NEW RELEASES

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BRAND NEW FICTION BY ROB SANDERS:

Inquisitor Bronislaw Czevak - scholar, adventurer, fugitive. Since fleeing the fabled Black Library of the eldar with the Atlas Infernal, he has been hunted by xenos, heretic and sorcerer just as he once hunted them. Guided and protected by this ancient tome bound in human skin, he has now found his way to the daemon world of Nereus in search of a powerful Chaos artefact. With Ahriman and the Thousand Sons racing to claim it for themselves, Czevak must scour the colony of Perdition's Landing if he is to outwit his old enemeis... but might this bedraggled outpost hide an even darker secret of its own?

CLICK HERE TO READ AN EXTRACT AND PURCHASE THE STORY. TO READ MORE INQUISITOR CZEVAK FICTION CLICK HERE FOR THE NOVEL 'ATLAS INFERNAL', AND HERE FOR THE STORY 'CZEVAK TO THE DARK TOWER CAME'.

Soon after word reached Terra of Horus’s nascent rebellion, Mars fell. Rogue elements within the Mechanicum priesthood, stirred by the Warmaster’s promises of independence and prosperity, turned against the Imperium and forced the primarch Rogal Dorn to order an impenetrable blockade of the Red Planet. Now it has become clear that the corruption has spread too deep, and that more drastic measures must be taken if the Forge World Principal is to be reclaimed. Calling upon the expertise of those who witnessed the so-called ‘Death of Innocence’ firsthand, Lord Dorn and Malcador the Sigillite consider their final solution – the complete extermination of all life on Mars.

This limited edition Horus Heresy novella will be available to order from Friday the 24th of July in a deluxe hardcover edition with a plethora of additional features. It’s limited to just 3,000 copies worldwide, so you’ll want to hurry. Click HERE to reserve your copy.

You can read an exclusive extract HERE and a short interview with me about the book HERE.

As the call of Archaon echoes out across the mortal realms, another of the champions of Chaos heeds its summons. Zuvius, a servant of Tzeentch, determines he must prove his worthiness to the Everchosen and ascend to serve at his banner. With a small retinue, he ventures onto the Blasted Plain and a reckoning with the warriors of the Goresworn. Only one will be chosen...

Get an insight into another aspect of Chaos – the tricky, conniving, deceptive side. Tzeentch champion Zuvias lies and manipulates the servants of the Blood God to get him safely across the dangers of the Blasted Plains. A fantastic contrast between the gore-soaked barbarism of the Khorne Bloodbound and the sinister subtlety of the followers of Tzeentch.

'Eye of the Storm' can be enjoyed as a self-contained story or as part of the 'Call of Archaon' sequence started by the brilliant David Guymer.

CLICK HERE TO READ AN EXTRACT AND PURCHASE THE STORY.








RECENT SCIENCE FICTION BY ROB SANDERS


The ADEPTUS MECHANICUS duology reaches its completion with ADEPTUS MECHANICUS: TECH-PRIEST

The disciples of the Machine God, the Cult Mechanicus are on the front line of the Quest for Knowledge. Tech-priests lead their forces of augmented warriors and battle-automata into battle with the Omnissiah’s foes in defence of His secrets. Magos-Explorator Omnid Torquora orchestrates war against the Iron Warriors for control of a long-lost forge world. With skitarii legions and maniples of battle-servitors and robots at his command – not to mention the mighty god-machines of the Titan Legions – victory is within his grasp… until treachery threatens to end his dreams of conquest. Amazing scenes of action and all-out violence ensue as the augmented horrors of the Cult Mechanicus wage war on the massed legions of the Iron Warriors. Victory is within reach of Magos-Explorator Omnid Torquora - at least, until treachery encroaches on his dreams of conquest. Featuring an incredible cast of bizarre mechanical characters, this novel is a fantastic continuation of the story laid out in 'Adeptus Mechanicus: Skitarius'.

CLICK HERE TO READ AN EXTRACT AND PURCHASE THE NOVEL EITHER AS A HARDBACK, AN EBOOK OR AUDIO

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE LIMITED EDITION NOVEL


ADEPTUS MECHANICUS: TECH-PRIEST continues the story begun in ADEPTUS MECHANICUS: SKITARIUS.

The skitarii are the soldiers of the Machine God, the tireless legions of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Holy warriors, they carry the word of the Omnissiah across the galaxy, destroying the impure machines of aliens and renegades and spearheading the Quest for Knowledge. A discovery of ancient technology sends a skitarii legion, commanded by Alpha Primus Haldron-44 Stroika, into battle on a forge world overrun by Chaos. When a cataclysm cuts him off from his tech-priest overseers, Stroika must rally his forces and battle corrupt machines and Chaos Space Marines if he is to achieve victory.

CLICK TO READ AN EXTRACT AND PURCHASE THE NOVEL.

'SKITARIUS' is available in a number of formats: HARDBACK, EBOOK, LIMITED EDITION and AUDIOBOOK.


Situated between the events in ADEPTUS MECHANICUS: SKITARIUS and ADEPTUS MECHANICUS: TECH-PRIEST is the short story ADEOTUS MECHANICUS: CLADE.

As the war for the forge world Velchanos Magna rages on, Tech-Priest Dominus Theronymous Gant hunts a Dark Mechanicum warlord across the blasted ruins. With a clade of mighty Kataphron Breachers at his side, he is ready to deal death to the traitorous tech-priest. But when his foe does the unthinkable, Gant and his Kataphrons find themselves facing an overwhelming force of mighty daemon engines bent on their destruction…

CLICK TO READ AN EXTRACT AND PURCHASE THE STORY.

His body broken by the fall of the Schadenhold, the Iron Warriors warsmith Idriss Krendl is nonetheless far from defeated. Now commanding two of the mighty siege guns stolen from the forge world of Diamat, he seeks to redeem himself in the eyes of his primarch by bringing down the Great Selenic palace on Euphorus, and gather invaluable tactical data for the eventual assault on Terra. His plan? To utilise a strategy of his own devising – the glorious Ironfire protocol.

Follow the continuing adventures of Iron Warriors Warsmith Idriss Krendl as he attempts to take down a giant palace with a pair of the enormous siege guns. We last met Krendl in the story The Iron Within, where he went head to head with the loyalist Dantioch. After that humiliation, he's trying to recover his reputation with an audacious plan.

CLICK TO READ AN EXRACT AND PURCHASE THE STORY

ALSO...

Indiscriminate in their destruction, the tyranid host consumes all in its path, sparing nothing and brooking no parley. The exodite world of Ephraeleon will be the next to fall, its people unprepared and undefended, but for Eldar Ranger Una Belphoebe the fate of the planet means nothing compared to the love of her prince. With the chitinous horde already descending on the jungles of Ephraeleon has her desperate rescue come too late?

The eldar aren’t the most compassionate of aliens at the best of times, but with their entire race facing extinction, one group of rangers is faced with a terrible decision: the death of a world or the extinction of their species. It’s also one of the few times in Black Library’s fiction where we get to explore one of the deadly dinosaur-infested exodite worlds of the ancient eldar empire.

