Black Library Weekly: Asleep at the Wheel

Image credit: Games Workshop

You'll never convince me that the universe doesn't have a sense of humor.

I was deep in the word mines this past Saturday, working on an upcoming article about Black Library book collecting. This first installment was aimed at the novice collector, a sort of "everything you need to know about starting to collect the Black Library" primer. I was writing the section on how to maximize your chances of getting deluxe books (Limited/Special Editions) on preorder day, when I happened to glance at the time.

1:03 PM.

It would have been particularly cruel if I'd missed out on getting a deluxe edition I was wanting (in this case, Andy Clark's Steel Tread) because I was too busy writing about life rather than actually living it, but as it happened there were still copies available eight minutes after the open of the preorder window.

In fact, it looks like at time of writing (Sunday evening) there are copies available still.

Coming so hot on the heels of the (also-still-available) Vagabond Squadron Special Edition underlines some of the questions we asked last week regarding the potential influence of consumer fatigue.

Last week I looked at what it would have cost if you'd bought every deluxe edition in 2025, and here's what I'd said about our current quarter:

Since we’re still in the fourth quarter we’ll have to do a little extrapolating, but here’s what we know.

About halfway through we’re already well past the entire first quarter of 2025 with a total of $490. Krakenblood, Relentless Dead, Vagabond Squadron, Renegades: Harrowmaster, Hereticus, Archmagos, and Steel Tread. At current pace we’ll end the year at just under $1000, a rate of $327 a month.

And this week? Two more Special Editions up for preorder (which we'll get to shortly). The addition of these two new offerings pushes our quarter-to-date pricing total from USD $490 to $640 and our end-of-quarter projection to $1,280.

That's $427 a month. Back to last week's column:

So from $133/mo. to $203/mo. to $280/mo. and ending- during the holiday season when money can be particularly tight- at $327 [now $427]. And remember, that’s just for your deluxe releases- this doesn’t include any book that didn’t get a Limited, Special, or commemorative Edition printing. Did you want to grab Verminslayer or Starseer’s Ruin? Death and Duty or The Remnant Blade? Those will add even more. Merry Grotmas, y’all!

To my friends at the Black Library, in the immortal words of Roberto Duran...

¡No mas!

Or with Games Workshop being in the UK....

James Workshop, can you hear me? James Workshop...

My wallet took a hell of a beating! My wallet took a hell of a beating!

Battle of the Bots

Last week's piece got a lot of traction in the Black Library communities as many of us discussed the central question, 'how much is too much' when it comes to premium releases.

But it's also important to note that my experience is not universal- not least because as a "buy one of everything collector" I'm actually in a small minority of Black Library consumers. Plenty of folks looked at this, shrugged, and said, "I only buy what I want." And this week's offerings are likely to excite fans across the whole spectrum of consumption.

First up is the long-awaited kickoff of the newest Horus Heresy series, The Scouring. Chris Wraight's Ashes of the Imperium will be available in both a deluxe edition (Limited? Special? It's a bit unclear.) as well as standard hardcover. You may recall that early last month we learned there was a copy of the premium edition of the book that had somehow escaped into the wild and ended up being sold on eBay. From that week's column:

Real? Fake? Speculation abounded, but if it’s confirmed there’s a bit of good news for collectors- the limited run appears to have a quantity of 3,500 copies.

Welp, now that we know what the cover looks like it's safe to say it was real- so let's talk about that increase in the number of copies available.

Last June, the Limited Edition of Era of Ruin went on sale during a special preorder window (I talked about that experience here). The scalper bot brigades swarmed- as we knew they would- and ultimately Games Workshop was forced to yank the plug on the whole thing. All orders were canceled, an email sign-up for updates was posted by GW- and at time of writing there have been no further updates and no prospect of release. Outside of a handful of copies that have popped up at Warhammer retail locations, the edition appears to be in limbo.

Since that time, though, it appears that Games Workshop has been quietly exploring ways to counter those that seek to exploit the limited availability of deluxe edition products and resell them at great markup on the secondary market, including:

Increased transparency. I was pleased to see that GW was candid in talking about the scalper-bot issue when Era of Ruin tanked out, even releasing a statement explaining what had happened- and some of the steps they were taking. More of this, please!
Increased security. Since the Era of Ruin debacle, more consumers (myself included) have reported encountering Captcha verification as a part of the ordering experience.
Increased vigilance. I've shared this before, but according to my local Warhammer store manager Games Workshop has been increasingly purging dodgy-looking product orders and returning the product to stock. The only evidence I have of this is when people post in the Black Library communities that "hey, surprise restock is up on the Warhammer site," but I have witnessed an increase in those kinds of posts in the last few months.

