If you’ve read any of Black Library’s anthologies, you’ll have been treated to action-packed tales from the worlds of Warhammer written by veteran authors and rising stars alike. And you might just have seen Nate Crowley’s name creeping in more and more often.
In fact, Nate’s been one of Black Library’s most prolific authors of late – and we thought now would be a good time to get to know him.
“I've been in love with Warhammer 40,000 since 1995, when 11-year-old me witnessed the Imperator Titan/Mega-gargant duel featured in the incredible box art for Titan Legions,”* says Nate. “I had never seen a walking cathedral before – let alone one with a gun – and my imagination never really let go of it.”
Nate’s Black Library debut came in Inferno: Volume 1, with his short story The Enemy of My Enemy. In it, an Ork Warboss and an Astra Militarum general come together in an alliance of last resort against a much worse foe. It’s an instant classic and well worth a read.
Next up was Severed, part of Black Library’s novella series, in which Nate takes a look at Necron society and tackles the rather complicated relationship between Nemesor Zahndrekh and his loyal bodyguard Vargard Obyron. It’s a brilliant way to read about the Necrons from their own perspective rather than as antagonists.
As if writing about a half-mad, immortal alien overlord weren’t difficult enough, his first full novel was released as a shiny Limited Edition, delving into the psyche of the mightiest Ork Warboss of all, in Ghazghkull Thraka, who we see from an unexpected angle – that of his most trusted companion, Makari the Grot.
“The tale of the stray bolter round, Grotsnik, and the Wurld Killa, is a bit of lore any ork fan knows by heart, so to get the chance to have my own crack at defining that story was a huge privilege,” he explains. “Of course, Makari lies as often as he breathes, so I'd hesitate before calling it the definitive version of the story…”
How do you follow the Prophet of the Waaagh! himself? Well, Nate’s next novel is a return to the Necrons with Twice Dead King: Ruin. This story follows the disgraced Necron Lord Oltyx as he struggles to save his dynasty from an Ork invasion and discovers that the threat from within may be far greater than the greenskins.
It hasn’t even been released, but it’s so good that there’s a part two on the way, Twice Dead King: Reign. Here’s an exclusive peek at the cover:
So what’s next?
“It's probably no surprise that I love non-standard perspectives, whether that's xenos species like the orks and necrons, or people really low down in the Imperium's pecking order, like the bronze-age feral worlders in Empra.
“I love the idea of finding new angles from a Chaos point of view, and I can't stop wondering how I might handle Drukhari. But in my heart, the real answer can only be Kroot.”
Are you looking forward to reading more from Nate? Seek out his stories on the Black Library site and let us know what you think on the Black Library Facebook page.
* Titan Legions was a mid-’90s game that featured mighty Titans battling for supremacy, a lot like Adeptus Titanicus, but with added Orks.