CLICK HERE TO READ AN EXTRACT AND PURCHASE THE STORY




RECENT FANTASY FICTION BY ROB SANDERS:

Archaon – the former templar of Sigmar now dedicated to the Ruinous Powers – continues his quest to claim the six great treasures of Chaos and bring death to the world as the Everchosen of the gods. As he travels the world – from the southern Chaos Wastes to the verdant lands of Bretonnia – Archaon faces unimaginable perils and devastating betrayals. And all the while, Be’lakor, the first daemon prince, plots and awaits his chance to destroy the would-be Everchosen and claim his mantle as Lord of Chaos and harbinger of the End Times.

CLICK TO READ AN EXTRACT AND PURCHASE THE NOVEL



ARCHAON: LORD OF CHAOS is the second part of the ARCHAON duology. Check out first novel ARCHAON: EVERCHOSEN.

CLICK TO PURCHASE THE NOVEL ARCHAON: EVERCHOSEN AND THE ACCOMPANYING SHORT STORY 'ARCHAON: THE FALL AND THE RISE'




FOR ALL OTHER ROB SANDERS TITLES, CHECK THE SIDE BAR TO THE LEFT.

Atlas Infernal Review

This is from Index Nocturnus, whose review and podcast site can be found here.



"Atlas Infernal by Rob Sanders


A 40k novel review by Sam.

Before I start this review, I just want to go on record in saying “Well done Black Library!” “What’s that?” you gasp, “That’s it, he’s finally lost it…” But no! There hasn't been a pure Inquisitorial story since the on-going Eisenhorn/Ravenor/Pariah cycle, and it was a long time between drinks for the last part of that. Prior to Abnett’s masterwork (which I am an unabashed lover of and I believe puts Gaunt in the shade), you have to trek all the way back to Ian Watson’s Jac Draco novels, including their belated omnibus release a few years ago. This is truly bizarre, as Inquisitors are walking story generators and the scope they can bring to a plot is truly unique, outside the usual meatgrinder bolter-porn we are used to from the majority of Black Library books. The concept of ‘Inquisitor’ is so perfect that none other than Lois McMaster Bujold, the First Lady of science fiction, came up with a laboriously tortured ‘Imperial Auditor’ title and backstory for Miles Vorkosigan so he could go off and have adventures (wielding power) in exactly the same way as 40k Inquisitors do by rote. So three cheers for the Black Library in re-introducing this unique aspect of the 40k universe with this novel.

The roots of Atlas Infernal are obvious, and I have mentioned its antecedents in the preceding paragraph. At some points during this novel, I envisioned Sanders grabbing one each of the omnibuses mentioned above, dipping them in acid (the kind that makes you see pink elephants), and then stirring them together in a cauldron, to see how the elements bubble in a new way. First we have Czevak’s trip to the Black Library (Draco did that), and his intermittent battles/rescues with Harlequins (Draco too), while flying all over the galaxy with a Rogue Trader (Eisenhorn) and a Daemonhost (Eisenhorn again), a crazy Navigator (back to Draco), discussing plot points with an inanimate daemon-object (hand up at the back, yes, Gregor and the Pontius); using nulls to kill stuff (Eisenhorn, Ravenor, Bequin), while a Monodominant Inquisitor sort of swings in at the last minute to provide a foe (Eisenhorn); a corrupt Marine (Draco, Eisenhorn in Pariah), hot psyker chicks (Ravenor), and hot Assassin chicks (Draco). Given this list, you scream “Derivative! Get Ye to a Sister Hospitaler nunnery!” (with a grail-shaped beacon … it is a silly place). But no, the whole thing sort of gloms together and works, forging a unique vision from a pile of stewed ideas. And if you are going to steal, steal from the best.

The first chapter of the novel is so ridiculously dense that it took me two or three tries to actually get into this book. The reader is bombarded with a plethora of Inquisitor names, planet names, festival names, ship names, conflict names and non-standard 40k terminology (nexomat, anyone?) and info-dumps about the main characters. By paragraph four, you are assailed with a potted history of the Relictor Space Marine Chapter, and the whole mass is really difficult to absorb (although that could be my poor small brain). Plus the chapters are broken down into Acts and Cantos like it is Dante or Chaucer and not military sci-fi. But we are used to the chapter name flourishes since (you guessed it) Eisenhorn, when Abnett would break down the three acts of each chapter in little snippet headings, for no apparent good reason except He Thought It Was Neat.

Czevak is removed from play and exeunts to the Black Library (literally, not the company in Nottingham, although that would be cool). His long-suffering Interrogator Klute is promoted to Inquisitor during the years of Czevak’s absence, and spends his time roaming the Eye of Terror looking for his erstwhile master. But then the thing takes off! Sanders probably also threw a copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy into the mix. You have gag names – Bona Phidia? Epiphani? You have the funniest Freudian cyber-skull in the history of 40k, you have a warp-seer with a fashion fixation, Chucky the child-Daemonhost (he is supposed to be older but I imagined Chucky) and Savlar Chem-Dogs – the most bumbling, hysterically funny Imperial Guard force ever to grace the pages of a Codex. Plus hot vampires and Harlequins and the anti-hero of the piece, Czevak, whose dialogue is just a collection of one-liners strung together. I was 5/5 Gaving and slavering for more.

Czevak is discovered, having escaped the library; and we are told, almost in passing, that Ahriman of the Thousand Sons is after him because of the valuable information in his head, which he absorbed eidetically in the library due to a ‘meme-virus’ which allows him to record all data, like a savant (oh, add that to the ‘pinched’ list under Eisenhorn’s savant, Amos). ‘Meme-virus’ is a very non-40k concept; I was looking up my back issues of Transmetropolitan for something similar, as it sits much better in the scarily advanced technological society of Spider Jerusalem than the quasi-religious arcana of the 41st millennium. I am not sure the Mechanicus Biologis would approve of meme-viruses. The question of ‘what should be part of the Warhammer universe?’ can be extended into another, completely different popular science fiction franchise: imagine a character wearing a very weird and clashing Technicolor Dreamcoat, exiled from his race, with a line in pithy comments, who refuses to use guns but has no problem with his companions blazing away, who can travel in space in time, is continually getting younger (albeit this is liable to change at Christmas 2013), and uses his brains and knowledge to battle terrible enemies. Remind you of anyone?

