Wrath of Iron - Chris Wraight

[Sandlemad]

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-prod...h-of-iron.html

This came up on the BL blog and hadn't seen anything else about it.

http://www.blacklibrary.com/Blog/Iron-Men.html

Chris Wraight is shaping up to be an excellent writer - I really liked Battle for the Fang and his WH stuff is good too - and yet he doesn't seem to get the attention of other undeniably good writers like ADB.

It'll be interesting to see what he can do with the Iron Hands, they've always seemed pretty cold and one-note to me. Any thoughts? How was it handled in the older Iron Hands books?

Also, anyone know anything about the battle of Shardenus? Has it popped up in the background (SM codex maybe?) before?

[Freak Ona Leash]

Wraight also wrote an Iron Hands short story for Hammer and Bolter. It is excellent. Far better than the existing Iron Hands novels. I have high hopes for this upcoming novel. Wraight, alongside Rob Sanders and ADB, is one of Black Library's best new authors.

[shadowhawk2008]

I talked to Chris Wraight at GDUK'11. And we discussed specifically this novel. He promised that he is going to get into the itty-gritty of the chapter, their beliefs, their relationships with the Mechanicus, their doctrines and so on. Expect as cracking a read as Battle of the Fang.

That artwork is gorgeous by the way. Typical Jon Sullivan awesomeness.

[Freak Ona Leash]

I talked to Chris Wraight at GDUK'11. And we discussed specifically this novel. He promised that he is going to get into the itty-gritty of the chapter, their beliefs, their relationships with the Mechanicus, their doctrines and so on. Expect as cracking a read as Battle of the Fang.

That artwork is gorgeous by the way. Typical Jon Sullivan awesomeness.

Awesome! The Iron Hands were the Astartes chapter that got me into 40k, believe it or not. While the first 40k books I read were actually the 2nd Ed. Space Wolf codex and the 1st Ed. Epic rulebook (Space Marine, I think it was called), it was Index Astartes III (right?) with its article on the Iron Hands that evoked the strongest reaction: a chapter of transhumans whom are undoubtedly a case of "We're glad they are (mostly) on our side."

Wraight, as I said before, is a great author and I look forward to this book a lot.

[Xisor]

Chris Wraight is shaping up to be an excellent writer - I really liked Battle for the Fang and his WH stuff is good too - and yet he doesn't seem to get the attention of other undeniably good writers like ADB.

Who do you think ADB ballyhoos?

Less cryptically: It's a right shame Chris Wraight isn't more widely sung by the fans, but I think the worst commentary I've heard against him is the odd person saying neutrally that they didn't especially enjoy a novel. Everything else, that I recall, has been moderately positive to almost cultish adoration. I know I fall towards the cult end of the spectrum...

I'd not read any of Chris' work when I spoke with him at BLL! this year, but since then I've swept through a ton of his stuff, he's a tremendous writer. He keeps the same level of passion and integrity that we all enjoy in Aaron's stuff and goes off in different directions too. If anything, and I'm hesitant to say it, I'd say Chris' work is probably less indulgent than Aaron's. Not that Aaron's is ludicrously indulgent by any stretch, but there's an extra element of restraint that shines through in addition for Chris Wraight, I think.

That said, Wrath of Iron sounds like turgid tripe.

I'm actually very much excited about it!

[Nazguire]

I'm really looking forward to this as well. I hope Wraight really nails how unforgiving, cold and calculating the Iron Hands are meant to be, and shows their inherent hatred of weakness, real or perceived.

Plus their relationship with the Mechanicus, and bionics. Do they have an internal belief system about Mannus' return, do they integrate Medusan culture into their Chapter as much as the Space Wolves do with Fenris, etc.

[Odin]

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-prod...h-of-iron.html

This came up on the BL blog and hadn't seen anything else about it.

http://www.blacklibrary.com/Blog/Iron-Men.html

Chris Wraight is shaping up to be an excellent writer - I really liked Battle for the Fang and his WH stuff is good too - and yet he doesn't seem to get the attention of other undeniably good writers like ADB.

Alain de Botton?

[Freak Ona Leash]

Alain de Botton?

Not sure if nickname for Aaron Dembski-Bowden

*insert obligatory Futurama-meme photo here*

or genuine ignorance?

[Nazguire]

I'm also keen to see how Wraight handles the supposed purge of Contqual. You know, the one where they executed 1 in every 3 citizens just to teach the civilian population a lesson?

Potential for a very, very dark Black Library novel.

