Free eBooks soon to become normal eBooks

--EDIT--
Sorry you're too late.


Just a quick heads up. Black Library announced via Facebook, that today is the last day to download their series of free eBooks here. So do as Black Library's post says and 'Go download them before it's too late."

To give you an idea, you can save the equivalent of £28.50 just by downloading the four novels and magazine. Plus the first CD of the audio book Horus Rising is available (it is a much larger file, so watch out if you have bandwidth restrictions).

Last two eBooks & bonus audio book

I skipped posting about last weeks free eBook from Black Library because I had too many other things demanding my attention. But the penultimate free eBook, released on 25 October, was Trollslayer by William King.

Unlike the previous two novels released, this one is set in the Warhammer 'Fantasy' realm and is the first part of the Gortrek and Felix storyline. I have never actively read a fantasy book since having left secondary school. Now, having Trollslayer I had planned to change this. Well at least that's what I thought...

This Friday The Black Library released Honour of the Grave by Robin D. Laws as their free eBook. This novel is also part of the 'Fantasy' realm and while I like most trolls as much as the next person. I like dead things more. A lot more. In fact I even made skeleton costume for Halloween this year (which was the first time I actually dressed up for the event). Halloween was never celebrated here in South Africa while I was growing up, with the exception of the odd late night horror film on T.V. This year however, shopping centres seemed to have gone mad with Halloween decorations. I'm convinced there were more vampire, witch, pumpkin etc. decorations around now than there were rabbit and egg decorations around Easter time.

But enough on that. For me the title Honour of the Grave evokes more interest than simply Trollslayer. Honour of the Grave is open to more interpretation and having not even read the blurb about the book I want to read it. Trollslayer simply says to me, "there are trolls in this book, they will be slain." While I'm sure this is not the entire plot of the book and that it is a fine piece of literary work, I'll be reading the one with the catchy title first. This doesn't mean that I don't intend to read Trollslayer, it just means that I don't intend to read it immediately.

Prior to releasing these two eBooks, The Black Library also made the first CD of the audio book, Horus Rising available. The book was penned by Dan Abnett and this version is read by Martyn Ellis. I've tried listening to it while in bed, but as I've been getting to bed past midnight every night for the last few weeks, I haven't actually absorbed any of the story yet. I'll make a more committed attempt to get through at least the first chapter in an evening once I've had a few good nights sleep.

Black Library launches digital magazine

Continuing with their free eBook Fridays, the Black Library released the first issue of the Hammer and Bolter. I had quick 'page' through it, and looks like an interesting read. It's packed with short stories and excerpts of novels from both the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 universes, plus there is an interview with Nick Kyme, author of the Tome of Fire Trilogy.

In the interview Kyme mentions being busy with Fall of Damnos, an Ultramarines novel to form part of the Space Marines Battle series. In addition he has plans to tie up the loose ends and finish his Salamander trilogy with Nocturne, and has ideas for a Horus Heresy novel.

Of the few Black Library authors whose work I have read (and need to write reviews about), Nick Kyme has got to be one of my favourite. I'm looking forward to the release of these titles in the near future.

Second free eBook

The second free eBook from the Black Library was made available for download earlier today. I haven't even started with the first one yet, and with the new one being Graham McNeill's Nightbringer, it will probably be a while before I read First and Only.

Nightbringer is the first novel of the Ultramarines series featuring the heroics of Captain Uriel Ventris and his men, and I intend reading it before the other eBooks in order to get a better feel for the Ultramarines.

Free eBooks from Black Library

On October 8th, The Black Library launched its new digital catalogue by making the eBook of Dan Abnett's First and Only available for free download (see here).

The Black Library plans to release an eBook for free every Friday until November 5th. In addition, all the novels and audio books previously released, will also be made available as digital downloads in the future.

Happy reading...