Then we are off into a surreally executed and amazingly convoluted plot without actually seeing Czevak’s confrontation with Ahriman happen. Okay, take a breath, regroup, because here we hit the biggest problem with Rob Sanders’ writing. His first novel, Redemption Corps, was told in these giant big fat chapters that bounced around between a squad of Imperial Guard escaping from a prison and alternating with the greater plot, which involved Genestealer Orks. I hated it (1½/5 Gavs – see, two reviews for the price of one!). I thought Sanders had only just discovered the colon (:), and he thought an elliptical plot structure seemed a good excuse to write a 30,000 word first chapter, as Black Library at that time were only accepting Chapter 1 of finished novels under their submission guidelines. I thought the ellipsis was unnecessary, the huge chapters weighed the whole thing down and the experiment failed to go off. And we have a similar problem with Atlas Infernal. The core narrative is intercut with pretentious ‘Interregnums’ (interludes, for the rest of us), that zap us back to the stuff that happened to Czevak between him being taken to the Black Library and being restored to Klute and company. Which means that although Ahriman is the primary bad guy of the piece, you only find out why and how in the middle of the third act. This means that Czevak's motivation for two acts is based on him saying “Oh yeah, and Ahriman doesn’t like me.” I don’t know if Sanders thinks that intercutting between past and present makes the narrative more Prestigious and Important to go with his Cantos, like when Iain M. Banks does it (although he does it properly), because he seems pathologically unable to write a story from beginning to end without hopping about all over the place like a kangaroo on roids. Lack of motivation ends in confusion from the reader, and that is a potentially mortal wound for a novel like this.

We also have a ‘Coruscating Clause’ list (see the Index Nocturnus Rules section) – Sanders gets fixated on a single word and decides to use it repeatedly in one section, then never again: “They walked down the twisted tunnel, which was twisting away.” Words include ‘colossal,’ ‘infernal,’ ‘ferrouswood,’ 'lancet' and ’argent.’ In the ‘Pros’ column are some sensational created words, including ‘gorespittle,’ ‘automatron,’ ‘industriascape’ (actually, lots of things –scape),’ ‘dia-log,’ ‘immateriology,’ and ‘adamanticlad.’ We love created words, and these really pep up the narrative; Sanders really took the breaks off with these, and they are incredibly inventive.

Some plot holes do open in a story so serpentine, the basic one involving a webway portal that Czevak keeps on the Rogue Trader’s ship, which fortunately does not look like a blue box. He has a book allowing him to navigate the webway with pinpoint accuracy, he has a webway portal, yet the ship flies practically up to the front door of an Inquisition base so he can walk through the webway and out of the portal in its basement. Why? So they can be chased out of the system with much action and hi-jinks. Czevak could have parked anywhere, on some backwater planet or just randomly in space, gone through, come back and got on with it. But then we wouldn’t have the exciting Star Wars space escape from the Death Star. Apply the ‘webway’ rule to a lot of the plot contrivances and the whole structure starts creaking under its own spaghetti weight.

As you may surmise from this novella of a review, I am seriously conflicted about Atlas Infernal. The set piece action sequences are a lot of fun, particularly the Nurgle-world blimps (everything is better with blimps) and the Khornate kamikaze-starship. The daemonic artifact and its clues are extremely clever, as is the alien-autopsy-on-daemons conceit that causes a lot of the plot. This also reminded me of Douglas Adams: the zillion ideas just burst to life and are so far from the mundane of Black Library fiction they are a credit to a speculative author. I had to go and lie in my hermetically sealed isolation tank for a while, mulling the bizarre, derivative yet original, clunky yet elegant, binary opposed contents of Sanders’ cauldron.

And the final score: 5 Gavs, -2 for the narrative structure, +2 for getting this flawed gem through the publishing process, +½ for making me giggle and gasp and be enthralled by 40k fiction again = 4 1/2. More where that came from Rob, I will eat it up with a spoon."

Czevak to the Dark Tower Came

Released today is my contribution to the Black Library Advent. It is an Inquisitor Czevak short story called Czevak to the Dark Tower Came. I say a short but as usual, I've blasted beyond my word limit. Beyond his adventures in the novel Atlas Infernal, Czevak's conflict with Ahriman of the Thousand Sons and his exotic galaxy-hopping exploits have recently continued in short story form. Lately we've had the short story Necessary Evil presented in Hammer and Bolter, Shadow Play in the Black Library Weekender Anthology - Volume 2 and now Czevak to the Dark Tower Came. Here's the blurb from the Black Library website.

Like all the Advent stories, Czevak to the Dark Tower Came can be digitally downloaded for the very reasonable price of 79p. Just click the link below:

Czevak to the Dark Tower Came

If you're in the mood for more dark adventures with Bronislaw Czevak, then click the link below for Necessary Evil.

Necessary Evil

If you have yet to get in on the action, there is no better place to begin than with Inquisitor Bronislaw Czevak and Ahriman of the Thousand Sons going head to head in the novel Atlas Infernal. Click below:

Atlas Infernal

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Mayan Faux-Apocalypse!

If you wish to stay up to date with the latest releases and assorted blog goodness then you can do so in several ways. You are cordially invited to join me on Facebook here and/or Twitter here and/or the blog itself down on the side bar. You would be most welcome!

I like to play games from time to time on the blog. Here is one based upon the short story Czevak to the Dark Tower Came. Below are several Xenos artefacts that have been mislabelled in the Universitae-Imperialis archives on Savignor. They need correctly identifying. Can you identify their name, nature and Xenos origin? Feel free to have a go on Facebook, forums or in the comments section of the blog. Good luck!

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Black Library Weekender

Just got back from one of our regular Horus Heresy meetings. Excellent stuff. Always brilliant to be part of the process that guides and shapes the direction of this fantastic series. I've just finished a cool Horus Heresy project (hush, hush) and got into thrashing several more (even more hushing!), so I found the day particularly useful.

A quick reminder that I will be at the Black Library Weekender over the next two days. The Black Library Weekender is a two-day event at the Nottingham Belfry Hotel including seminars, signings, exclusive releases, previews and entertainment. Should be a blast. I look forward to seeing and spending time with Black Library fans. Bring your books. Happy to sign them and have a chat. There are lots of things going on with many authors in attendance. My events include:

Saturday 10.30-11-30 am - Space Marine Battles novels - Marlborough / Wellington Suite

Saturday 1.45-2.45 pm - Rob Sanders Q & A - Hardy Suite

Saturday 3.00-4.00 pm - Signing - Victory Suite

Saturday Evening - Pitch Factor

Sunday 11.15-12.15 pm - Villains of Warhammer 40k - Marlborough / Wellington Suite

I've probably forgotten something but I'll be around regardless - enjoying the events and hanging out with fans and authors. I also have an exclusive story available in the Black Library Weekender Chapbook Volume 2 - available on Sunday. My short story is called Shadow Play and sees the return of Inquisitor Bronislaw Czevak from my novel Atlas Infernal.

The Black Library Weekender should be a lot of fun. There is fun to be had here, also. Whether you're there or not, why don't you have a go at the caption competition below. Post captions on the blog, Facebook or boards. After the Weekender, I'll nominate a winner for our respect and adoration.

Necessary Evil

I'm really happy to announce that my Inquisitor Czevak short story Necessary Evil is to be re-released in Hammer and Bolter, Black Library's monthly fiction magazine. Necessary Evil was originally released as a Limited Edition short, which was great but meant that many readers of Inquisitor's Czevak's adventures in Atlas Infernal could not read it until now. It can be found in next month's issue of the magazine: Hammer and Bolter #23.

