# Two New Ben Counter Novels up for pre-order



## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

Okay, I know Ben Counter may not be the best author out there, but for those who are a fan of his work, I'd thought I'd share these with you:

*Endeavour of Will*

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/endeavour-of-will-ebook.html












> _An Architect of Fate novella. Chaos Space Marines of the Iron Warriors Legion launch a devastating attack upon their hated foes the Imperial Fists, crippling one of their principal starforts. Unperturbed, the heroic Captain Darnath Lysander withdraws his warriors to a second stronghold, the Endeavour of Will, to weather the rest of the assault. But as the Iron Warriors’ methods are revealed, critical and desperate decisions must be made, lest their insidious techno-contagion spread throughout the Imperial Fists’ fleet and beyond...
> _


*Phalanx*

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/phalanx-ebook.html












> _Phalanx, the great star fort of the Imperial Fists, is playing host to Space Marines from half a dozen Chapters, alongside Inquisitors, Sisters of Battle and agents of the Adeptus Mechanicus. They have come together to witness the end of a Space Marine Chapter, as the once-noble Soul Drinkers, now Chaos-tainted renegades and heretics, are put on trial for their crimes against the Imperium. But dark forces are stirring and even this gathering of might may not be enough to guard against the evil that is about to be unleashed...
> 
> The epic Soul Drinkers series concludes in this action-packed novel from the acclaimed author of Galaxy in Flames._


----------



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

I am a fan of his work and I am very happy to see he's gotten a novella in _Architect of Fate_, which I will wait for to read this. But its good to see he's back with not only _Phalanx_ but now an Imperial Fists story.

Perhaps he should pen a new Sons of Dorn trilogy, I for one would like to see that.


Lord of the Night


----------



## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

I would as well, as long as it's more like _Galaxy in Flames_ and _ Phalanx_ rather than _Battle of the Abyss_.


----------



## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

What a surprise, Imperial Fists getting screwed over in both novels. Wondering whether he wrote the short story where a single land raider broke through the defences of an Imperial Fists position to.


----------



## Chaosveteran (Aug 29, 2010)

Words_of_Truth said:


> What a surprise, Imperial Fists getting screwed over in both novels. Wondering whether he wrote the short story where a single land raider surprised the defences of an Imperial Fists position to.


well....everyone likes it in imperial novels when 1 tank defeats an army....why not in chaos?? 

By the way, since when did they start releasing SM Battle Novellas?? Will these come into print or will it only be an ebook format?


----------



## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

Chaosveteran said:


> well....everyone likes it in imperial novels when 1 tank defeats an army....why not in chaos??
> 
> By the way, since when did they start releasing SM Battle Novellas?? Will these come into print or will it only be an ebook format?


It's more of the fact that Imperial Fists are meant to be the best "defenders" the Space Marines have yet they are continually getting "beaten" by the most simple means, heck they can't even defend their own Fortress Monastery apparently now. They have avatar syndrome, being used to make others look good but in doing so making themselves look crap.


----------



## Chaosveteran (Aug 29, 2010)

Words_of_Truth said:


> It's more of the fact that Imperial Fists are meant to be the best "defenders" the Space Marines have yet they are continually getting "beaten" by the most simple means, heck they can't even defend their own Fortress Monastery apparently now. They have avatar syndrome, being used to make others look good but in doing so making themselves look crap.


well, finally some justice for chaos-fan novels...Uriel Ventris vs Honsou anyone in _Chapter's Due_?? That was just lame, plain and simple.


----------



## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

Chaosveteran said:


> By the way, since when did they start releasing SM Battle Novellas?? Will these come into print or will it only be an ebook format?


http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/architect-of-fate.html

This is the paperback version, consisting of _ Endeavour of Will_ by Ben Counter, as well as other novellas by Sarah Cawkell, Darius Hinks and John French.

I think all of these novellas will probably be released as ebooks as well.


----------



## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

Chaosveteran said:


> well, finally some justice for chaos-fan novels...Uriel Ventris vs Honsou anyone in _Chapter's Due_?? That was just lame, plain and simple.


