Black Library Weekly: Does Paper Move Plastic?

The false consensus effect is a type of cognitive bias that anchors our own experience as a reasonable basis for the experiences of others. I do thing, the idea goes, therefore other people do thing too.

For example, I have no idea how many Black Library readers and collectors have their purchasing habits influenced by the books, but "paper moves plastic" is something I feel in my guy to be intrinsically true.

This week I spent a few days assembling a $96 box of plastic that, once complete, formed a Valkyrie- and for no good reason other than because I had enjoyed Robbie MacNiven's Vagabond Squadron so much (review). Before that, my #HobbyStreak consisted of the Captain Titus and the Wardens of Ultramar box. Indeed, all around my office on my Warhammer bookshelves are a cast of characters from Ushoran to Leontus, Lord Solar to Gaunt's Ghosts. All miniatures bought out of love for the books and the characters.

Image credit: Jay Kirkman

A great way to combat cognitive bias is with data, so let's see how many others of us are out there! With no Black Library preorders going up this week, it'll at least give us something to do, right?

Image credit: Cubicle 7 Games[/caption]

RPG Corner

Between Voidscarred and The Maelstrom, what a time it is to be a corsair! Cubicle 7 Games has entered the chat with an emailed announcement for its next Warhammer Fantasy Role Play supplement, Temple of Spite.

Player characters will shine like thunder and cry like rain... err wait, wrong, Temple. Instead, they'll explore a floating fortress of the Naggaroth, from lords and sorceresses to- yes- the corsairs.

Lots and lots of corsairs.

Image credit: Neil Andrew Miller

Where Dwarf?

Last year I made the decision to subscribe to White Dwarf rather than worry about having to pick up a copy each month before they were gone at the local stores, and it turns out if you like convenience and fancy, full-art covers then subscribing is exactly what you should do!

If you like your magazines delivered on time, however, it's exactly what you should not do.

White Dwarf 520 (January 2026) was released on 17 January. My copy arrived in the post this past Saturday. This isn't new, either, while I haven't been keeping track I can say they've all been well behind when I'd expect to get them.

But all the same, it was worth the wait to be able to enjoy the debut of a new serialized story, The Chronicles of Bain. Bain, a Cadian Shock Trooper, has earned his way into the Callous Jacks, an elite unit tasked with pulling off a decapitation strike against a particularly nasty group of Orks. The story also marks the debut of Neil Andrew Miller to the Black Library. That's him above, commemorating the publication of his first story outside of his local Warhammer store.

Miller may be new to writing for Warhammer, but under the name Nick Spalding he's a bestselling author of comedy novels like Love from Both Sides and Bricking It. One would imagine the name change is to keep the two different brands separate, but one thing that's sure is that we'll be seeing much more of Neil/Nick ahead. Not only is The Chronicles of Bain a five-parter, but he's also recently been commissioned for a full Black Library novel to boot! Welcome, Neil!

Image credit: Denny Flowers

Writers Are Fans, Too!

While I’ll never scorn an author making an honest living selling the fruits of their imagination, I take an extra degree of satisfaction knowing how many of the writers whose stories and words populate the shelves of the Black Library are genuine Warhammer fans first, and Black Library writers second. Here’s a few who shared that love recently.

First up we've got ol' "Mr. Stinky," above, from Outgunned and Grostsnik: Da Mad Dok author Denny Flowers. Not sure how he'd feel about the nickname, but no doubt Mortarion would be flattered by the painting!

Image credit: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Image credit: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Next, some recent work from Adrian Tchaikovsky (Day of Ascension, Starseer's Ruin). "My first Horus Heresy stuff," he noted. "Mostly it hasn’t interested me because space marines are space marines but these guys…"

Image credit: Chris Thursten

Image credit: Chris Thursten

Next, take a moment to imagine just how surreal it must be to show up to your local Warhammer store to play in an Age of Sigmar event...fielding a character you literally wrote the book on. That's Chris Thursten, author of Abraxia, Spear of the Everchosen (review), and his army featuring- you know it- the Spear herself!

Image credit: John French

Finally, taking a detour to shiny, happy Necromunda we find some recent modeling work from John French. Can't wait to see the finished product, John!

Image credit: Ahoy Comics

Quick Hits

Brandon Easton (Embers of Extinction) was excited to share that Iyanu, the animated series he co-created with Roye Okupe, has been nominated for not one, but three NAACP Image Awards! A superhero fantasy story set in a Yoruba-inspired world, you can check it out (and vote for it!) here.
John French (Dropsite Massacre, The Solar War) released a new blog piece on his website aimed at offering some advice and guidance for writers. "Take notes is one of the best pieces of advice I was ever given," he states, "here is why it’s so good and how to do it so you get the most out of it." If you're not yet signed up for John's emails, that's easily remedied!
David Guymer (Angron: The Red Angel, Realmslayer) celebrated the 13th anniversary of his first-ever solo title, the Gotrek & Felix audio drama Curse of the Everliving. Happy anniversary, David!
In the visual realm, Torunn Grønbekk (Sisters of Battle) painted a stunning cover for the sword-and-sorcery fantasy comic Babs, by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows. This one hits the newsstands on 20 May!
Tacticus players, us Warhammer+ subscribers got another code for some free goodies, and since I don't play the game I'm just gonna leave it here as usual. Good for 1 Requisition Order, 1 Blessed Requisition Order, 100 Blackstone and 5,000 coins. First to use it gets it! The code is: 0004H5GB3651R3GA5

Image credit: Games Workshop

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. 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

(none)

Current PODs in Production

Era of Ruin, by various (POD Special Edition, window end 12/24)
Anarch, by Dan Abnett (POD hardcover, window end 1/12)
Blood Pact, by Dan Abnett (POD hardcover, window end 1/12)
Salvation's Reach, by Dan Abnett (POD hardcover, window end 1/12)
The Warmaster, by Dan Abnett (POD hardcover, window end 1/12)

Upcoming in 2026

First Marshal, by Evan Dicken (hardcover, 2/21)
Aestred Thurga: Pyre of Faith, by Danie Ware (Limited Edition, 2/21)
Death Rider, by Rhuairidh James (hardcover, 2/28)
Ghost Legion, by Mike Brooks (hardcover, Special Edition, 2/28)
Huron Blackheart: Master of the Maelstrom, by Mike Brooks (paperback, 2/28)
The Green Tide, by various (paperback 4/7)
Carcharodons: Void Exile, by Robbie MacNiven (paperback, 4/7) (review)
Carnage Unending, by various (paperback, 4/21)
Legends of the Waaagh!, by various (paperback, 5/19)
Yarrick: The Omnibus, by David Annandale (paperback, 5/19)
Horus Rising, by Dan Abnett (paperback, 6/2)
Tomb World, by Jonathan Beer (paperback, 6/30)
The Remnant Blade, by Mike Vincent (paperback, 6/30)
Voidscarred, by Mike Brooks (paperback, 6/30)
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 James Swallow (paperback, 7/28)
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: The Ultimate Guide (hardcover, 8/4)
Archmagos, by Guy Haley (paperback, 8/11)

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