Black Library Weekly: Putting Our Heads Together for Christmas

Image credit: Games Workshop

Nothing new for preorder this week, although Age of Sigmar fans will be happy to see Verminslayer by David Guymer and Chris Thursten's Grombrindal: Ancestor’s Burden arrive in paperback.

That isn't to say it hasn't been an eventful week. It was, after all, the end of Hanukkah as well as Christmas (and Boxing Day, for many of you). I hope you all at least had a few hobby surprises awaiting you under the tree, or wherever hobby surprises are stashed away this time of year.

I've often been one whose ability to conceive something has well exceeded my ability to execute it, and the Warhammer modeling hobby has proven little exception. One of the earliest ideas for dioramas I had after I'd found I really enjoyed building miniatures was a scene representing Jude Reid's Morvenn Vahl: Spear of Faith (2024).

The Battle of Caelestis would be represented on one side by Vahl, of course, as well as Castellan Tancret of the Black Templars, fighting for the Emperor. And of course, on the other, a magnificent two-headed Heldrake decked out in the iconography of the Night Lords.

I've had it in my head for about a year now, but of course it will take some kitbashing to create the Heldrake and that's a facet of the hobby I've never attempted. And without a nudge, there's a good chance it would be ages before I gave the matter serious consideration.

It seems I wasn't the only one carrying this idea around in their head. Look wjhat I found this under the tree this Christmas from my wife.

Image credit: Jay Kirkman

I'm not sure what amazes me more: the gift, or the fact she'd remembered one out of all my other someday-ideas.

Folks, I hope all of you either have or find someone that not only appreciates your hobbies (even if, as with mine, they don't remotely share them), but who also knows how to push you to grow out of your comfort zone.

Looks like 2026 is the year I try my hand at kitbashing!

Now, let's dive into the books!

Image credit: Joe Jackson

Gaunt's Ghosts - A Pocket History

Like a DJ at a wedding, I've got my playlist ready but always happy to take requests. This week friend of the show Joe Jackson noted a lot of confusion from many of the newer collectors around what the new Gaunt's Ghosts Print-on-Demand (POD) titles were and how they fit into the greater shape of the Black Library. So let's go!

Gaunt's Ghosts is one of the Black Library's most successful-ever franchises. In crafting the tales of Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt and the Tanith First & Only, Dan Abnett channeled the spirit of Bernard Cornwell's renowned Sharpe series (itself set in the Napoleonic war) into the 41st Millennium (for more, check out this installment of our ongoing 40K History of the Black Library series).

The mainline Gaunt's Ghosts novel series comprises for major narrative arcs spread across fifteen novels.

The Founding. Comprised of First & Only (1999), Ghostmaker (1999), and Necropolis (2000), an omnibus collecting the trio (and some short stories) arrived in 2003.
The Saint. With Gaunt and the gang proving a hit, Abnett continued writing their stories as fast as we could read them. Honour Guard (2001), The Guns of Tanith (2002), Straight Silver (2002), and Sabbat Martyr (2003). This omnibus appeared in 2007.
The Lost. A much quicker turnaround on an omnibus here, landing just two years after The Saint and containing Traitor General (2004), His Last Command (2005), The Armour of Contempt (2006), and Only in Death (2008).
The Victory. By this point the pace of production on Gaunt's Ghosts had slowed significantly. Blood Pact (2009) and Salvation's Reach (2011) were closer to the mainline run, with The Warmaster (2017) and The Anarch (2019) bringing up the rear. Given the split, the Black Library released these in a double omnibus, with a Part One (2018) containing the first two novels (alongside short stories) and a Part Two (2022) taking care of the rest.

When people talk about Gaunt's Ghosts as a series, though, there are some more books that typically are included at least in the broader conversation.

Anthologies. Sabbat Worlds (2010), Sabbat Crusade (2014), and Sabbat War (2021). Abnett served as Editor for these anthologies, which invited other Black Library authors to pen short stories set in the Sabbat Worlds Crusade that had served as a backdrop to many of the Ghosts' tales.
Spinoffs. Given the rich background Abnett helped flesh out for his novel series, it's not surprising that there was plenty left over to use as set pieces for the stories of others. This includes the Phantine Air Corps (Double Eagle in 2004, Interceptor City twenty years later), the Legio Invicta Titan Legion (2008's Titanicus), the Iron Snakes Astartes (Urdesh: The Serpent and the Saint and Urdesh: The Magister and the Martyr, both in 2021), and Volpone Astra Militarum regiment (2021's Volpone Glory).
Prequels. A "Ghost Dossier" label was created for 2021's The Vincula Insurgency, which it set just after the Tanith First & Only is formed.
Background books. A 2005 book written by Abnett fleshing out the setting, The Sabbat Worlds Crusade, was updated and rereleased in 2019. A follow-up book, Tactica Imperialis, followed two years later.