Here's the blurb:

"Inquisitor Bronislaw Czevak - scholar, adventurer, fugitive. Since fleeing the fabled Black Library of the eldar with the Atlas Infernal, he has been hunted by xenos, heretic and sorcerer just as he once hunted them.

Guided and protected by this ancient tome bound in human skin, he has now found his way to the daemon world of Nereus in search of a powerful Chaos artefact. With Ahriman and the Thousand Sons racing to claim it for themselves, Czevak must scour the colony of Perdition's Landing if he is to outwit his old enemies... but might this bedraggled outpost hide an even darker secret of its own?"

The great thing about Necessary Evil is that is that it can serve the needs of different readers. If you have already read Atlas Infernal, then the story serves as a standalone adventure - following Bronislaw Czevak into some of the darkest and most dangerous corners of the universe. If you haven't read Atlas Infernal than it serves as a nice introduction to the character.

Hammer and Bolter is out next month and can be pre-ordered here. I share the covers with Black Library veterans Graham McNeill and Dan Abnett, kick-ass ladies Nik Vincent and Sarah Cawkwell and new blood(and newlywed) Graeme Lyon.

Can't wait? Easy. Buy Atlas Infernal today. Click here for print version and here for eBook.

Want To Play?: Imperial Navy Idenitification Solution

As promised, I'm providing the answers to yesterday's puzzle. The Imperial Navy Identification proved to be very popular: it seems people really do 'Want To Play'! Thanks to all who took part. If you haven't played and would like to before being supplied the answers - stop reading now and click here. Otherwise, here is the puzzle and the answers. Click for close-ups.

Answers:

A: 4

B: 6

C: 2

D: 3

E: 7

F: 1

G: 5

Want To Play?: Imperial Navy Identification

It's time to return to a recent, popular feature on the blog: Want To Play? Today I'm asking you to put your skills of vessel identification to the test. Each of the ships displayed below are taken from my Inquisitor Czevak novel Atlas Infernal. Czevak's adventures in Atlas Infernal take place across a colossal expanse of Imperial space and the damned region that is the Eye of Terror. As well as blistering action and intrigue on a myriad of twisted worlds, Atlas Infernal also contains a wealth of ship-to-ship naval action. Each of the vessels identified below feature in the novel. See if you can match the names to the pictorial representations given. Click for a closer look. Good luck. Answers up tomorrow!

ANSWERS

'Scintillating, Original and Captivating'

Review time! My Inquisitor Czevak novel Atlas Infernal has been out a little while now, so it's always nice to read reviews about it from people who have come to it recently. EJ Davies casts his unswerving, critical eye on it today with a review first appearing on that nexus of literary judgement and appreciation - The Founding Fields. For daily updates, opinion and reviews, you can check out The Founding Fields here. EJ Davies' blog contains a plethora of science fiction cinema and literature reviews and can be found here - but just in case you forget, it's on the list of noteworthy internet locations and hang-outs called 'The Scene' on the side bar. Lots of worthy sites to investigate there but first check out EJ Davies' review of Atlas Infernal below.

"Rob Sanders introduces a new character to the more contemporary Black Library releases – Bronislaw Czevak – and tackles a fairly weighty topic – the thievery of the fated Atlas Infernal, a map of the Eldar webway from the Black Library of Chaos. EJ Davies casts his eye over the tome. Rob Sanders book, not THE Atlas Infernal.

“From a slow start to a scintillating, original and captivating read.” ~ The Founding Fields.

From the Black Library:


“Inquisitor Bronislaw Czevak is a hunted man. Escaping from the Black Library of the eldar, Czevak steals the Atlas Infernal – a living map of the Webway. With this fabled artefact and his supreme intellect, Czevak foils the predations of the Harlequins sent to apprehend him and thwarts his enemies within the Inquisition who want to kill him. Czevak’s deadliest foe, however, is Ahriman – arch-sorcerer of the Thousand Sons. He desires the knowledge within the Black Library, knowledge that can exalt him to godhood, and is willing to destroy the inquisitor to obtain it. A desperate chase that will bend the fabric of reality ensues, where Czevak’s only hope of survival is to outwit the chosen of Tzeentch, Lord of Chaos and Architect of Fate. Failure is unconscionable, the very cost to the Imperium unimaginable.”

Rob Sanders has had a rise akin to the meteoric within the Black Library. Although having published in Inferno! magazine, he first came to my attention with short story The Long Games at Carcharias (available as part of the Victories of the Space Marines anthology), then punched me in the face with the wonderfully refreshing The Iron Within (available in the Age of Darkness anthology.) Redemption Corps I remember being published prior to my first Black Library Live! visit in 2010, though I haven’t yet got to reading it, but my highly favourable reviews for The Serpent Beneath (in The Primarchs) and Legion of the Damned make it a certainty. Moreover, having gone from writing Guard, to Inquisition, to Space Marines, to pre-heresy in just a few short novels is worthy of note – hence my use of the ‘meteoric’ moniker.

The story is, as you would expect from the author of Alpha Legion, complex and filled with more twists than a bowl of spaghetti. Czevak, an ancient Inquisitor, in the midst of a conclave where he antagonises practically every other Ordos is turned on by a Deathwatch squad seeking to prevent him from learning the secrets necessary to transfer the God-Emperor’s essence into another vessel. During the attack Harlequins intervene and pull Czevak into the webway, and imprison him in the Black Library. Years later his former acolyte, Klute – now an inquisitor himself – has been hunting his former mentor across the Eye of Terror, accompanied by his retinue: a drug addicted warp seer, Epiphani; a bound daemon, Hessian; a Relictors Techmarine, Torqhuil – themselves famous for using daemon-technology against the daemons; and the indentured rogue trader Captain, Torres. They discover and secure an Eldar warp gate through which emerges, you guess it, Bronislaw Czevak brandishing the famous Atlas Infernal.

The book itself is not set up as a stereotypical book. Each chapter is another ‘scene’ in an overarching ‘act’ and at the opening of each is the word Enter, followed by a cast of characters. In this respect there are similarities with plays, or epic poems, but what I think Rob has tried to do is to tie this feature in to the Harlequins lore, the fact that as servants of the Laughing God they – through the medium of performance – recount tales of the past, present, and events yet to come. Between each act is a flashback to Czevak’s past which further develop the story as a whole, and our understanding of Czevak, and the unfolding story. Also, as you read the book, although the acts are chronological, some of the flashbacks feel less so – as if we are travelling through warpspace and experiencing time as we would there – in pockets of random happenstances.

Rob’s technique and style is clearly evident. Dialogue is not high on the priority list, but when it does appear it is colourful, playful, and complimentary to its characters. Particularly Czevak has a delightfully honest and open manner, often disarmingly so; and often displays humour you wouldn’t think credible coming from an Ordo Xenos High Inquisitor – but it works. There is a long (and I mean long) prologue that seeks to set the piece, and it’s only really in the context of its structure does that work. If this were a traditional novel, for example, I’m not sure a lengthy prologue would be welcomed.