Let the Ultramarines get beat then, I see no reason why in every book I've read that has included Imperial Fists, it's always their best characteristic (defending) which supposedly fails them, except in the short story where an Imperial Fist bike scout thought he'd joust an Ork for some reason, at least that's not their strong suit. I think unproven writers should stick to lesser known chapters, not any of the first foundings and maybe even limit what second foundings they can write about as well.


----------



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

Words_of_Truth said:


> What a surprise, Imperial Fists getting screwed over in both novels. Wondering whether he wrote the short story where a single land raider broke through the defences of an Imperial Fists position to.


You assume they will lose in _Endeavour of Will_?

This seems like the perfect story for them to get a win, to defend against a plague, their most hated enemies the Iron Warriors, and all in some siege combat from the two masters of it in the universe.

Sounds like its going to be very good. :grin:


Lord of the Night


----------



## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

Already states they lose one of their starforts, one loss is to much ;-)


----------



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

Words_of_Truth said:


> It's more of the fact that Imperial Fists are meant to be the best "defenders" the Space Marines have yet they are continually getting "beaten" by the most simple means, heck they can't even defend their own Fortress Monastery apparently now. They have avatar syndrome, being used to make others look good but in doing so making themselves look crap.


The Ultramarines got assaulted in their own fortress-monastery by the Tyranids. The Salamanders's fortress-monastery comes under attack in _Nocturne_, and we have had other examples of fortress-monasteries of various chapters coming under assault.

I see no issue with the Imperial Fists coming under attack in theirs, and what do you mean they can't defend it. Obviously they can, the Phalanx isn't going to die. Its too important to the lore. And we have yet to even see how the battle will go, likely we'll see some siege defence that will remind us why the Fists are the Imperial masters of it.


Lord of the Night


----------



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

Words_of_Truth said:


> Already states they lose one of their starforts, one loss is to much ;-)


That's just favouritism. Every battle has losses for both sides, at least most of them do. If the Fists just "won" the battle against the Iron Warriors, their rivals in siege warfare and who were considered to be better at assaults than defence, and the Fists the other way around, then its just complete idiocy. It'd be stupid to think they can just throw them off like cultist rabble.

Its a loss for the Fists, but the battle hasn't even begun for us yet. Lets wait to read it before we throw accusations of the Fists being unfairly used as whipping boys.


Lord of the Night


----------



## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

I've read a part of the Phalanx, enough to know they are treated fairly poorly. 

I'm talking fairly broadly in relation to fists, every book I've read where they've been defending, they've performed poorly mainly because they are not the focus of the book and thus are treated like cannon fodder, the worse being the story I mentioned with the Land Raider. 

In relation to Ben I'm not that fond of his writing and I fail to see the reason for him writing yet another book where the Imperial Fists are on the back foot from the off, maybe he should focus on lesser known chapters instead of the prominent ones, especially ones where he brings the chapters speciality into question, i.e Imperial Fists ain't any normal chapter, they have a history of being the best defenders and failing to defend things makes them seem like a normal "bod" chapter, if he's going to write about them, put them in a different situation, stop having them defending and having them scrape by.

Anyway I'm sure if Lysander is in it the Fists will win, it would just be nice if it wasn't constantly them on the back foot, even the part during the Horus Heresy they where attacked by the Iron Warriors in space and where on the back foot, seems quite a reused narrative thats all I am saying.


----------



## Chaosveteran (Aug 29, 2010)

Bane_of_Kings said:


> http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/architect-of-fate.html
> 
> This is the paperback version, consisting of _ Endeavour of Will_ by Ben Counter, as well as other novellas by Sarah Cawkell, Darius Hinks and John French.
> 
> I think all of these novellas will probably be released as ebooks as well.


Oh I see....so Architect of Fate will contain SM battle novellas, an anthology book then...


----------



## MontytheMighty (Jul 21, 2009)

Words_of_Truth said:


> They have avatar syndrome, being used to make others look good but in doing so making themselves look crap.


yes, I think the IF are often used as whipping boys to make another faction look good resulting in the IF looking quite bad


----------



## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Both covers are ugly and boring especially the second one. I don't even know what's going on in the first.