[Sandlemad]

I talked to Chris Wraight at GDUK'11. And we discussed specifically this novel. He promised that he is going to get into the itty-gritty of the chapter, their beliefs, their relationships with the Mechanicus, their doctrines and so on. Expect as cracking a read as Battle of the Fang.

That artwork is gorgeous by the way. Typical Jon Sullivan awesomeness.

Class! If he does something similar to what he did in Battle for the Fang, it'll be amazing. And the artwork is indeed fine, though dual-wielding bolters seems a bit hollywood...

If anything, and I'm hesitant to say it, I'd say Chris' work is probably less indulgent than Aaron's. Not that Aaron's is ludicrously indulgent by any stretch, but there's an extra element of restraint that shines through in addition for Chris Wraight, I think.

I think I get what you mean here... An example being throwing in extra references and (I don't know) gags to 30K, is it? I thought the sequence with the Primarch statues in Helsreach was definitely something 'for the fans' rather than being vital to the plot/the BTs' character. Still fun.

[shadowhawk2008]

Cypher is the original 40k gunslinger So a dude with two bolters is fine to me

[Antreus]

Don't know why he hasn't been let into the HH club yet, but I suppose he does have his hands full with ToL.

[Dead.Blue.Clown]

Chris Wraight is shaping up to be an excellent writer - I really liked Battle for the Fang and his WH stuff is good too - and yet he doesn't seem to get the attention of other undeniably good writers like ADB.

It's purely because he's still relatively new. Nothing more, nothing less.

Hell, even I'm still considered new by a lot of people. I've seen people say they can't judge me properly because I've "only had five novels" released, compared to Dan's 20-30. In any other fandom, five novels would be a serious veteran.

You see a lot of this sort of thing. There are gateway books and gateway authors into 40K literature, and they're usually major factions by veteran, established authors. You still see plenty of casual/infrequent 40K readers treat Black Library as it was 5-10 years ago, citing that they've read Dan, Bill King and Graham, and no one else.

In five years or so, you'll probably see fans of me and Chris saying they're sick of how we both get so much attention compared to New Guy X. It's purely because new authors take a long time to circulate through the fandom.

[Dead.Blue.Clown]

Who do you think ADB ballyhoos?

I think, in a lot of ways, Chris and I are each other's biggest supporters. We're genuine fans of one another's work (unless he's been lying to me, the treacherous cur).

At one point, I was calling both of us (along with Rob Sanders) "the Second Generation" until I got asked politely to stop. I think it was reinforcing a system of 'tiers' which doesn't really exist behind the scenes, but are often perceived by others, nevertheless. Really, it was just a cute nickname, as Dan and Graham were so often referred as the Big Two.

[shadowhawk2008]

Don't know why he hasn't been let into the HH club yet, but I suppose he does have his hands full with ToL.

Well he did write a short story for Age of Darkness, the one about the Thousand Sons.

Also, I'd say that letting newer authors into the HH group is sort of like proving yourself. And by new I don't mean fresh author per se, but more like a new addition.

Chris Wraight wrote a nice HH short story and on the basis of that, we can hopefully hope that we get more from him. I liked the overall story although I have issues with some of the lore liberties he took but I am fine with that. I don't really mind it.

Also remember that he is busy with the ToL trilogy, Wrath of Iron and possibly some other stuff too. It could just be a matter of scheduling him and others like Rob Sanders and Gav Thorpe into the group.

[punkfish]

I'm looking forwards to this book. Battle of the Fang was one of those books that I just couldn't put down.

I spoke to Chris all too briefly at Games Day UK and I can genuinely say that he is a terribly nice man and an excellent writer.

[Wyrmwood]

As much as I adore Aaron's work; that is, writing convincing anti-heroes in great frameworks, I've found myself terrible engaged by Chris Wraight's work on the Space Wolves, World Eaters and Thousand Sons. Battle of the Fang is terribly good when it comes to spinning a tale from two (or three, if we count the Great Wolf's obsession) sides and have multiple personalities within those overall theses add depth to an, otherwise, simple premise.

After my experience with, Soul Hunter and Blood Reaver I've concluded that ADB really hits Warp 9 when it comes to character arcs. The best example I can think of is... Damnit, I want to say Zsaz but I know that is the creep from Batman... the Khornate Night Lord. In Soul Hunter, he's treated somewhat comically and yet he receives a lot of depth by the tonally contrary background in Blood Reaver. Both portrayals work really well together, in my opinion.

But anyway: Iron Hands? Chris Wraight?

[shadowhawk2008]

You are thinking of Uzas

[Wyrmwood]

You are thinking of Uzas

So I am; thanks for the clarification, Shadowhawk.

[thewickedworm]

The only writer to get to me read fantasy. . . and love it!