The characters are delightful. The doped up warp seer is a treat, as much as a clothes horse as anything else, and for the fact she has a floating cyber-skull for a familiar (it’s that of her father, which is called Father) which reminds me of Janeane Garofalo’s Baby Bowler in Mystery Men. Hessian, the daemonhost, spends much of his time asleep, or as a bipedal torch, which tickled me no end. Klute, resolute and sturdy, though operating far outside the realms of his remit and, much like Torqhuil, makes him a target of less than tolerant beings throughout the Imperium.

The whole book is framed against that of constant peril, and relentless confrontation – right from the off. The Inquisition, the Eldar, the attentions of the Thousand Sons; and the distrust and animosity within the group. It’s a part Indiana Jones style adventure, mixed with a film noir murder mystery, with some monster movie tropes thrown in and it makes for a thoroughly entertaining read, which I’ve really enjoyed, albeit with a single reservation – that of it being a little tough to get in to. Rob is a very descriptive author with colours, smells, weather, personality, history, charm, charmlessness, and scale in every location and every encounter; and sometimes that can get a little wordy. That said, I’d rather have too much, than too little.

Some things of note, then: First, there is a scene in a bazaar where Czevak and his crew go to find an acquaintance and track down some necessary materials: brilliantly written to the point you feel you’re in Marrakech. Second, in another chapter they go to a planet in search of a coin – the whole culture of the gypsies – wonderful idea, and nicely executed. Thirdly, the interstitial scenes are brutally visceral and it’s a real talent to use these to further colour characters already in play. Finally, the final confrontation is one that I didn’t see coming; and the layers of complexity to enable us to get to this stage really pay off.

Atlas Infernal is an excellent read, with some great features. I’m very glad I got around to this, and it’s sheer entertainment value is worth the price of purchase. Atlas Infernal is available as an eBook download from Black Library, or in print from retailers.

Share and Enjoy!"

Forbidden Lore

I don’t get very much opportunity to indulge in the aural aspects of the internet. The internet, for me, is largely words and images. When I do listen, it’s usually something on YouTube (accompanied by images). Podcasting, therefore, is not an area that I paid a great deal of attention to. There are some fantastic sites offering podcasts out there, so I’ve started to discover. One such place is The Independent Characters, where hosts Carl Tuttle and Geoff Hummel review and analyse new Warhammer 40,000 gaming and fiction releases. Listening to Carl and Geoff, it struck me what a professional operation The Independent Characters is and how informed and thoughtful the hosts are about the material they review.

I was thrilled to see that before Christmas, the pair devoted nearly an hour of one of their ‘Forbidden Lore’ podcasts to reviewing my novel Atlas Infernal. These guys gave the book the full treatment and talked in great detail about aspects of the novel and characters that they enjoyed. I want to thank Carl and Geoff for choosing Atlas Infernal for The Independent Characters, reading the novel so thoughtfully and taking the time to review it so extensively. Thanks guys. You can visit The Independent Characters here and tune into their weekly Warhammer 40K observations. They are a well deserving addition to my blog section ‘The Scene’ (on the sidebar) in which I am gradually placing sites worthy of attention.

The Atlas Infernal podcast can be found below. You can listen to it directly from the site using a bar near the bottom of the page. Carl and Geoff take care of some podcast housekeeping stuff right at the beginning but you can cut in at about 3 mins 50 seconds (what podcasters call ‘Time Stamping’) where the hosts begin talking about the novel. The review continues until the end of the programme. If you have a few minutes to spare, I encourage you to check it out.

Atlas Infernal - Forbidden Lore Podcast: The Independent Characters Podcast

Entering The Dark Fortress

I am in the middle of (slowly) building a section on the blog called ‘The Scene’, that can be found on the sidebar. The Scene identifies some blogs, review sites and interesting places on the internet that I've enjoyed devoted to Speculative Fiction, the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres and specific settings within – for example, Warhammer 40,000. Usually I come across these great places to hang out as a result of interest expressed in my creative work or reviews of my novels and short stories – and will continue to do so.

The Dark Fortress is one such place, and recently featured a review of my novel Atlas Infernal. I’d like to thank Isiah on The Dark Fortress for taking the time to write such a thoughtful response to the novel. The Dark Fortress can be found here.


"The Dark Fortress

Atlas Infernal Interview

Welcome to the insane world of High Inquisitor Czevak.

I've not read much 40K Black Library material recently other then the Horus Heresy books, so I was a bit skeptical when first starting this (a Christmas 2011 gift) as my 40K reading palate had become a bit jaded. But Atlas Infernal proved a real tonic.

As a reader you are following the frenetic journey of the likeable rogue of an Ordo High Inquisitor Czevak and his retinue in their mission to thwart the Thousand Sons' Ahriman and Sorcerer Korban Xarchos in re birthing the daemon Mammoshad to be used as their vassal of destruction.

Czevak is well supported by an interesting retinue of heretical characters including an Inquisitor Interrogator, a Relictors Chapter techmarine, a bound daemon within a daemonhost, a warp-seer navigator (and accompanying servo-skull) and various Salvar Chem-Dogs Imperial troopers, amongst others. All are aboard a rogue trader ship captained by a female ex-navy captain. The characters are well-formed, each having enough to make you think they are more than skin deep and you have a real empathy for their fates. No mean feat in a lively 402 page narrative.

It's a good old fashioned adventure story through the realms of the Eye of Terror that takes place during the Thirteenth Black Crusade. You'll have ship-to-ship battles aplenty, battle Khornate pirates, Nurgle Guard infantry, Grey Knight terminators and Thousand Son Space Marines, various daemons and eldar; and be constantly chased by eldar Harlequins and the Thousand Sons in their efforts recover the webway atlas that Czevak stole from the Black Library. Harried from all sides Czevak's retinue have no 'side' of their own, yet Czevak's self-belief that what they're doing is right for the Empire and possibly of great benefit to the ailing Emperor himself binds them together as a solid team.

There is a rich vein of interesting and ghoulish Dark Mechanicus cult and xeno artifacts littered throughout to play with as well as very strange worlds and civilisations to explore. The latter often depressing in their Nurgle-infested decay and atrophe. And everywhere the Thousand Sons are hell bent on killing billions to reach their ultimate goal.

The story is well written and thought through. The literary device of weaving the start of the story through the body of the book in Interregna 'Chorus' chapters is at first odd but makes total sense come the story's conclusion. At no time does it sink to the usual cheap-thrill common denominator blood-fest that is often the downfall of other BL novels. There's an integrity of vocabulary and thought that remains at the same high quality throughout — so full marks to the author and editor for that.

