly just mindless habit. Imagine my surprise when the Raldoron Special Edition appeared.
After adding it to my basket and making a beeline for checkout, I ran into the usual pink-box errors that seem to be common these days. I usually get through it with a quick refresh; this time it took two, but soon the Omnissiah blessed me with the Order Complete window.
My next stop was to zip over to the Black Library subreddit and Black Library Nutters Facebook Group (my usual haunts), giving them all a snap head’s up that the window had opened up far earlier than anyone not employed by Games Workshop’s IT department was expecting.
I seemed to be one of the lucky ones, as reports started rolling in of website issues for many trying to check out. When a friend of mine reported experiencing an internet outage, I figured I’d wade back in to try and secure her a copy. This time I had to refresh the pink box of doom around three dozen times4, but eventually I managed to successfully check out at a quarter past the hour.
As a side note, this is where I’m lucky I get to approach these things from a journalistic perspective. If I try thirty times and give up, I have a story. If most others try thirty times and give up, all they walk away with is frustration. No matter what happens during a preorder, I always walk away with something- even if it’s just the opportunity to write about it. I can’t lie; it does ease the chafe of a bad experience a touch.
But that wasn’t the end of it. After reportedly selling out soon after, I kept seeing reports of purchases made throughout the day. It was almost as if smaller windows of availability kept opening up for those lucky few still rolling the dice. Was this reflective of website problems clearing up? GW IT working overtime to catch and cancel scalper-bot orders? Something else? It’s impossible to discern from the outside looking in, but all in all it made for a very unusual day at the office.
So who won here?
Well, I certainly did through the dumbest of luck, securing mine unusually early. But for each one snapped up before the starter pistol, that’s one person less who was able to get theirs when they showed up at the “correct” preorder time.
Those who managed to slip past the snafus did, though in many cases it necessitated no small amount of stubborn perseverance (as with my second purchase). And of course, those who managed to stumble upon one of the inventory refreshes throughout the day, well, they’re winners too.
But if your idea of winners are the lucky and the stubborn rather than the mass and press of your ordinary punters at the door, well, I’m not sure that’s a desirable end state. And with the Special Edition of Blackheart: Claws of the Maelstrom by Marc Collins seeing a possible repeat of the special preorder window process this Wednesday, buckle in, folks.
Things might get weird.
A Wiki Situation
Jacques Corby-Tuech in the Black Library Nutters group has gotten the ball rolling on creating a Black Library wiki site, and things are already moving! While there are other Warhammer-based wikis out there (such as the excellent Lexicanum, which I’ve frequently appreciated!), this one will take a notably book-centric approach.
For instance, its page on Dan Abnett’s Horus Rising has a full publication history, including release dates and ISBN’s. While some of this information is admittedly somewhat niche, it can be incredibly useful for some. It’s still in its infancy, with most pages being skeletal placeholders, but like all wikis the aim is to eventually get out even more than what you put in. And best of all, says Jacques,, there will be “absolutely no tracking or advertising ever, and all the data is collected in handy tables that can then easily be extracted out of the site again for your own purposes.”
I’ll be very keen to see how this grows and develops!
Arrivals & Departures
In this section I look at what’s coming up around the corner (Arrivals) and what’s landing on bookstore shelves (Departures).
Arrivals
The big news this week was the announcement of the next Warhammer: The Old World novel, Blood of the Bastion by Evan Dicken (Shade of Khaine, First Marshal). For those less familiar with the fantasy side of things, the Old World setting reflects the original Warhammer Fantasy world before it was blown up in 2014-15 and replaced with Age of Sigmar.
In the hearts of fans, though, it never really went away. The End Times transition was far from universally beloved, and a confluence of factors managed to bring The Old World setting back to life, including:
Persistent, unmet fan demand, which saw a noticeable exodus for other game systems like Kings of War rather than just ‘funneling in’ to Age of Sigmar
Video games like Total War and Vermintide kept the setting feeling active and contemporary
The success of 2012’s Horus Heresy tabletop game showed that parallel properties and systems were viable
New executive leadership in 2015 took a broader approach to the hobby and was open to a return in some form
These ingredients simmered and cooked, leading to this in 2024:
The same year saw Graham McNeill’s Lords of the Lance, which even received a Special Edition release. “Middle-Earth got to me first,” noted McNeill in the Special Edition’s introduction, “but it was the black humour and grim fatalism of Warhammer that really tickled the inside of my brain. The Old World has always felt dangerous to me in a way most fantasy universes seldom did (at least until Game of Thrones).