Can we now add increased release issue to the arsenal? Scalpers thrive in the high-demand/low-supply quadrant, and expanding supply is a sure way to make their jobs harder while ensuring more of your product gets into the right hands. Moving from 2,500 to 3,500 copies in a limited run is not a small increase, and while it's not likely to solve the problem at a stroke you can hardly blame Games Workshop for moving cautiously. Limited editions are intended to be limited, after all.

And it might not just be a higher issue count, but also the potential of a reissue, as noted here in today's Sunday Preview for the Limited Edition.

Image credit: Games Workshop

Like anyone else Games Workshop will ultimately be judged on results, not on intentions. But I find these developments promising. Time will tell whether or not this increase in availability is applied to other future releases or is just a one-off experiment, but the last thought I'll leave here is that we should remember that nothing happens in a vacuum. Scalpers are an unpleasant part of the collecting experience, but- unlike the targeted anti-scalper measures noted above- an increase of supply also can have unintended consequences for the consumer when it comes to resale value.

Economics has lots of moving pieces.

Image credit: Games Workshop

Blueberry Picking

The other title up for preorder this weekend is Rob Young's Master of Rites, which had been announced way back in April. For months I'd been wondering at the delay, but the launch of the Ultramarine-intensive 500 Worlds campaign storyline has made plain that Games Workshop was playing the long game on this one.

It's from Rob Young, who has also written Longshot and Leontus: Lord Solar (review). With both of those being Astra Militarum books, this was his first crack at the Astartes and he didn't jump in by halves, did he? The release even scored Young an interview feature on WARCOM, where he talks a bit about writing the book.

In conjunction with the book's release the teased release of a Ferren Areios miniature is up for preorder. If Games Workshop released a mini for each new book I'd be broke within the year- I only just recently finished building Fulgrim for the Museum to go with Jude Reid's Fulgrim, The Perfect Son Limited Edition!

Speaking of mini/book combos, the latest Minka Lesk book, Hell's Last by Justin D. Hill, is also up for preorder. While the amazing miniatures set is no longer available on Warhammer.com, it's a terrific box that I've paired with my Hell's Last Limited Edition in the Museum.

Meanwhile, Steel Tread will be up for preorder in standard hardcover,

Sharing a Six Pack With… Victoria Hayward!

Victoria Hayward's Deathworlder was not only 2024's entry in the Astra Militarum series (which this year added Final Deployment by R. S. Wilt, reviewed here), but it was my personal Warhammer Book of the Year₂. I'm a sucker for great Guard characters and stories, but it was the addition of absolutely delectable tyranid body horror that sent this one to the top.

In addition to her other short story work (most recently Blood Sands in the Death and Duty anthology), she's also written for the Darktide video game. I asked her for six of her recommendations, and she didn't hesitate to drop some bombs!

"Now, I think I have declared elsewhere that my Warhammer origin novels were Dan Abnett's Ravenor and Ian Watson's Space Marine (which I first read in the sweltering heat of Mumbai, several decades ago, only adding to the psychedelic experience of that text) so I shall try and suggest some more recent work..."

Three Black Library Books She’d Recommend…

Image credit: Games Workshop

Steel Tread, by Andy Clark. "This is the first book in the Astra Militarum imprint, and a total banger. Andy does lovely character work and knows how to deliver a romp. I recommend picking this up if you’d like a pacy tank story that rattles you along at a rate of knots! Once you meet the cast of characters (who are variously and at turns delightful, despicable and lovable) you’ll definitely want to get on board now for the sequel (Demolisher).

Image credit: Games Workshop

Grim Repast, by Marc Collins. "Marc is a gentleman and a scholar and a veritable library of Warhammer lore. He does a super job here of pulling together the different elements that give Warhammer Crime its distinctive feel, all of which are threads woven together by the different authors who have written about Varangantua, whilst adding something totally new here. I think it’s skillfully done and very stylish - and as someone who has also written in the setting was going OMG at some of the Varangantua lore reveals Marc pulls off."

Image credit: Games Workshop

Day of Ascension, by Adrian Tchaikovsky. "Adrian is one of the most decorated and well-regarded science fiction authors working today - and very fortunately for us, he’s also a Warhammer fan! Nobody quite writes the nonhuman like Adrian, and it was a real treat for me that his genestealer novella was published while I was working on Deathworlder. I absolutely loved the way he explored the psychology and sociology of the cult - I thought the warmth he gave it was fascinating, as well as that ominous feeling of looking forward to the 'angels' arriving. It’s so well-done, and really inspired me to lean into 'what happens next' in Deathworlder when we move into the consumption phase₃ of a Tyranid invasion."