Conclusion
A fast-paced adventure that took me by surprise by its quality and intelligence if I'm honest by an author I haven't encountered before. It's very hard to put down once you get up and running with it. If he writes another in this series then I'd definitely buy it.
4/5"

Best of the Year

This has been a great year for me on the creative front. I’m looking forward to making even greater things happen in 2012! Thanks to all those who have followed the blog this year (officially or unofficially): I wish you a fantastic New Year. This seems an appropriate post to end 2011 on. The British Fantasy Society was kind enough to review my novel Atlas Infernal. The BFS site can be found here. They had this to say about the novel:

“This is one of the Black Library’s best books of the year. The characters are all believable, the plotting is full of action, inventive and original. The set pieces work well, and never is it predictable or clichéd. A definite winner.”



Not a bad accolade to end on. I can live with that. ; )

Cheers

Rob

"Fantastic Read"

I was surfing the web and came across this rather excellent site called Imagined Realms blogging out of Melbourne, Australia. The blogger, who I know only as Sigil, read my novel Atlas Infernal and was kind enough to give it the full review treatment in the blog’s ‘Reviews in Motion’ section. It is a review in three parts, dealing with early promise and artwork, impressions of Atlas Infernal at the half way point and finally a considered review of the novel upon completion. I’m really intrigued by Imagined Realms’ approach to the review process, breaking it down in this way, and really enjoyed reading Sigil’s insights and observations on Atlas Infernal. I encourage you to check out the review and further bloggage from Imagined Realms.

Reviews in Motion – Atlas infernal 1.1

Reviews in Motion – Atlas infernal 1.2

Reviews in Motion – Atlas infernal 1.3

Electronic Shoeboxing #4

The scissors are out again and I've reached for the Electronic Shoebox. This time my attentions have fallen on a great blog called 'Kaughnor's Cave', where I discovered a nice review for Atlas Infernal. I have copied the review here but if you wish to check out 'Kaughnor's Cave', and why wouldn't you, then follow this link.


"I picked up this book solely becasue the cover intrigued me. What the heck was this human doing wearing Harlequin gear I thought. Now, I'm not one to do book reviews, but I really enjoyed this one. I had just finished reading Path of the Seer (which was good as well) and was hungry for more Eldar fluff. I'm not going to go into the substance of the novel; rather just touch on what I liked about the book.

For starters, the Harlequins, as portrayed in the Infernal Atlas, kick ass! They manhandled Space Marines, Iconic Chaos Space Marines and even Deamons. I liked that a lot. All too often it seems that the Eldar are always being portrayed as the 40k whipping boy. I mean how many times has the Avatar bit the dust to a generic space marine hero. Anyway, the Harlequins are a force to be reckoned with in the book which was nice.

What stood out to me was the fact that the novel did not portray the GW war torn universe in the cardboard black or white manner which seems to be the norm. The protagonist is one crazy character that adventures in the grey areas of the fluff. I found it refreshing.

Finally, if your like me and starved for Eldar fluff, the book does touch on the Black Library and the interactions between Harlequins and Craftworld Eldar. I realize not cannon, but its nice to read a story that fleshes out the Eldar background.

Anyway, if you want a fun light read, I recommend giving Atlas Infernal a try."

Electronic Shoeboxing #3

Some nice comments here about Atlas Infernal from a reviewer called Glitnir on Goodreads, which I promptly snipped from the interweb with my digital scissors. The cutting now finds a new home in my Electronic Shoebox.

"Four out of five stars. I really enjoyed this book-that's 2 in a row from recent BL publishing! The protagonist is both likeable and frustrating, and the travels through the Eye of Terror were wonderfully depicted. The brutality of Ahriman and the chaos realm were no less icy than the haunting footsteps of the Harlequins. There was some description of the Black Library, though I would've liked to seen more (simply because it's so mysterious and been shrouded in the 40k mythos for so long). The intricacy of the plot was also appealing, and the layout of the chapters (in theatrical format) was a nice touch. Sanders really produced a good work here."

Happy to oblige, Glitnir.

Interview - Phonics and Phrenology

Two further questions and answers from my aforementioned author interview.Enjoy!

6) Silly question: The cover art of your first novel, Redemption Corps, portrayed the hero as bald. Now the cover art of your second novel similarly suggests a certain deficiency in the hair department on the part of your second major heroic character. What’s going on with that?

Ha! No conspiracy. Bald men are not taking over the future. This all comes down to the way in which the artwork for novel covers is commissioned. The publisher sends a brief out to an artist for the cover of a novel. I’m asked to write a section of that brief with advice, information and extracts from the work in progress to guide the artist. They work closely with the brief but are ‘artists’ in their own right and so the execution of the cover illustration is down to them. An artist called Jon Sullivan did my cover for Redemption Corps and Stef Kopinski did Atlas Infernal. Both artists did a fantastic job. I will be working with Jon again on the cover for my third novel, Legion of the Damned and hope Stef will produce the cover for any future Czevak novels. As for the baldness, I’m responsible for Major Mortensen’s – it’s part of his character’s back story. As for Czevak, his hair (or lack of) never came up as a significant issue in the novel and therefore is not part of the brief. I think that since Czevak is such an intellectual heavyweight in the novel, perhaps Stef decided to flag this with a Professor X / Mace Windu-style dome. What can I say: it suits him.

7) For the record, how do you (each reader will no doubt have their own ideas on the matter!) pronounce Czevak? See-vak? Zee-vak? Zeh-vak? Or some other way?

You are, of course, correct: it doesn’t matter how the reader specifically pronounces the name. It will not interfere with their enjoyment of the novel. I have heard several different pronunciations – for example a ‘ch’ sound at the beginning – like Czech. The 40k galaxy is broad and wide, however, with a good deal of room for diversity and interpretation. I personally interpret the name phonetically as ‘Zeh-vak’. It has a Slavic, no-nonsense feel to it while at the same time being suggestive of someone unusual and possibly exotic with the silent ‘c’. Even the ‘z’ sound that leads the pronunciation has a rare, superlative quality: there’s only one ‘z’ tile in Scrabble and it is worth 10 points! The ‘v’ and the ‘k’ produce a harsh, angular and ultimately satisfying resonance that lingers after the name. This degree of forethought might seem unnecessary but names are important to writers because they are important to readers. Gaz is the apprentice to an electrician, whereas Sebastian lectures in the Classics at Cambridge. If the names were reversed, then Gaz the Latin lecturer or Sebastian the ‘Sparky’ might strike people as unusual enough to pause and comment on in real life. If the names were reversed in a novel then such a detail might actually threaten the reader’s wilful suspension of disbelief and therefore their enjoyment of the text. Czevak’s name is unusual and therefore attracted my attention. If he had been called, I don’t know - Rob Sanders -then I doubt I would have written about him at all!

For Whom The Bell Tolls

Just read a fantastic review by a gentleman called CrusherJoe on the site Bell of Lost Souls. Since I’m having a tidy up of the entire internet and trying to put all Atlas Infernal related material all in one place, I thought it deserved coverage here on the blog. The website Bell of Lost Souls or BOLS can be found here.