“When news reached me on America’s far shores that the return of Warhammer had been heralded by a twin-tailed comet in the skies over Nottingham, it wasn’t even a question if I’d want to write a novel set in the reborn Old World.”
In an interview at the time on the mothership, McNeill was effusive in his desire to keep writing for the setting, but alas nothing more seemed to materialize.
Until now, that is.
The announcement of Dicken’s upcoming tale was exciting not only for Old World fans, but also for those of the Cathay setting.
As per usual with the teaser pieces there’s no hint of a timeline, but I’m delighted to see that this, too, will be offered in a deluxe edition.
Aside from the reveal, all was quiet in the Sunday Preview yesterday. Enjoy the Wallet Appreciation Week (unless you’re a fan of Ogors).
Departures
Another week with a nice stream of releases into the physical world as the Deathwatch Special Editions have dropped. Steve Parker’s novel got a wonderful deluxe treatment here, and reports have even come in that a few have found their way back to the website for ordering by a lucky few.
Nate Crowley’s Illustrated and Annotated Edition of Prophet of the Waaagh! also arrived, as well as the standard hardcover edition of Bjorn, the Fell-Handed by Justin D. Hill and Andy Clark’s Demolisher in paperback.
Black Library App Sales for September
You know what else turning of the month means? A new slate of sales on the Black Library app! As a reminder, this is a new (and 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 (typically 50% off the eBook, 66% off the audio).
For September, the following are on sale:
Anvils of the Heldenhammer, by Dale Lucas (audio, ebook)
Blood of Asaheim, by Chris Wraight (audio, ebook)
Brutal Kunnin, by Mike Brooks (audio, ebook)
Callis and Toll, by David Annandale (audio, ebook)
Dante, by Guy Haley (audio, ebook)
Dead Men Walking, by Steve Lyons (audio, ebook)
Soul Hunter, by Aaron Dembski-Bowden (audio, ebook)
Yndrasta: The Celestial Spear, by Noah Van Nguyen (audio, ebook)
ICYMI
Here’s what’s been going on this week for Warhammer content!
Warhammer Wordforge
As a Black Library Readers’ Hall of Fame weekend, in addition to the main feature on Tabletop Battles there was also the regular companion piece, The Hall Monitor. This week I talked about the glut of books we’re seeing in the Black Library istarting in 2016, and how that reflected a change in Games Workshop’s corporate priorities.
For Wednesday’s article, we rolled out a new companion feature to the Scribes & Scriveners show on WarhammerTV. The Writer Files will not only recap their interview on that show, but look at their body of work overall. We kicked things off with Marc Collins (Krakenblood, Grim Repast).
Finally, Friday’s Warhammer RPG Weekly looked at the exciting debut of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay’s 5th Edition from Cubicle 7 Games!
Tabletop Battles
Four books were inducted into the Black Library Readers’ Hall of Fame this week from the Class of 2016! The Heresy came up big, but Age of Sigmar got some love as well!
Warhammer Community
The Pages from the Black Books series dove into the Sisters of Silence this week with the free download from 2014’s The Horus Heresy Book Three: Extermination.
For those who (like me) enjoy decorating their libraries with coins and miniatures, you won’t want to miss seeing what September’s monthly offerings are.
WarhammerTV (paywalled)
No Black Library content this week, but it’s likely no coincidence with this week’s book reveal that Loremasters will be dropping an episode on Grand Cathay this week!
Around the Webway
The Oldhammer Fiction Podcast was looking at Games Workshop’s tie-in novels for their Dark Future property, which has at least a kind of tangential overlap to the worlds of 40K in spirit if not in actual lore.
Mira Manga sat down for a terrific hour with Dan Abnett, chatting about all things Hive5! Not only that, but the book was also the subject this week of her Warhammer Book Club review with Arbitor Ian!
Wargaming site Miniature Realms covers a lot of The Old World tabletop content, but was very pleased to see the announcement of the upcoming Cathay novel this week!
I often spotlight It Always Rains in Nuln for my Warhammer RPG Weekly column (like this one, but on Fridays), but this week they posted a take on The End Times that talks about the whole narrative event, including touching on the Black Library books of the time. It’s highly editorial, but I certainly enjoyed the read (and understand the frustration!).
