Advent 2018

Welcome and Merry Christmas Eve! As Advent is almost over for this year, I thought I'd better quickly mention the last two releases that I have an involvement with - and here they are. A couple of days ago, Hungerfiend became available to download:

Hungerfiend

Advent Calendar 2018: Day Twenty-One

In a desolate corner of Ghur, a dread Mourngul haunts a graveyard – but there is more to the spirit than meets the eye, and the mystery could spell doom for Prince Maesa.

Drawn to a haunted graveyard in the Realm of Beasts by rumours of a fearsome creature, the aelven Prince Maesa seeks to cleanse the area of its taint. Along with his allies Stonbrak the duardin and Shattercap, the malevolent spite who serves him, Maesa sets out to defeat the beast – a terrifying and monstrous spirit known as a Mourngul.

But there is more to this horror than meets the eye, and unless they can solve the mystery surrounding it, the Mourngul may spell the heroes' fate.
 

Performed by John Banks, Matthew Hunt, Melvyn Rawlinson, Richard Reed & David Seddon

Written by Guy Haley & Produced by Matt Renshaw

I'm delighted to be playing Prince Maesa once again, along with Melvyn Rawlinson as Shattercap. We originally played the characters last year in The Autumn Prince and more recently, both characters appeared in The Sands of Grief; a short story I narrated for the Sacrosanct audio book anthology.

And finally, my last release for Advent and indeed, for this year, another 'commuter length' audio drama:

Half-horn

Advent Calendar 2018: Day Twenty-Three

Three underhive fugitives shelter around a fire in the midst of a storm. They must be safe here, for the only one who could track them is Gor Half-horn. And he's a myth, isn't he? 

Kaya, Gull and Vaughn are on the run. After a job gone wrong, the trio of hive-scum have a price on their head and aren't welcome in any reputable settlement. As they shelter from a hive-storm in an abandoned hab-unit in the deep sump, they're sure they're safe from any who might be seeking them. 

They are wrong. Gor Half-horn is coming for them, and none escape the abhuman bounty hunter once he has their scent…

Performed by John Banks, Toby Longworth, Gesella Ohaka & Andrew Wincott

Written by Josh Reynolds & Produced by Matt Renshaw 

* * * * *

And that's pretty much a wrap for now. As always, many thanks for stopping by the web site, both today and throughout 2018 - it's much appreciated. January is already looking busy for me, though unlike this time last year, I do have a little time off during the holidays, which I'm thoroughly enjoying.

May I wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a peaceful & Happy New Year!

                                                                                                                                            

...all for now, more just as soon as it happens!

A Victorian Gentleman’s Ghostly Anthology

And finally for today, here are details of last week's recording of twelve traditional spooky stories from the Victorians - who really knew how to do this sort of thing!

A Victorian Gentleman’s Ghostly Anthology

Read by John Banks

Twelve of the very best Victorian short ghost stories, all written by incredibly talented, but oft-times overlooked or forgotten, authors.

"The Victorian era is remembered for many things, but one of the fondest is the wide and varied array of short, ghostly, suspenseful tales…often enjoyed around the fireside at Christmas time.

In this new anthology, John Banks performs twelve of the very best, all written by incredibly talented, but oft-times overlooked or forgotten, authors. Once you tire of Dickens and James, these are the true masters of short-form suspense":

The Steel Mirror by W.W. Fenn 

A Real Country Ghost Story by Albert Smith 

The Weird Violinist by Anonymous 

Walsham Grange: A Real Ghost Story by E. Morant Cox 

Haunted by Coulson Kernahan 

Nicodemus by Alfred Crowquill 

The Veiled Portrait by James Grant 

The Ghost Chamber by Anonymous 

The Doll’s Ghost by F. Marion Crawford 

How Peter Parley Laid A Ghost: A Story of Owl’s Abbey by Anonymous 

The Ghost’s Summons by Ada Buisson 

A Terrible Retribution; or, Squire Orton’s Ghost by Anonymous

Produced by Neil Gardner

I recorded these stories with producer Neil Gardner, who has made them available free to download via this web site:

A Victorian Gentleman's Ghostly Anthology

Should you choose to have a listen to these stories, I very much hope that you will enjoy them.

...all for now, more just as soon as it happens!

And welcome indeed to the second of today's postings; this one features a short audio drama, which is part of The Black Library's 2018 Advent Calendar. I'm not actually credited in this story as I'm playing quite a small role; nevertheless, here it is and maybe you could take the Christmas challenge (no prizes alas!) of identifying which part I'm actually playing - that sounds like fun huh?