“Inquisitor Czevak leads a ragtag, fugitive fleet across the galaxy for the future
of all humankind in this new novel by Rob Sanders.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll admit I'm fascinated by the Holy Ordos. Having said that, when given the chance I jumped at the opportunity to give this new book a read. I wanted a novel that would provide an expansion on the world of the Inquisition, and Atlas Infernal did not disappoint.

When I read a Black Library book, I like to think in terms of how the world and characters expand on the game ideas and themes. For example, it's one thing to play an inquisitor, it's another to imagine what they represent in the "real world". The true strength of Atlas Infernal is its depiction of an Inquisitor and his retinue. Allow me to explain: when you see an Inquisitor in an army list, he or she was more often than not accompanied by an Inquisitorial henchman warband. Sure, you can see why that would be in terms of the game -- they amplify the combat prowess of the Inquisitor and/or multiply his usefulness by the effect he has on the game. But why would a member of the Holy Ordos have a gaggle of folks around them? After reading this book, you know -- because henchmen are like the inquisitor's Swiss army knife, each one of them is a resource, a tool for the Inquisitor to exploit to accomplish his goals. Czevak's retinue of "tools" consists of a junior (in terms of rank) Inquisitor, a drug-addicted psychic and her servo-skull, a Relictors Techmarine, a Rogue Trader and her ship, some Guardsmen, and a Daemonhost. The way this ragtag group works together -- sometimes willingly, sometimes deluded by Czevak -- gives a great deal of insight into what makes these bands of henchmen work. To me, it was quite fascinating.

Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Czevak has some very lofty goals indeed, and some very powerful enemies. As perhaps the only human "invited" to visit the Eldar's Black Library (and subsequently escape the Harlequins that guard it), he possesses some very unique knowledge -- namely, how to actually get to the Black Library -- and there are certain entities that would do pretty much anything to gain that knowledge, not the least of which is Ahriman of the Thousand Sons. Needless to say, having knowledge that Ahriman desperately wants to possess doesn't exactly extend your life expectancy.

Fortunately, Czevak is extremely resourceful and just intelligent enough to be a worthy adversary to the Thousand Sons sorcerer, because the main thread of story involves Czevak's desperate attempt to thwart one of Ahriman's more involved, apocalyptic plots. I won't reveal what the plot is nor its goals, but it is suitably epic in scope, nature and complexity -- Tzeentch would be proud. The kicker is, Czevak is forced to work against this plot while being relentlessly pursued by his former Harlequin jailers, which as presented here are far more formidable than Eldar story-telling dancers. Also, did I mention that Czevak's own Ordo Xenos isn't exactly happy with his more "radical" approach to his duties? Nor the other Ordos and Grey Knights? He is definitely a wanted man -- good thing he has his retinue to help him out.

And that's the strength of this story, really. Yes, there is definitely some exposition on the inner goings-on of the Inquisition. The plot jumps back and forth in time and the once the full extent of Ahriman's plot is revealed, take a moment to soak it up. But amongst all the fate-of-the-galaxy stuff going on, it is really the way Czevak and his merry band work together that saves both themselves, and countless others.

The only real issue I have with Atlas Infernal is what I will call the "final escape", in the last chapter prior to the epilogue.. It felt...rushed. Tacked on. It smacked of deus ex machina to me and while, yes, considering the subject matter that may not be too far-fetched, but I wish some other way of resolving that plot-line had been devised.

But even that gripe doesn't take away from the overall strength of the work. Atlas Infernal has been my favorite Black Library book in quite a while -- yes, to me, it was that good. I recommend it.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

What do you think of the Inquisition being fleshed out? Isn't it interesting that Rob Sanders chose the Ordo Xenos, perhaps the order we know least about, to write a novel about? Wouldn't it be great to have your own retinue of henchmen to carry out your orders?”

As a side note, there is a sneaky clue contained in this post relating to my next published project, which you might be able to identify. It's not The Da Vinci Code or anything but it is there. : )

Interview - Bronislaw Czevak and Doctor Who

This is Part 3 of my serialised interview. In this section I respond to questions regarding Czevak’s enemies in Atlas Infernal and comparisons between the Inquisitor and the Doctor.

4) Czevak’s attitude to danger, his often ingenious solutions to trying situations, his reverse aging and his cadre of followers cannot help but bring to mind a certain television time traveller. How do you feel about comparisons between Inquisitor Czevak and Doctor Who?

I have no problem with those comparisons at all. Doctor Who is immensely popular and well loved and it is not an unfair comparison to make. Inquisitor Czevak has in his possession the Atlas Infernal: an ancient tome of long forgotten construction and genius that allows him to navigate the labyrinthine expanse of the Webway – a network of interdimensional tunnels utilised for faster-than-light travel across the galaxy. The Webway was left behind by an ancient race that millions of years before the evolution of humanity, left behind gates on millions of planets across the cosmos. With the Atlas Infernal, Czevak can traverse the Webway and move between far flung worlds and across the empires of the galaxy’s dominant species. The combination of these capabilities, as well as the secrets of the Black Library of Chaos at his disposal (the location from which the inquisitor originally stole the Atlas Infernal) means that Czevak would certainly give the Doctor a run for his money. Like the Doctor, Czevak is everywhere – blasting back and forth across the galaxy, a bane to his powerful enemies and combating evil in many forms.

Although there are some similarities in terms of situation, Czevak and the Doctor are two very different characters. Czevak does not share the Time Lord’s sentimentality and has a true genius’ dispassionate outlook. Czevak does what has to be done, regardless of the cost to himself, those around him and the galaxy as a whole. Whereas the Doctor seems to have a weakness for twentieth century Brits, Inquisitor Czevak surrounds himself with witches, heretics and daemonhosts. He is not a tour guide: he invites into his retinue only those who might survive his lethal adventures – those that have the power and talents to help him defeat potent enemies and save the galaxy, one world at a time.

The comparisons are well observed, however. It think it is fair to say that if you enjoy Doctor Who then you’ll enjoy Atlas Infernal.


5) Czevak and his motley band of associates take on a diverse range of foes in Atlas Infernal – from Chaos space marines and daemons to loyal servants of the Imperium – did you have a ‘shopping list’ of baddies you wanted to include from the outset?

Inquisitor Czevak is one of the only humans to have been allowed access to an alien
repository of forbidden lore and knowledge of galactic evil called The Black Library of Chaos. Czevak is afflicted with a meme-virus - an illness resulting in a voracious hunger for knowledge and the equivalent of a photographic memory. This makes him very much like an information addict. Spending time in the Black Library with such an affliction means that he soaks up arcane lore and detail from thousands of alien and corrupt books, tracts and artefacts like a sponge. Retaining this information is both a blessing and a curse for the inquisitor. Everyone wants the information locked away in his mind: the servants of dark gods, daemonic entities, the Imperial Inquisition to which Czevak himself belongs and even the ancient alien guardians of the Black Library, that regard the knowledge in his possession as a galactic liability. A long shopping list of enemies who will all stop at nothing to acquire Czevak and these secrets. Putting his knowledge to good use, Czevak uses what he has learned to stay one step ahead of his myriad enemies and turn their ambitions to dust.