Two Non-Black Library Books She’d Recommend…

"I think I recommend Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice every time anyone asks me to recommend a book, and I stand by that. It’s my favourite in the world and one I read on repeat. Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian is a book I read when I need to be inspired when starting a new project. The beauty and violence of the way he uses language just isn’t like anything else. But I think I’ve mentioned both of those before, so for my recommendations here…"

Image credit: Picador

The Bells of Old Tokyo: Travels in Japanese Time by Anna Sherman. "This is a non-fiction book about the author’s quest to track down where the Bells of Edo are now - but it’s also an absorbing and beautiful walk through place, and memory and sound, filled with a sense of mournful belonging₄.

"From the blurb: 'The Bells of Old Tokyo presents a series of hauntingly memorable voices in the labyrinth that is the metropolis of the Japanese capital: An aristocrat plays in the sea of ashes left by the Allied firebombing of 1945. A scientist builds the most accurate clock in the world, a clock that will not lose a second in five billion years.' Anna writes in such a beautiful way, lightly layering history and place and yet anchoring you with a sense of connection to the voices in the book."

Image credit: Tor

The Murderbot Diaries, by Martha Wells. "This is so fun and lovely. It was a recommendation from a colleague that saw me frantically trying to order all of the novellas in the right order in the UK (which was a little tricky but worth it) because I was immediately addicted and just gobbled these up like unsuspecting Ferrero Rochers at Christmas. I don’t remember the last time I rinsed through a series that quickly.

"The protagonist (the eponymous Murderbot) is so compelling and their journey to understand why the hell people are *like that* as well as uncover their own past is both enormously relatable and entirely unique, and watching the struggle between wanting/not wanting connection is so engaging. I hope Martha writes 100 more of these."

Image credit: Games Workshop

And Finally, One of Her Own Books She’d Recommend…

Deathworlder, by Victoria Hayward. "I have a few stories out in anthologies here and there (Grimdark Magazine, Air & Nothingness Press, Black Library) but I would point you toward my debut Warhammer novel, Deathworlder. It’s the first novel to be set entirely during the Tyranid consumption phase, and therefore allows an in-depth exploration of what that might look like and feel like. Spoiler - it’s GROSS.

"I love sensory writing and specifically with Deathworlder, really trying to get into the minds of characters experiencing the literal end of the world. Folk have been generous in their feedback about the characters, so if you like your Warhammer fiction character-driven, then you might like to spend some time with my squad of Catachans (and one plucky Cadian!) rampaging through an absolute nightmare parade of chitinous horrors!"

Superb recommendations, thank you so much Tory! And folks, if you haven't read Deathworlder by now, close your eyes for a moment and imagine your preferred "do it" meme.

Image credit: Black Library... I guess?

Demnächst

A sharp-eyed reader spotted an upcoming Mike Brooks Alpha Legion novel on the horizon. Featuring Solomon Akurra, hero of Renegades: Harrowmaster, it appeared on the German Amazon site with a listed release date of 7 April, 2026.

Die Geisterlegion means the "Ghost Legion," which is what Renegades: Harrowmaster was titled in its German translation. Die Säule der Träume is "the pillar of dreams." As to what the title will ultimately be when it's released in English?

Da weiß ich genauso wenig wie du...

Image credit: Games Workshop

ICYMI

Here's what you might have missed this week!

First up, we announced the three inaugural awardees of our Black Library Readers' Hall of Fame. You've got the rest of the week to vote for your picks for the second class (the novels of 1999-2000), so make sure to stop over and make your voice heard! This initiative is a ton of fun and the community engagement has been massive.

Our book review this week saw Lenoon crack into the Darkness Eternal anthology. While largely nonplussed, Lenoon did find a couple of real gems in the mix!

And apropos of nothing₅, I'm just gonna link to Rob "The Chirurgeon" Jones' updated piece on his Night Lords army.

Around the web, the Fluffenhammer gang released the next installment of their issue-by-issue deep dive into the comic magazine Warhammer Monthly. "The Redeemer has arrived and his name is... Pat Mills' career."

Jen and Keri of the WH40K Book Club released their review of Mike Vincent's The Remnant Blade (with our review here), and if you're wondering, "Jay, didn't you link to that last week," yes, yes I did. Please see Footnote #5 below.

And oh, were we talking about the Night Lords? Sheerest coincidence, of course, that Arbiter Ian and (Black Library Readers' Hall of Fame Committee member) Mira Manga decided to turn off the lights and dive into Aaron Dembski-Bowden's Soul Hunter for their book club review.

Sometimes its coincidence, sometimes serendipity₅.

