Speculation & spoilers regarding The Magos, Pariah etc

[DukeLeto69]

Also spoke quite a bit about Penitent, which really seems like it's not far off from the way he spoke. He mentioned it contains his biggest surprise yet and even detailed that that surprise is what he had to ask approval for, and that approval was give,n, and its now in the book.

 

I am calling it just as I did earlier in this thread (a few times - sorry brothers) that The Yellow King is someone big and important to the whole setting of W40k. It isn't a character who is unique to the Abnettverse so not Rorken or Ravenor. Abnett would not need permission for that. He has made a point in more than one interview now that he had to get permission. That means it is someone (or something) that impacts on the wider setting (or understanding of the setting).

 

So it could be Lorgar!

 

But I am still championing a revelation that the God Emperor is alive / sentient / conscious and influencing the IoM and eternal war with chaos and acting through others as avatars etc. The Yellow King is the God Emperor.

[Moonreaper666]

 

Also spoke quite a bit about Penitent, which really seems like it's not far off from the way he spoke. He mentioned it contains his biggest surprise yet and even detailed that that surprise is what he had to ask approval for, and that approval was give,n, and its now in the book.

 

I am calling it just as I did earlier in this thread (a few times - sorry brothers) that The Yellow King is someone big and important to the whole setting of W40k. It isn't a character who is unique to the Abnettverse so not Rorken or Ravenor. Abnett would not need permission for that. He has made a point in more than one interview now that he had to get permission. That means it is someone (or something) that impacts on the wider setting (or understanding of the setting).

 

So it could be Lorgar!

 

But I am still championing a revelation that the God Emperor is alive / sentient / conscious and influencing the IoM and eternal war with chaos and acting through others as avatars etc. The Yellow King is the God Emperor.

Dan Abnett has been known to revive old lore in a different (Oll Person as a Perpetual, Unremembered Empire/Ruinstorm for the delay of the Ultramarines/Dark Angel, etc.)

 

I wonder if Dan is CRAZY enough to bring back the Sensei of all things back in the lore!

 

Having a corrupted Sensei (Just the one and only son of the God Emperor) as the Yellow King would change everything!

[bluntblade]

Yes - I don’t think the yellow - Xanthite link is the whole story, but it feels like a part of the puzzle and it (the idea that the King in Yellow is a Xanthite Inquisitor or any one of a series of Xanthite Inquisitors) would seem to fit with Ravenor’s prediction that the KiY is what Eisenhorn might become.

 

The idea of a long history of “Kings in Yellow” could tie into something big in 30k/40k lore, but I’m not sure what it would be. Perhaps back to the founders of the Inquisition?

A "King in Yellow" crops up in lots of places, for what it's worth. True Detective, Lovecraft, the Laundry Files to name just three.

[DukeLeto69]

 

Yes - I don’t think the yellow - Xanthite link is the whole story, but it feels like a part of the puzzle and it (the idea that the King in Yellow is a Xanthite Inquisitor or any one of a series of Xanthite Inquisitors) would seem to fit with Ravenor’s prediction that the KiY is what Eisenhorn might become.

 

The idea of a long history of “Kings in Yellow” could tie into something big in 30k/40k lore, but I’m not sure what it would be. Perhaps back to the founders of the Inquisition?

A "King in Yellow" crops up in lots of places, for what it's worth. True Detective, Lovecraft, the Laundry Files to name just three.

@Bluntblade have a read of my post two pages back on 27 Feb.

 

Pretty certain by now anyone reading this whole thread and previous speculation around the Bequin trilogy knows this. Abnett totally tipped his hat to Robert W Chambers and his wonderful little “weird fiction” book “The King in Yellow”.

 

Not watched True Detective but heard good things. Wonder if Abnett was a little miffed they used same references?

Edited April 24, 2019 by DukeLeto69

[bluntblade]

Whoopsie. I figure it's just a popular wellspring

[Petitioner's City]

Remember with Abnett, we are reading a highly educated author (they all seem to be, really) - but one with an Oxford ug lit degree. I think how he writes this setting - dense and allusive - attests perhaps to his mindset as rooted in his education.

[FirstSonofHorus]

Remember with Abnett, we are reading a highly educated author (they all seem to be, really) - but one with an Oxford ug lit degree. I think how he writes this setting - dense and allusive - attests perhaps to his mindset as rooted in his education.

 

I like Abnett but I never get an overly literary impression of his work. Yes, there are references to the canon but rarely anything I would consider obscure.

[DukeLeto69]

@PC not really sure where you are going with that? Abnett is a very skilled story teller and part of the secret of his success IMO is how easily readable his prose is. His work is clever and his concepts and plots are excellent but I would not class him as “literary” if indeed that is a thing.

[mc warhammer]

his turn of phrase is easily one of, if not the best in the BL stable

[Ascanius]

It's clearly the best, there's no real competition.

[Knockagh]

It's clearly the best, there's no real competition.

Really? I struggle with that. Dans a great writer of that their is no doubt but there are lots and lots of exceptionally capable writers working in the 40k universe. Many of whom I would rate higher than Dan, particularly his more recent books. Dans been consistently good writing the Ghosts, but other recent books haven’t compared to Spears of the Emperor, Dante, carrion throne, Lorgar, Cadia Stands or Cult of spiral dawn.

I’m hoping for something wonderful with the next Bequin book but after the Magos and I am slaughter I’m not holding out a lot of hope. But maybe he will churn out something as wonderful as Anarch!

[mc warhammer]

 

It's clearly the best, there's no real competition.

