Your Imperium needs you, loyal citizens of the Emperor – but if signing up with the Astra Militarum and meeting the horrors of the galaxy head-on isn’t for you, the next best thing is to read all about their exploits in a series of awesome Black Library novels. There are enough epic tales coming out this year to fill a munitorum armoured container, so we’ve had a rummage through the quartermaster’s logs to find out more.
First though, we’ll start with something brand new.
Fall of Cadia
The momentous events surrounding the fall of Cadia set the galaxy ablaze and led directly to the Era Indomitus, but while the story has been told in bits and pieces throughout various Warhammer 40,000 supplements, it’s never had the dedicated attention it deserves. Now it’s time to set that straight with Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath – author of the phenomenal The Infinite and the Divine and Assassinorum: Kingmaker.
You can first get your hands on this epic tale in a massive Mega Edition box, packed with extra goodies. As well as an extra bonus book laden with extra information and a useful map of the warzone, you’ll find your own Cadian medal and a set of dog tags belonging to a certain tactical genius whose daughter now leads the forces of Cadia.
Only 1,750 copies of this incredible set will be available worldwide, making it a true collector’s piece and a great addition to any avid Black Library fan’s bookshelf. Don’t worry if you can’t get your hands on one, though – a hardback release will follow the Mega Edition at a later date.
Honourbound
Commissar Severina Raine’s first full-length novel returns in a brand new, special edition hardback. Relive the fearsome commissar’s trials amidst the Chaos-corrupted Bale Stars in this glamorous edition of Honourbound by Rachel Harrison, with faux-leather covers, red and gold foil embossed details, a crimson ribbon page marker, and gilt page edges.
Each of the 1,500 strictly limited copies is individually numbered and signed by the author, making it an invaluable part of any Astra Militarum fan’s collection.
Shadow of the Eighth
A new tale from the ongoing saga of Minka Lesk is also launched in a beautiful Special Edition, covered in a luxurious cloth cover and with all of the usual Black Library special edition trappings. Shadow of the Eighth, by Justin D Hill, follows Minka and the Cadian 101st as they discover a relic of the Cadian 8th – thought lost in the planet’s fall – and set out to right a grievous wrong perpetrated by the forces of Chaos.
This novel accompanies the release of Minka Lesk’s first appearance in plastic form, with a new miniature celebrating her continued adventures. This multi-option model can represent Minka at several stages of her life, replicating artwork from the upcoming covers of The Last Whiteshield and Shadow of the Eighth.
Speaking of which, the Special Edition will be swiftly followed by a regular hardback edition of Shadow of the Eighth. If you want to get up to speed with the heroine’s story leading up to the new novel, The Last Whiteshield collects all five previous Minka Lesk stories into one tome, serving as the ideal introduction to her adventures.
Shadow of the Eighth is only the first part in a new narrative arc for the Cadian 101st, so stay tuned for more details on the rest.
Creed: Ashes of Cadia
Lord Castellan Ursula Creed has some big boots to fill, and she’s been doing a bang-up job of commanding the Cadian remnants so far – but no amount of hard-won tactical expertise can prepare her for the task ahead in Creed: Ashes of Cadia by Jude Reid. Roboute Guilliman sends Creed back to the site of her world’s extinction – the drifting wreckage of Cadia itself – in search of her father’s final battle plans, and this epic tale deserves a suitably awesome Limited Edition to see it off.
More information about the Limited Edition and regular hardback editions of Ashes of Cadia will be coming soon.
Longshot and Kasrkin
The epic new novel Longshot by Rob Young is coming to Black Library shelves alongside a new paperback edition of Kasrkin by Edoardo Albert. In Longshot, a legendary sharpshooter must decide whether to watch her comrades fall to xenos influence or become the figurehead she never wanted to be, while Kasrkin tasks an elite unit of the eponymous commandos with the rescue of an invaluable general stuck behind the T’au Empire’s lines.
Both are fascinating looks at the common soldiery of the Imperium, a far cry from the superhuman feats of the Adeptus Astartes, but heroic nonetheless. More details on these releases are coming this summer.
Gaunt’s Ghosts: Print on Demand
Finally, four classic Gaunt’s Ghosts novels return as Print on Demand. Hardback editions of Honour Guard, The Guns of Tanith, Straight Silver, and Sabbat Martyr by Dan Abnett will all be available for a 16-day order window this summer, giving series collectors a chance to own the chapters they’re missing from the legendary Tanith First and Only’s catalogue.
To celebrate the return of the Ghosts, we’ve got something special in store – a full-colour canvas Tanith banner to hang on your wall. This awesome piece of Gaunt’s Ghosts memorabilia is ready to mount right out of the box and features the regiment’s distinctive iconography – and with only 1,500 available worldwide, it’ll truly be a collector’s piece to remember.
Stay tuned for more information on these and more from Black Library, and sign up for our newsletter to make sure you’re among the first to hear about the latest limited editions, new novels, and promotional releases.