----------



## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

Chaosveteran said:


> Oh I see....so Architect of Fate will contain SM battle novellas, an anthology book then...


After a fashion. The four novellas are interlinked; particularly the first and last one.


----------



## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

How long till your book is out Pyro?


----------



## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

Malus Darkblade said:


> How long till your book is out Pyro?


My novella from _Architect of Fate_? I honestly don't know when _Accursed Eternity_ is making its appearance.


----------



## piemelke (Oct 13, 2010)

what is the time setting ?


----------



## Lord Mephiston (Sep 16, 2010)

Side note, where the hell is the SM Battles book regarding the SEIGE OF MACRAGGE !?!? 

That is the mother of all SM vs Tyranid battles. Marneus Calgar was injured severely. The entire 1st company was wiped out. Tigurius' full power as a psyker was fully revealed when he became the only psyker to communicate with the hive mind & emerge unscathed. 

Basically THIS is the battle post-heresy that made Ultramarines so awesome to us ( Yes they are awesome. Fuck the haters ). It made them wha they are today. Too much stuff happens here to NOT write about TBH. This deserves being written by Graham Mcneil!


----------



## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

piemelke said:


> what is the time setting ?


41st I think, not during the Heresy.


----------



## piemelke (Oct 13, 2010)

41 st is obvious however at what year, near 999 ?


----------



## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

Hmm I think it's the most recent as I think it's the same event that the Fists are supposedly doing in the latest codex, where if you look at the star map they are under attack. Although I could be wrong.


----------



## piemelke (Oct 13, 2010)

after the recent beatings in the third and sixth UM book I would say the IW would take a while to recover but no, into the fray


----------



## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

It's so tempting to say 'Wednesday tea time', however...

The larger part of the story is set during the ongoing engagements in 998.M41, as per the Space Marines codex.


----------



## Pyroriffic (Feb 28, 2010)

Further to that, there's a little bit on the Black Library blog from myself and Darius Hinks about the _Architect of Fate_ series as a whole.


----------



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

A 40k horror story eh? Now that sounds promising, but Space Marines don't feel fear so that makes the premise even more interesting.


Lord of the Night


----------



## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

Two rather unknown chapters to, so plenty of things could go wrong.


----------



## shadowhawk2008 (Apr 15, 2011)

Lord Mephiston said:


> Side note, where the hell is the SM Battles book regarding the SEIGE OF MACRAGGE !?!?
> 
> That is the mother of all SM vs Tyranid battles. Marneus Calgar was injured severely. The entire 1st company was wiped out. Tigurius' full power as a psyker was fully revealed when he became the only psyker to communicate with the hive mind & emerge unscathed.
> 
> Basically THIS is the battle post-heresy that made Ultramarines so awesome to us ( Yes they are awesome. Fuck the haters ). It made them wha they are today. Too much stuff happens here to NOT write about TBH. This deserves being written by Graham Mcneil!


Really? I guess I am one of the very few who keep a good eye on the news then.

Jon Sullivan has been/is working on an artwork that features Chaplain Cassius fighting against Tyranids. Cassius was present during the events of the Battle of Macragge since he has been/is some sort of mentor to Calgar who was Chapter Master during that battle.

Gav Thorpe is busy with a LE novella featuring Chaplain Cassius.

Put the two together and you have a very nice viewpoint into an introduction to the Battle for Macgragge story.



piemelke said:


> what is the time setting ?





piemelke said:


> after the recent beatings in the third and sixth UM book I would say the IW would take a while to recover but no, into the fray


The Iron Warriors in those books do not represent the legion at all. And only three Grand Companies were involved in the third book anyway. I somehow doubt that a Traitor Legion is so depleted that severe losses to three Grand Companies would cripple them.

Also, who says that Counter's novella and McNeill's novels are even consecutive?



Words_of_Truth said:


> Two rather unknown chapters to, so plenty of things could go wrong.


In a good way for the titular character of the anthology I hope 

As for the _Phalanx_-hate. Seriously. Read the whole thing. That's all I can really say.


----------