Interview – Length and Skill!

Here is the second part of the author interview serialised on the blog yesterday. The following answers deal with the important (and not mutually exclusive considerations) of length and skill.

2) How long did the book take to write? Did you plan it all down to the finest detail before you started or did you loosely sketch it and then see where the story took you?

Given a straight run, it takes me about three months to write a book. It is a little more complicated than that, however, since working in a school means that I don’t have a straight run. Projects often have to fit themselves around the demands of the school year. Every writer has a different way of approaching a book. I like to have an initial pitch to sound out my editors and make sure they feel as I do that the book has an appeal. I also like to make sure that it doesn’t conflict with anything else anyone is writing for them at that time. I then furnish a synopsis/chapter break-down with the characters and events required to tell the story. This is to ensure that the narrative has an emotional integrity, holds together and makes sense. The trick here is not to include too much detail. My editors check this also. Another experienced pair of eyes is really useful here. I read some books and watch some films and television programmes that contain nonsensical plot holes that you could drive a bus through. You don’t want to get tens of thousands of words into a project before you discover one of these, so editors’ comments at this stage are useful. Then comes the hard graft. Writing a 100,000 word novel is not easy. It takes real stamina and commitment, no matter how much you’re enjoying the process. I keep the synopsis loose and functional to enable the creative juices to flow during the actual writing of the novel. Characters, setting and the mechanics of the plot are all fleshed out here and there is an element of seeing where a scene, section of dialogue or sub-plot takes me. This, of course, takes place within the safety net of a good deal of planning already undertaken. The finished article then goes to my editors (hopefully somewhere near the deadline) for several read throughs and technical checks to ensure it still makes sense and is as free as possible from errors. Done.

3) Do you feel that your day job as an English teacher and the skills you need for that have helped you to write the novel?

Do you need to be an English teacher to write a novel? No. Does it help if you are? I certainly think so. I read a good deal. I have taught English, English Literature, Drama and Media across all age ranges and I have a First Class Honours in English and History. All of these things require the deconstruction of other people’s texts on a daily basis. It is not unreasonable to suggest that this experience has benefitted me when writing books of my own. If you pick up a Rob Sanders novel then I can guarantee you will be reading a text into which an enormous amount of imagination and skill has been invested. Atlas Infernal is only my second novel, however. I am at the beginning of this process and have much to learn as I develop as a writer. Being a teacher certainly teaches you the importance of the learning process - of reflection and continual improvement. I’m in this for the long haul and to last the distance you have to be inventive, adaptable and be prepared to learn from any mistakes you make.

Interview – Creation and Inspiration

I recently did an interview for my local newspaper The Lincolnshire Echo regarding the release of my second novel Atlas Infernal. Since the interview appeared in a local publication I thought it might be fun to serialise it here. A big thanks goes to Dan Sharp at the Echo who conducted the interview and who bravely champions science fiction in word and deed.


“1) The book is set in the universe of Warhammer 40,000 but where did the idea for Czevak and the Atlas Infernal itself come from? What inspired their creation?

Warhammer 40,000 is a shared fictional ‘universe’ in the same way as there are many different writers telling their own stories in the Doctor Who universe, those belonging to DC and Marvel, serial crime dramas, The Simpsons or even the recent James Bond novels. It is a communal sandbox where everyone gets to play in their own corner and create their own part of that universe. This can create a very rich experience for readers. They can experience a range of different voices and approaches within a common setting with which they grow increasingly familiar. The Warhammer 40,000 universe provides the setting for a highly enjoyable game based in the far future, but knowledge of the game is not required in order to enjoy the novels. Many people all over the world buy novels and read stories based in its universe without ever playing the game.

One of the most rewarding aspects of a shared universe is collaboration. This doesn’t mean writers working together on projects. It means writers leaving loose ends all over the universe, that can be picked up by other writers who see opportunities. This also appeals to readers who appreciate the interrelated nature of the material to which they have made a commitment. Inquisitor Czevak was a character of significance in the Warhammer 40,000 universe but nothing had been written specifically about him. His presence is alluded to in different situations during the fictional history of the background but next to nothing was known about him personally, what he had done and his ‘present’ whereabouts. I spotted this opportunity and immediately wanted to tell his story.

Czevak is an Imperial Inquisitor – a man charged with rooting out heresy and corruption across humanity’s stellar empire - a galactic witchfinder: purging worlds of alien cults, daemonic intrusions and mutants cursed with unnatural powers. Czevak operates within an area called The Eye of Terror, a region of space where hell and reality overlap. Using an ancient tome called the Atlas Infernal he navigates his way across daemon worlds, where evil gods and their corruptive powers hold sway and the rules of reality, let alone physics, rarely apply. One of the most direct influences on Czevak’s creation, therefore, was the epic poem The Divine Comedy and Dante’s journey through the nine circles of Hell.”

'Atlas Infernal' Reviews

More positive reviews for Atlas Infernal are rolling in and it is a real pleasure for me to give them extra pixel-inches here. The following is from a reviewer with the evocative name DemonicTalkin on the Lisburn Gaming Club forum.

“Atlas Infernal recently released by Rob Sanders features Inquisitor Bronislaw Czevak. Recently escaped from the Black Library he plays a dangerous cat and mouse game deep in the Eye of Terror both with the mysterious Eldar Harelquins and the arch sorcerer Ahzek Ahriman.

This book was bought by myself on a whim and all I can say is that I am very glad I bought it. The characters are very well realised and are a welcome addition to the 40k universe. Not wanting to spoil things too much I will say that it is always nice to see another daemonhost; what can I say I'm a radical at heart.

The plot is fast paced and while there are a couple of shifts back and forwards in the chronology it is separated enough not to confuse. One aesthetic I really like is that the chapters are split into acts with characters announced in almost a stage direction way; very much in keeping with how the harlequins exist in the universe.

Also I was pleasantly surprised to see how well Ahriman's portrayal was written. There has been a tendency for Chaos Marines to be rather one-dimensional panto-lite villians (see battle for the abyss and the blood angels omnibus) and it was good to see that Ahriman was treated well (even if Rob Sanders seems to like the word cerulean just as much as Mr Abnett likes wet leopard growls).

One thing I would hasten to add however is that if you are a total newcomer to the 40k universe I would recommend starting with something a little less immersed as it is a little in-depth. A good example of this is a discussion mentioning the various inquisitorial factions which could go over the head of a newcomer.

All in all this is a very good introduction to Inquisitor Czevak and having read the short story in the BL chapbook for this year I hope it is not the last.

Score: 9/10

Verdict: BL writes inquisitors damn well.”

Big thanks to DemonicTalkin for reading Atlas Infernal and taking the time to review the novel. The Lisburn Gaming Community can be found here.