The Black Library discussion

Which Character is your favourite and why?

When it comes to 40K it's definitely going to be Ciaphas Cain. Funny, heroical and likable.

In Warhammer Fantasy I will nominate Matthias Thulmann for reasons I can not really explain. Mostly because usselly can`t (totally) sympathize with the main characters in Warhammer fantasy. Felix Jaeger from the Gotrek and Felix series for example I find very irritating and winey at times.

Malus Darkblade from fantasy, epitomises the anti-hero selfserving arrogance of the dark elves.

in 40k, it would have to be Aradryan from path of the outcast, because he is just plain awesome

Yeah Malus Darkblade was such a likable anti-hero

Joe wrote: "Malus Darkblade from fantasy, epitomises the anti-hero selfserving arrogance of the dark elves.

in 40k, it would have to be Aradryan from path of the outcast, because he is just plain awesome"

I know, I base a charrie off him in another group, minus the deamon

Gotta go with Xarl from the Nightlords trilogy. It was actually how his story ended that made me realize how bad ass he truly is.

Never read it. Is it good?

Aaron Dembski-Bowden is by far my favorite black library author. Go out and pick up this trilogy now! So good!

Maybe I will...

Hi, I am not much of a Warhammer Fantasy reader, more into W40k, but Snorri Nosebiter is really my favorite. As to W40k I can't decide between Caiaphas Cain and Marduk (Word Bearers novels).

I like Snorri because he is straight forward guy, Caiaphas for his incredible personality and Marduk for pure evil and ambition.

Snorri is pretty cool...

I remember a quote from Daemonslayer about Snorri flying the gyrocopter: "Snorri once flew in gyrocopter... Snorri fell, landed on his head, it was OK..."

I don't know if I translated it well as read it in Polish, but nonetheless this line made me like him the most.

And about Ciaphas Cain, the most important feature of this character is Jurgen his "sidekick" and the "overwhelming stink of old socks"

My favorite character is Mach Bonin from the Gaunt's Ghosts stories. Just wish we saw more of him!

Yeah, Ive read a few GG stories and dont recognise him
What books are he in?

He's in them all since Necropolis (though it has been a while since I read Blood Pact, and he might not be in that one) - but the books where he gets a fair amount of time are: (contains some very minimal spoilers)

Necropolis: Joins Gaunt's strike team scaling the colossal war machine of Heritor Asphodel - where he fell off and miraculously survives)
Honour Guard (gets in some crazy fights!)
The Guns of Tanith (probably his focus book - he takes part in the special missions on Phantine, trying to assassinate the Chaos leader)
Straight Silver (mostly at the beginning and end of the novel)
Sabbat Martyr (a couple of moments where he blows up a tank, then clambers into a half track and lets loose at the enemy using the mounted weapon)
Traitor General (part of Gaunt's hand-picked insertion team)
His Last Command (he kills a Stalker with a knife and gets in to some pretty heavy firefights along with Mkoll)
The Armour of Contempt (where he and Wes Maggs are fighting alone in a church and take out more than 30 enemies between them)
Only In Death: Takes over as head scout with Mkoll missing

I totaly forgot about that guy. The GG series has so many interesting "side"characters.

I must re-read the series some time.

Yeah, me too

I have a number of favorite characters but right now, my favorite has got to be Maximillian Orfuls, princeps of the Warhound titan Morbius Sire.

I finished reading Titanicus for the third or fourth time recently and one of my favorite scenes (do books have scenes?) is when Morbius Sire ambushes the enemy Reaver and burns it down.

First blood to Invicta!

NAGASH!!!! lol and probably Karn for WH40K....

Horus Heresy: Lucius
40K: Too many, but Fabius Bile, Ragnar Blackmane, Arkio, and Ravenor's assistant(I cannot remember his name!) are all really high up for me.
Fantasy/Time of Legends: Nagash and the Vampire in the Legends of Sigmar omnibus.

Morr the Incubus from the Dark Eldar trilogy by Andy Chambers. His adherence to his warrior sect's code while participating in a society that is irrevocably savage manipulative and hedonistic is a testament to his personality. As well as his epic death. Class A bad ass.

I'm really liking Garro by James Swallow as part of the Horus Heresy series.

HH : Has to be Garro, 40K : Ragnar Blackmane, Uriel Ventris, Kharn the Betrayer and I'm still looking to start a Fantasy novel (recommendations would be appreciated).

Lee, I would recommend any of the Time of Legends series, as well as the Malus Darkblade series. Or if you can find it, the Geniveve(idk the spelling right now) vampire series.

Thanks Dylan, I do believe The Nagash Trilogy will be my next purchase. If they're as good as the 40k I can't wait.

I own that omnibus, but have yet to read it. I LOVED the Sigmar omnibus lol

Dylan they were my two choices, Nagash Vs Sigmar, as a Chaos fan the evil prevailed lol.

Lol, you've got great taste my friend!