It's a lot to keep track of- and that's before we even really start talking about editions and printings. While going into the print history of the entire series would be its own full article, today we're going to shine a light on the history of one book in particular: the OG novel, First & Only.

Image credit: Games Workshop

First Printing (1999)

In the modern Black Library era of Special Editions, Limited Editions, and hardcover books it's hard to imagine, but once upon a time the mass-market paperback (aka the "airport book") was the default size for book releases₁. We don't see a lot of those anymore outside of the Horus Heresy paperbacks, but the original First & Only certainly followed convention here.

Image credit: Games Workshop

2004 Printing (2004, naturally)

Five years after debut, the Black Library updated the cover art and reissued First & Only. Remember, that was the same year the eighth mainline novel (Traitor General) was released, so it was important to have plenty of accessible options for new readers to climb aboard (even if 2003's The Founding omnibus was a better bargain).

Image credit: Games Workshop

Black Library Classics (2013)

The history of the Black Library is filled with its shares of swings and roundabouts, with some formats catching fire and taking off while others quietly get the plug pulled after a few attempts. The Heretic Tomes label, for instance, was launched as a way to keep certain books in print that might no longer represent the property as well as they used to, but only ever saw three titles align under its banner (Space Marine (1993), Pawns of Chaos (2001), and Farseer (2002)).

A formal label- rather than, perhaps, a printed disclaimer- is a branding choice. As such, it's a bit difficult to accept that the brand came into full fruition with only a trio of titles- a fate that also befell 2013's Black Library Classics imprint. Joining William King's Trollslayer and Nightbringer by Graham McNeill, First & Only was reissued in this (admittedly attractive) special paperback version.

Image credit: Hachette

Hachette Legends (2016)

French publishing giant Hachette teamed up with Games Workshop in 2016 to kick off a new subscription service, the 100-volume Legends series. These were books reprinted and delivered like bi-weekly magazines, similar to their current, weekly Combat Patrol service₂.

Image credit: Games Workshop

20th Anniversary Edition (2019)

Here, at last, has been a Black Library series with staying power. With First & Only and King's Space Wolf, the Anniversary Editions have been an annual release celebrating such titles as Ben Counter's Soul Drinker, James Swallow's Deus Encarmine, and, most recently, Fifteen Hours by Mitchel Scanlon.

Image credit: Games Workshop

Black Library Print-On-Demand Hardcover Series (2023)

Fans of the Astra Militarum were in for a treat in 2023, with not one but two much-beloved series being announced for a Print-on-Demand reissue. In February the Sunday Preview announced that the first three books of The Founding would get the hardcover treatment, with the next four of The Saint landing for order the following July. Then in November, they switched gears by offering up the first trilogy of Sandy Mitchell's Ciaphas Cain stories (For the Emperor (2003), Caves of Ice (2004), and The Traitor's Hand (2005)).

The next two tranches of POD releases would continue with Cain's books, reverting back to the Ghosts to continue with Abnett's The Lost story arc in November 2024.

That brings us to the present, with the four books of The Victory currently available to order on Warhammer.com until 12 JAN 26.

So why buy these? No Black Library release is an automatic slam-dunk for everyone, but the audience with these is largely those who like shelf candy. One could make an argument with the earlier Gaunt's Ghosts PODs that because those books had debuted in mass-market paperback form, having a (somewhat) unform set of hardcovers represented something previously unavailable.

But unless you're taking your book on a hike of the Appalachian Trail, the increased durability afforded by a hardcover edition isn't much of a selling point beyond aesthetics. These later Gaunt's Ghosts releases did come in a hardcover edition, although if you're a fan of "library standardization" there's a slight height difference at play here.

Image credit: Jay Kirkman

We're just not gonna talk about the discrepancy between heights for Xenos and Malleus/Hereticus... okay?

Some in the community have expressed hope that while the mainline series has completed its POD run, we may see one more tranche in the future that would include The Vincula Insurgency and three anthologies. While I'd never say no to another round of uniform printing, my guess is that we won't. The Vincula Insurgency was only published in 2021 and received the Mega Limited Edition treatment. The anthologies weren't even stories written by Abnett, just ones set in the corner of the universe he'd fleshed out.

But if there's one thing that holds true with the Black Library, it's never say never!

Image credit: U/RogueHobbies

Creativity Corner

Speaking of pockets... While this isn't specifically Black Library related, I've often noted that the creativity of the Warhammer community never fails to astound. Here, u/RogueHobbies transformed a Polly Pocket playset...

Image credit: u/RogueHobbies

...into Warhammer amazingness. Incredible work!

Make sure to check out the thread they posted about the project here on Reddit!