Finally, while it’s not directly Black Library related, there was a terrific piece on Substack this week by Mark Newheiser about whether it’s better to read books in publication order or in-story “chronological” order. The writer makes a strong case for the former for reasons I’ve myself long held, and with Horus Heresy reading order discussions being a frequent topic it’s well worth considering.
Cold Open Stories
This week’s featured story is New Moon, by Daniel Summerbell. “With the New Moon comes the sound of sirens, the harbinger of dread. The radio may have gone silent, but Joshua stands ready, together with the people of his village, his battered old rifle, and his faith in the Emperor, to face whatever it is that is coming their way.”
Quick Hits
Speaking of Justin D. Hill (Hell’s Last, Bjorn the Fell-Handed), he’ll also be contributing to an anthology marking the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066 coming out later this month. It also will feature work by Matthew Harffy (The Whispering Blade).
Tim Waggoner (Skin Man) appeared on the Methods of Fiction podcast this week, discussing how to write effective horror fiction. As a Bram Stoker Award winner, Wagoner certainly has a few things to share on that front.
Gav Thorpe (The Wolftime, 13th Legion) shared that he’d found a box of Warhammer audio drama CD’s in his storage and has put them up on eBay to find them new homes. If you’re missing a few from your collection, make sure ot check it out!
James Swallow (The Flight of the Eisenstein, Deus Encarmine) appeared on The Randomizer podcast this week, discussing the upcoming Thunderbirds anthology International Rescues that he’s a contributor on.
Finally, it was the most recent Black Library royalties day this past week. Josh Reynolds (Shadespire: The Mirrored City, Lukas the Trickster) once again posted a small summary of how he did. Since this isn’t the kind of thing you can ever expect to get transparency on, it’s great that he’s continued to do this.
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
Helbrecht: Sin of Hope, by Mike Vincent
Cold Covenant, by Peter Fehervari
Current PODs in Production
Hive, by Dan Abnett (Special Edition)
Upcoming in 2026
Raldoron: Revenant, by Guy Haley (hardcover, Special Edition, 9/12)
Blackheart: Claws of the Maelstrom, by Marc Collins (hardcover, Special Edition, 9/19)
Voice of Command, by Richard Swan (hardcover, 9/19)
Words of Waaagh!, by DK Books (hardcover, 10/6)
The Sundering, by Gav Thorpe (paperback, 10/6)
Auxilia, by Russell Zimmerman (paperback, 10/206)
Dropsite Massacre, by John French (paperback, 10/20)
Apostle, by David Annandale (paperback, 10/20)
Master of Rites, by Rob Young (paperback, 10/20)
Death Rider, by Rhuairidh James (paperback, 11/19)
Ghost Legion, by Mike Brooks (paperback, 11/19)
Chem Dog, by Callum Davis (paperback, 12/17)
Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords, by Denny Flowers (paperback, 12/17)
Ashes of the Imperium, by Chris Wraight (paperback, 12/17)
Thanks again for joining me for all the going’s on in the Black Library, and see you next week!
Around a decade ago I did a great deal of writing around Magic: the Gathering. I went into more detail around all this here, for those wanting to know more.
Vouchers allow you to send them at a future, specified date, but I’m always careful when selecting the date. The receipt did have the correct delivery date on it, just to rule out that possibility.
The experience did at least prompt me to finally email GW tech support about clearing the pink box error, which they would later confirm they did. We’ll see what happens this Wednesday when Blackheart goes up.
Mira is one of those members of the community that loves to shine the spotlight on others (these people are relatively rare in any fandom and should be cherished). When she booked the opportunity to speak with Dan, she turned around and asked others if they had a question they might want asked of him as well. She asked mine right around the 43rd minute mark, and thank you Mira!!
This date came from a Facebook post by author Russell Zimmerman, noting that Target had set this as the release date on its website. Thanks Russell!
So sorry for your loss. It was a beautiful tribute you wrote for her.
I'm grateful for my mother, she gave me all, and wanted nothing in return.
I'm grateful for you, Jay. I've been reading your various columns since I first got into reading black library. You've given so much to the community. Condolences to you and your family.
(Ps I'm already a proud owner of Bjorn, so randomly pick someone else!)