@Robert was Morr the incubus from 'Path of the Incubus?'

minr has to be Ulrika or Genevieve

Piper wrote: "minr has to be Ulrika or Genevieve"

I have the hardcover Genevieve omnibus and all 3 Ulrika novels and have been dying to start them. Which series would you say is better?

Dylan wrote: "Piper wrote: "minr has to be Ulrika or Genevieve"

I have the hardcover Genevieve omnibus and all 3 Ulrika novels and have been dying to start them. Which series would you say is better?"

Waiting and hoping they release an Ulrika omnibus is the only reason I haven't got them individually. And what's this you say about a HC Genevieve!!?? I didn't know this existed...I recently found and got the HC Gaunt's Ghosts omnibus editions, but I thought those were the only ones..

My favorite character has to be Gotrek. I absolutely love the dwarf race, and William Kings were among the first (along with R.A. Salvatore) that introduced me to the fantasy/sci-fi world.

Dylan wrote: "Piper wrote: "minr has to be Ulrika or Genevieve"

I have the hardcover Genevieve omnibus and all 3 Ulrika novels and have been dying to start them. Which series would you say is better?"

I have to say I adore Genevieve( wow the hardcover would so love it mines a secondhand copy unfortunaley, with me getting into Warhammer later my partner suggested the book because of my vamipre book obsession) and have only read Ulrika out of library I am struggling to find all the copies in good condition hoping BL will republish in omnibus as has been said before here as well. Genevieve was my first Warhammer book and hence a favourite the concept of Genevieve to me has similarities to phantom of the opera in some parts.

For Fantasy, it's Archaon. Why? Because he's the Everchosen and he's fucking badass.

For W40k, it's Commissar Sebastian Yarrick. Why? Because he's the Chuck Norris of w40k... and he's fucking badass.

Favorite character in 40k; Ciaphus Cain
His situation of being seen as a hero and thus being sent to dangerous missions, when that is the last thing he wants, coupled with his combat and tactical skill and not seeing himself as an actual hero makes for interesting stories.
Favorite character in AoS; Neferata
She is intelligent and plots around other plots to keep herself on top of her rivals is fun. But while she is ambitious and clever, she recognises how pointless going against Nagash would be because of how absurdly powerful he is. She, and Manfred, are terrified of him. The balance between her managing her power and recognising her subservience despite her power, is what makes her interesting to me.

Ahriman, Garro, Sharowkyn, Rawne (GG), Commissar Hark (GG), Argel Tal, many more...

I know this is basically inactive but I really like Rylanor, for obvious reasons but since I’m a Horus heresy fanatic I’m gonna have to go Loken

For the mortal Imperials: Minka Lesk. She earned her place in a shuttle piloted by a surviving Space Wolf as revenge was her motive to live after the fall of Cadia.
Also the oddball from the novel "Helsreach". He was great.

Adeptus Astartes: Uriel Ventris (my first novels) or Ragnar Blackmane, as I read the two omnibuses detailing his rise to Great Wolf, and what a ride.

Adeptus Mechanicus: Forget his name, but the Magos Biologis from "The Beast Arises" novels as he is just simply a nut job.

Traitor Legions" Has to be Abaddon The Despoiler from his beginnings in the “Black Legion” novels (still waiting for the third) and in the battle for "The Purging of Kadilus".
Huron Blackheart is a close second, as while a traitor and not a Chaos lord his reach and charisma is unrivalled, even amongst the blackest of hearts in The Wordbearers.

Really, though after having read 50 novels so far on W40K alone, the list is enormously long.

John wrote: "Adeptus Astartes: Uriel Ventris (my first novels) or Ragnar Blackmane, as I read the two omnibuses detailing his rise to Great Wolf, and what a ride."

I started using the screen name "morkai" because I loved the SW series so much. Sad to see that William no longer really writes for BW these days.

Malcador strikes me as a potential favorite. Mainly because I like that he's incredibly powerful in subtle ways, and is very knowledgeable about the past.

Ragnar Blackmane. The Space Wolf trilogy (?cant't remember how many books. Might be more than three) chronicling his rise from aspirant to great wolf is awesome. Also a great starter series if you want a basic background of how space marines are chosen and created by the Wolves.

I started reading 40k 3 years ago with Horus Heresy and I still reading it.

Loken is a really good character in the Horus Heresy start trilogy. I really loved his "humanity". I think he helps readers a lot to love this universe and that's why I always recommend to start reading 40k with Horus Heresy.

Garro and Euphrati Keeler are characters that I like so much and I want to know more from them.

Greetings.

Elim Fething Rawne and inquisitor Gideon Ravenor.

Huron Fal and Ullis Temeter for sure. Huron was so loyal to Temeter that he sacrificed his own life to ensure they'd both die on their own terms, and not by the betrayers. (mortarion and his troops.)

Isn't this a spoiler?

I'm making my way through Horus Heresy right now (currently on book 3) and as much as I like Tarik Torgaddon... I wish there was more of Hastur Sejanus before his becoming more of a plot point imo.
I read a few short sories from anthologies as context as I go like The Wolf of Fire and Ash and Death of a Silversmith... but I want MORE from his POV