Image credit: Graham McNeill

Quick Hits

Tim Waggoner (Skin Man) announced that he's got a story coming up in the Horror Not Hate anthology from Slow Feet Comics. Billed as "an anti-fascist, anti-hate anthology of horror comics and art supporting LGBTQIA+ and Immigrant rights," look for the Kickstarter coming soon!
With the publication of Da Red Gobbo's Last Stand writer Andi Ewington has entered the pantheon of Black Library writers. I always love when new writers join the club because I can head straight to their online presence of choice₆ and his site is a very-well done delight. Sign up to the newsletter and get a free short story, too!
The Black Library-focused content on Warhammer+ has slowed down a bit. The Black Library Book Club has been moribund after just two episodes, while Scribes & Scriveners has been awhile without an update. Good news! John French (Ahriman, Dropsite Massacre) will be in the upcoming episode to talk about writing the Horus Heresy.
Graham McNeill's (False Gods, Storm of Iron) eagerly-awaited Vikings-vs-demons 250+ page graphic novel Kickstarter Wolves of Winter dropped this past week. It looks metal as hell, make sure to check it out!
A few weeks ago I talked about collector John Spade's quest for an Ashes of the Imperium #0001. He's announced a $2000 charity bounty over on Reddit, so the hunt is afoot!

Image credit: Games Workshop

Coming Attractions

Here’s a list of the date-set 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.

Going forward, this section will be updated weekly in this column. Any titles that are announced but without a date will be added once a date is assigned it, and anything highlighted in green is something just added (or updated) this week. Books that are underlined are previously unpublished titles.

Upcoming but Undated

Demolisher, by Andy Clark (hardcover and Special)

Upcoming in 2025

Vagabond Squadron, by Robbie MacNiven (Special Edition and hardcover, 11/15)
Starseer's Ruin, by Adrian Tchaikovsky (hardcover, 11/15)
Archmagos, by Guy Haley (Special Edition and hardcover, 11/22)
Eisenhorn: Hereticus Illustrated and Annotated Edition, by Dan Abnett (hardcover, 11/22)
Renegades: Harrowmaster, by Mike Brooks (Special Edition, 11/22)
The Twice-Dead King: The Omnibus, by Nate Crowley (paperback, 11/22)
The Art of Warhammer Video Games, by Andy Hall (hardcover, 11/25)
Steel Tread, by Andy Clark (Special Edition, 11/29)
Steel Tread, by Andy Clark (hardcover, 12/6)
Master of Rites, by Rob Young (hardcover and Special, 12/6)
Ashes of the Imperium: The Scouring, by Chris Wraight (hardcover, 12/6)₇
Hell’s Last, by Justin D. Hill (paperback, 12/6)
The Rise of Nagash, by Mike Lee (paperback, 12/16)

Upcoming in 2026

Farsight: Blade of Truth, by Phil Kelly (paperback, 1/27)
Fulgrim: The Perfect Son, by Jude Reid (paperback, 1/27) (review)
Siege of Terra: The Shattered and the Soulless, by Graham McNeill (paperback, 1/27)
Vaults of Terra: The Omnibus, by Chris Wraight (paperback, 1/27)
Huron Blackheart: Master of the Maelstrom, by Mike Brooks (paperback, 3/10)
Carcharodons: Void Exile, by Robbie MacNiven (paperback, 3/10) (review)
The Green Tide, by Mike Brooks, Nate Crowley, and Justin Woolley (paperback 3/24)
The Ghost Legion: The Pillar of Dreams, by Mike Brooks (title translated from German) (4/7)
Carnage Unending, by Dan Abnett (paperback, 4/21)

Footnotes

As part of the Astra Militarum series, Steel Tread was a paperback-only release when it came out in 2021. You can choose to regard this simply as a new reissue in hardcover, or the correction of a historical injustice. Up to you. With tongue firmly in cheek I'm in the latter category.
Black Library folks, Deathworlder Special Edition please? I'll pay, I promise I will...
I wasn't exaggerating when I said 'tyranid body horror,' y'all.
"...an absorbing and beautiful walk through place, and memory and sound, filled with a sense of mournful belonging..." is such a wonderful depiction of a book. For me, that book was Istanbul, by Orhan Pamuk. Do you have one? I'd love for you to share it. These kinds of books, these haunting and beautiful depictions of time and place, are rare, and to be shared and treasured.
Ave Dominus Nox, friends.
If they have one. I opened a bit of a can of worms about this last June. Needless to say, some (for various reasons) have them, and some (for various reasons) do not.
This isn't the first time I've had to update the expected arrival date for Ashes of the Imperium; Amazon first had it in November.

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Tags: black library | black library weekly | victoria hayward