Really? I struggle with that. Dans a great writer of that their is no doubt but there are lots and lots of exceptionally capable writers working in the 40k universe. Many of whom I would rate higher than Dan, particularly his more recent books. Dans been consistently good writing the Ghosts, but other recent books haven’t compared to Spears of the Emperor, Dante, carrion throne, Lorgar, Cadia Stands or Cult of spiral dawn.

I’m hoping for something wonderful with the next Bequin book but after the Magos and I am slaughter I’m not holding out a lot of hope. But maybe he will churn out something as wonderful as Anarch!

it’s more about his expression through words than whether the book is “good”

[Ascanius]

Yeah, I'm not saying he writes the most exciting or intriguing books (well, I am, but that wasn't my point), but Abnett's command of prose is unequalled in the BL stable. I'm not saying he could never be topped, either, but the way he writes is so good that I don't see anyone topping him for a while.

[bluntblade]

I feel like French is very close at least, but Abnett has a certain flair which sets him apart.

[alfred_the_great]

Is there any reason why Pariah is out of print?

[Knockagh]

Is there any reason why Pariah is out of print?

I think it came out in 2012. BL rarely keep a book in print format for that long. They move it to ebook. And for those of us who like an actual book it’s ebay I’m adraid. I would guess it’s very probable they will release it again before the next one, probably in paperback.

[alfred_the_great]

Annoying that they can't/won't do print on demand.

[DukeLeto69]

I would be shocked if Pariah didn’t get a paperback re-issue to tie in with the hardback release of Penitent. Sure way to generate new sales. Suspect sales of Pariah flat lined some time back so no point doing another print run until new one comes out.

[DarkChaplain]

They'll definitely do a reissue. They've been reprinting the entire Eisenhorn and Ravenor series over the last few years anyway, as well as Dan's other classics like Double Eagle and Titanicus. Ravenor is due to get a new omnibus this year, too. They won't pass up on people wanting the start of the Bequin trilogy again, when it becomes relevant once more.

 

That being said, THIS TIME I'll stick to ebooks or paperbacks. Being stuck with the hardback of Pariah (while pretty) has been infuriating. Buying the hardback to get in early, then those years of wait? Really demotivating.

[Knockagh]

They'll definitely do a reissue. They've been reprinting the entire Eisenhorn and Ravenor series over the last few years anyway, as well as Dan's other classics like Double Eagle and Titanicus. Ravenor is due to get a new omnibus this year, too. They won't pass up on people wanting the start of the Bequin trilogy again, when it becomes relevant once more.

 

That being said, THIS TIME I'll stick to ebooks or paperbacks. Being stuck with the hardback of Pariah (while pretty) has been infuriating. Buying the hardback to get in early, then those years of wait? Really demotivating.

Agree. Particularly when we will probably get a limited edition for the second book (which won’t go with anything). Highly unlikely as well that the standard hardback will match the first book in the series. A collectors nightmare!

[Carach]

 

 A collectors nightmare!

 

 

*looks over to his bookcase at the 3 different, muddled book formats for the HH and despairs

[DarkChaplain]

Doesn't help that the old hardback had a different format from hardbacks now. I still think they'll stick with the lineart cover design they teased at the end of Pariah, though.

[Knockagh]

Il a huge fan of the limited editions and runs of them would be my first choice. But I would infinitely prefer a nicely wrought paperback like the new Drachenfels print than getting serialised novels in various formats. So hopefully they do a pretty run like Drachenfels so I can have a standard format for the series. Or if they want a new limited edition Pariah would be nice to go with the Magos (with a promise of the Eisenhorn and Ravenor books at some stage!)

[Nineswords]

On another note related to the King in Yellow... True Detective series 1 is excellent.

[Xisor]

 

 

Also spoke quite a bit about Penitent, which really seems like it's not far off from the way he spoke. He mentioned it contains his biggest surprise yet and even detailed that that surprise is what he had to ask approval for, and that approval was give,n, and its now in the book.

 

I am calling it just as I did earlier in this thread (a few times - sorry brothers) that The Yellow King is someone big and important to the whole setting of W40k. It isn't a character who is unique to the Abnettverse so not Rorken or Ravenor. Abnett would not need permission for that. He has made a point in more than one interview now that he had to get permission. That means it is someone (or something) that impacts on the wider setting (or understanding of the setting).

 

So it could be Lorgar!

 

But I am still championing a revelation that the God Emperor is alive / sentient / conscious and influencing the IoM and eternal war with chaos and acting through others as avatars etc. The Yellow King is the God Emperor.

Dan Abnett has been known to revive old lore in a different (Oll Person as a Perpetual, Unremembered Empire/Ruinstorm for the delay of the Ultramarines/Dark Angel, etc.)

 

I wonder if Dan is CRAZY enough to bring back the Sensei of all things back in the lore!

 

Having a corrupted Sensei (Just the one and only son of the God Emperor) as the Yellow King would change everything!

What do you mean 'bring back' the Sensei? ;)

 

What do you think has been going on in the Horus Heresy and other stuff?

 

Cognitae, Sigilites, The Cabal, Perpetuals, Ynnari, Haemonculi of the Pheonix/That-other-one-whose-name-I-forget...

 

It's the same thing, the same saga - and has been since 3rd Ed BRB put paid to Levilnor IV - just with additional bells, whistles, tweaks and rearrangements.

 

(Also, it's quite a subtle ship of Theseus in my mind, so arguably it isn't the same thing. But to my tinfoil hated mind, it's incontrovertibly the same thing.)

Edited July 3, 2019 by Xisor