Ok, enough; here are the details:

The Deserter

Advent Calendar 2018: Day Eleven

A chance encounter with a stranger known only as "The Deserter" might be just what Corenne needs as she struggles to survive in Necromunda's underhive.

In the underhive of Necromunda, the only law that really matters is that might is right and unless you can defend what's yours, someone else will claim it. That's what happened to Corenne. When the Thunder Knuckle Posse came, they took control of the Sweet Drop Still, sending her family packing.

Now, she wants it back, and a chance encounter with a ragged old man known only as "The Deserter" who claims to have fought in the armies of the vaunted Lord Solar might just be her salvation – or at least revenge.

Steve Conlin, Toby Longworth, Carla Medonca & Jo Woodcock (&me)

Written by Justin D Hill & Produced by Matthew Renshaw

©2018 Games Workshop Limited (P)2018 Games Workshop Limited

...still not all for now, more next!

Hubris of Monarchia

Hello, good evening and welcome! As the festive season is now well under way, I feel fortunate to have had such a busy, challenging and rewarding year and fortunate too, that it's now come to a temporary halt over the holiday season!

My last recording was of an anthology of traditional Victorian ghostly tales, which I did last week and which, astonishingly, is already available! But more of that later. Even though new recording has come to brief cessation, new audio releases certainly have not! And so, to the first of this week's offerings; an audio drama written by Andy Smillie and here are some details:

The Horus Heresy: Hubris of Monarchia

A Horus Heresy audio drama

The Ultramarines muster at Calth to join their Word Bearers brothers in battle – but in the remnants of the Ghaslakh Empire, Captain Alcaeus would see his mission complete and the greenskin warlord dead before he joins his brethren.

Before the Warmaster's betrayal, the primarchs and their Legions were a warrior brotherhood without equal. At Calth, a planetary jewel in Ultramar's crown, a great mustering is taking place. Two proud Legions gather in hopes of healing the discord after the notorious shaming of the Word Bearers at Monarchia.

Captain Alcaeus of the Ultramarines plans on joining the muster, but will not rest until the remnants of the Ghaslakh Empire are purged utterly from the galaxy, For honour and glory, he has sworn an oath to succeed. His obsession in hunting down the greenskin overlord drives him to greater and greater feats, but in his zeal has Alcaeus not realised the true enemy in his Legion's midst?

John Banks, Steve Conlin, Andrew Fettes, Matthew Hunt, Richard Reed & David Seddon 

Written by Andy Smillie & Produced by Matthew Renshaw

©2018 Games Workshop Limited (P)2018 Games Workshop Limited

...not all for now, more next!

 

 
Good afternoon and welcome the first update in a while; once again due to busy times in the recording studio. I mentioned some time ago, that towards the end of the year, the general trend of audio releases would vere away from regular Games Workshop content, to other stuff. Due to a re-sheduling by the particular publishing house in question, the releases I was referring to will instead, now become available in March 2019; which isn't too far away!

In the meantime, here are details of the first of this month's audio dramas:

The Horus Heresy Audio Collection: Volume 1

An audio drama boxed set

For the first time, get seven classic audio dramas from the Horus Heresy in one fantastic boxed set – including a brand new audio drama edition of Dan Abnett's short story 'Little Horus'.

"For more than two hundred years, the armies of the Emperor of Mankind fought to reconquer the galaxy – led by the superhuman primarchs, the Space Marine Legions brought countless worlds back under the rule of ancient Terra. Now Horus, once honoured Warmaster and favoured son of the Emperor, has been corrupted by the whispered promises of Chaos. At his command the Imperium is torn apart by a terrible and bloody civil war, the likes of which the galaxy has never seen…

This audio drama anthology contains seven stories across six CDs, detailing brutal wars – from the aftermath of the Isstvan V massacre to the horrors of the Shadow Crusade and even the doorstep of Terra itself – and bringing new insights into the heroes and villains of the Horus Heresy. It also includes a brand new audio drama version of Dan Abnett's classic short story 'Little Horus', specially converted into a script and recorded for this collection."

Raven's Flight by Gav Thorpe
Butcher's Nails by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
Templar by John French
Thief of Revelations by Graham McNeill
Hunter's Moon by Guy Haley
The Sigillite by Chris Wraight
Little Horus by Dan Abnett

Performed by Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Tim Bentinck, Steve Conlin, Rupert Degas, Martyn Eliis, Chris Fairbank, Andrew Fettes, Jonathan Keeble, Angus King, Toby Longworth, Charlotte Paige, Jamie Parker, Richard Reed, Tania Rodrigues, David Seddon, Ramon Tikaram, David Timson & Tim Treloar. 

...all for now, more just as soon as it happens!