# Decent Eldar literature



## Magister (Sep 2, 2010)

C.S Goto makes me sick. :ireful2:

I'm new to the forum and I imagine that as a place of sanity and taste similar phrases about Goto get bandied around alot, but nethertheless whenever I'm discussing the topic of Eldar literature I have to blurt out that hate-line.

So after reading that rancid talentless vacuous knob-jockey's "Eldar Prophecy" I decided that decent Eldar literature doesn't yet exist. I've heard whisperings of a novel by William King, but meh, G + F failed to excite and the Ragnar Blackmane novels are only passable in my eyes.

So I'm here with a few questions. Other than Goto and King, do I have any other choices? And why does it seem to be so hard to write decent Eldar literature? Is it merely a case of getting into the mindset of an alien race is difficult? Maybe it would help if we doubled our reading speed to keep up with their 2x heart speed!:wacko:


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## Shadow Walker (Jun 10, 2010)

there is brand new eldar novel by Gav Thorpe - Path of the Warrior - and it is very good book. you will for sure enjoy it.


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## Gothic (May 12, 2008)

I would suggest reading the path of the warrior its really good in my eyes (but everyone has their own taste) but this book is superb i would reccomend it to anyone.


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## bobss (May 18, 2008)

Yes. As Gothic says, _Path of the Warrior_, by Gav Thorpe is the best choice for fiction sufficing the legacy of the Eldar fluff. Gotto is an abomination and King is rather hit-and-miss. The ''hits'' being passable or mediocre, the ''misses'' being trash.


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

Just to be helpful, heres a link to _Path of the Warrior_ by Gav Thorpe. I havn't read it myself yet, but its drawn mostly positive reviews, especially among the heretics here.

http://www.blacklibrary.com/Warhammer-40000/Path-of-the-Warrior.html


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## Mossy Toes (Jun 8, 2009)

I've heard only good about _Path of the Warrior_, and two fervent Eldar fluff-fanatics I know have given it hearty thumbs up.

http://emperyan.blogspot.com/2010/06/review-path-of-warrior-by-gav-thorpe.html


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

Of all BL's authors Gav Thorpe is the best at portraying Elves and their star-spanning cousins the Eldar- he makes them otherwordly but with enough of a relatable character to invoke empathy through out their travails.

I heartily recommend _Path of the Warrior_, even Abnett can't do the pointy ears this well.


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## Magister (Sep 2, 2010)

Bought! You guys have got me all hyped, I hope it's as good as you say! :biggrin:


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Goto`s not a bad _writer._ But the truth to fluff is abominable. :nono:

Path of the Warrior will liven you up. :so_happy:


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## rodmillard (Mar 23, 2010)

Magister said:


> Other than Goto and King, do I have any other choices? And why does it seem to be so hard to write decent Eldar literature? Is it merely a case of getting into the mindset of an alien race is difficult? Maybe it would help if we doubled our reading speed to keep up with their 2x heart speed!:wacko:


Apart from Path of the Warrior, no. 

A big part of the problem is that GW has the Eldar IP tied up tighter than an aspect warrior's jock strap. If you wrote a generic fantasy novel based around a group of elves there are plenty of publishers who will give it consideration. But the moment you start writing about Elves-In-Space you start treading on GW's toes, and the only publishing company that will touch it is Black Library. 

Not surprisingly, most first time authors don't want to go there - in fact, if you look at the few authors who _do_ write about the Eldar, none of them started out doing it. It's a fairly niche market, and while BL can reasonably expect to sell enough copies of Goto's/King's/Thorpe's latest novel which happens to be about the Eldar, even they would be taking one hell of a gamble publishing an unknown author's book about it.

So when you look at the criteria for writing an Eldar Novel:
* Knows enough about the 40K universe for the story to fit
* Has the literary ability to write a novel that will interest humans from the pov of a completely alien race
* Has an established reputation as a writer, to catch the "Latest novel by..." market
* Is free to write for Black Library, either because they don't have a contract with anyone else, or because their contract is loose enough to allow it:scratchhead:

I am no longer surprised that there are only 3 authors writing Eldar lit, I am more surprised that there are any _at all_


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Writing the Eldar is quite the challenge for an author. They have to be human enough that the reader can sympathize and understand them, and they have to be alien enough that they remain Eldar and not just humans. The only one who does this is Gav Thorpe, so get _Path of the Warrior_, its really a great book. Next up is _Path of the Seer_, and finally _Path of the Outcast_.


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## World Eater XII (Dec 12, 2008)

As much as i dislike Gav thorpe, his ability to write anything elfish or eldar is in a league of its own....like his version of the chaos 'Dex.


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## neilbatte (Jan 2, 2008)

William kings farseer isn't to bad but it's not just focussed on eldar as it's also about a rogue trader.
CS GOTO you'd think they'd get some one to at least brief him what the 40k universe is about rather than just blindly publish whatever crap he puts forward.
and the new book path of the warrior is meant to be good but other than a few cameos thats about the input for elar as far as BL is concerned.


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