Some xenos goodies from Black Library

[eldargal]

Amidst the usual Imperium focused stuff BL put out (including the new Solar Macharius novel, Angel of Fire by William King and a boatload of wallpapers) BL have seen fit to throw us xenos players a small bone.

The first is an e-book small story, Reparation (http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/reparation-ebook.html) about two Space Marines stuck in the arenas of Dammaragh, a sub-realm of Commoragh. Provides a rather nifty look at the Dark Eldar arenas and shows some particularly icky haemonculi tricks. The one time we get to see a Dark Eldar (hekatrix or succubus) fight is largely underwhelming, it is still fundamentally about the Marines. But on the whole worth a few pounds.

The second is William Kings 2002 Farseer (http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/farseer-ebook.html) novel re-released as an e-book. Out of print for some time it was only available as a relatively expensive print on demand title before. It has been a long time since I read it but I seem to recall it being fairly sympathetic in its treatment of the Eldar.

Oops, almost forgot, the Ork comic Deff Skwadron (http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/deff-skwadron.html) is getting a brand new collected edition. I haen't read it since it was serialsied in Warhammer Monthly a loong time ago, I vaguely remember it being very amusing.

[Wildeybeast]

It's nice to see them throw us the occasional bone, but even that is just a guise to flog more Imperial stuff, since Reparation is a follow on from the Space Wolf audio book Deathwolf

[GrogDaTyrant]

Not too interested in the first one. I recall Farseer being fairly decent.

Deff Skwadron has been available for free viewing on the net for a long time (just google it). But having it re-released in a collector's edition is certainly worth dumping money into. If you're an Ork fan (at all), this is quite literally the only thing by Black Library worth getting that has anything to do with the Orks. Don't even bother with any of the novels. You want something ork-related that is inspiring, this Deff-Skwadron is it.

Though it should be noted they're flying Fighta-Bommas, and not that little MiG knock-off that was just released.

[Alex Knight]

Always liked Farseer. Good book. Farseer *and* Rogue Trader? Sweet. I just wish he had written a follow-up as the ending really left a open for that. My copy is signed. Whee!

[JamesP]

Always liked Farseer. Good book. Farseer *and* Rogue Trader? Sweet. I just wish he had written a follow-up as the ending really left a open for that. My copy is signed. Whee!

Agreed, it was a really good book and one that cried out for a sequel. It was also a lot better IMO that the two (?) Rogue Trader novels that BL did a few years later.

[JamesP]

The second is William Kings 2002 Farseer (http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/farseer-ebook.html) novel re-released as an e-book. Out of print for some time it was only available as a relatively expensive print on demand title before. It has been a long time since I read it but I seem to recall it being fairly sympathetic in its treatment of the Eldar.

I re-read it a few months ago and it was quite sympathetic in its treatment. It also described very well how even quite cosmopolitan humans - a Rogue Trader and his crew - find the Eldar utterly alien, despite looking similar to humans.

Hopefully now that Bill King is writing for the Black Library again, he might produce a sequel, especially now that there is a lot more material on Rogue Traders from the RPG and additional material on the Fall, Dark Eldar etc.

Did you ever read Shadowpoint? That gave a good treatment of the Eldar too, and the Dark Eldar (as well as having an Avatar that took on an entire Ork army and then a sizeable Dark Eldar raiding party and made every single one of its dice rolls).

[Anggul]

I re-read it a few months ago and it was quite sympathetic in its treatment. It also described very well how even quite cosmopolitan humans - a Rogue Trader and his crew - find the Eldar utterly alien, despite looking similar to humans.

This is something that many writers struggle to do, and understandably so. It's not something that comes naturally, you really have to think about it, given that we are ourselves humans and not aliens, so it's hard to imagine how something else which is purposefully described as looking similar to humans but acting very, very differently would move and behave.

Kudos to him for doing so.

[JamesP]

This is something that many writers struggle to do, and understandably so. It's not something that comes naturally, you really have to think about it, given that we are ourselves humans and not aliens, so it's hard to imagine how something else which is purposefully described as looking similar to humans but acting very, very differently would move and behave.

Kudos to him for doing so.

Agreed. I remember the Traveller supplements for playing alien races all came with a disclaimer that you can't truly roleplay an alien for the reasons you describe above. Though I know some psychologists who would argue that point.

[GrogDaTyrant]

(as well as having an Avatar that took on an entire Ork army and then a sizeable Dark Eldar raiding party and made every single one of its dice rolls).

Only one entire Ork army was used as punching bag in that book? Man... BL's standards have dropped considerably... ;)