ICYMI

Plenty of Black Library excitement was on offer on the ol' Goon this weekend, starting with my review of the latest Death Korps of Krieg novel. In The Relentless Dead, author Steve Lyons tried to tweak the formula of everyone's favorite faceless Guardsmen, and we look at how well he succeeded in this week's book review.

We were also very excited to add two more books to the Black Library Readers' Hall of Fame. Our biweekly regular feature continues to work through the Black Library's early days and inducting the worthiest of the worthy with the help of you, the reading public!

Make sure to drop in and cast your votes, the polls for 2003 (part one) close this coming weekend!

Over at Warhammer Community, the 2025 Advent Calendar has come to an end. While this year's model had a little something for everyone, from stories to painting tutorials to tabletop detachment rules, I think the end result was probably to leave people simply unsatisfied. The number of detachments this year was a fraction of those on offer a year ago, and on the Black Library front we lost an entire Advent's worth of short stories in return for a handful of uncredited (and in some cases even untitled!) flash fiction.

Consider this my vote- inasmuch as I have one- for a return to form next year. All the same, this week brought us a Nurgle short story in The Waters, Weeping, an untitled Yarrick short, and one from the Everqueen of Ghyran entitled Winter's Wrath.

Around the web, the lads at the TTP Field Manual jumped in to look at the Eisenhorn, Ravenor, and Bequin sagas from the Black Library. Arbiter Ian's Precinct House, meanwhile, has been busy as Arbiter Ian and Mira Manga took a look at Da Gobbo's Revenge by Mike Brooks as well as the first three books of the Horus Heresy: Horus Rising by Dan Abnett, False Gods by Graham McNeill, and Ben Counter's Galaxy in Flames.

Finally- I meant to get this in last week- but Jen of the WH40K Book Club put pen to paper to talk about the T'au in a piece called, The Problem With the Tau – It’s Not Their Lore. "It’s frustrating to see such a dynamic, complex society get misrepresented," she notes, "as being a wholly good, peaceful faction." It's an interesting topic, and with a lot of conversation around the T'au this past year it's an interesting perspective to consider as we see the year out!

Image credit: Games Workshop (presumably)

Quick Hits

A couple of covers from upcoming Black Library releases were uncovered this week by sharp-eyed readers. Above is the Carnage Unending anthology due to arrive next April. We'd know Dan Abnett was a contributor, but Guy Haley and Mike Brooks having stories in it is new info. Not only that, but the cover for The Green Tide was also unearthed (see below).
The Now This is Lit Podcast, which covers the Star Wars books like we do Warhammer's, has announced its 2025 "Best of..." list. Amongst them, Tales from the Nightlands #3- written by Cavan Scott (Plague Harvest, Attack of the Necron) won Best Comic Issue. Congrats, Cavan!
Inspired after a trip to the International Spy Museum, James Swallow (Deus Encarmine, Nemesis) wrote a ten-part serial novel Moscow Rules, which not only has been collected in a single volume for the first time- but it's available for free. If you like spy thrillers, make sure to check this one out by a veteran of the writing craft!
2026 will be bringing us a comic omnibus of Hellboy stories, many written by Chris Roberson (Sons of Dorn, Gauntlet Run). Keep an eye out for Hellboy Universe: The Secret Histories Volume 2!
Finally, which "absolute banger" of a holiday Black Library read had author Victoria Hayward (Deathworlder, Blood Sands) guessing 'til the end while chomping through chocolate? It's her story to tell...

Black Library Readers' Hall of Fame (Update it all)

Our exciting biweekly feature continues apace, with us having announced the two winners of 2002 this past weekend.

I'll continue to keep the 'Scroll of Glory' here as well so we can see how it steadily unrolls!

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

Anarch, by Dan Abnett (POD hardcover)
Apostle, by David Annandale
Blood Pact, by Dan Abnett (POD hardcover)
Death Rider, by Rhuairidh James
First Marshal, by Evan Dicken
Salvation's Reach, by Dan Abnett (POD hardcover)
The Warmaster, by Dan Abnett (POD hardcover)

Upcoming in 2026

Verminslayer, by David Guymer (paperback, 1/17)
Grombrindal: Ancestor’s Burden, by Chris Thursten (paperback, 1/17)
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 various (paperback 3/24)
The Ghost Legion: The Pillar of Dreams, by Mike Brooks (title translated from German) (4/7)
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)
The Remnant Blade, by Mike Vincent (paperback, 7/2)
Tomb World, by Jonathan Beer (paperback, 7/2)
Voidscarred, by Mike Brooks (paperback, 7/2)
Krakenblood, by Marc Collins (paperback, 7/16)
Vagabond Squadron, by Robbie MacNiven (paperback, 7/16)
Siege of Terra: Flames of Betrayal, by James Swallow (paperback, 7/28)

Footnotes

If you want to learn a little more about the different types of Black Library releases, check out our recent primer on collecting.
The term for this is "partworks."

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