Knights of Vengeance & The Horus Heresy...

There seems to be no let up in the current frequency of audio releases - 18 of mine so far this year; surely such a pace can't be maintained???

Well, we'll see.

In the meantime, this week sees the release of two further Games Workshop productions; an audio drama, The Beasts of Cartha and an anthology of stories (a recording briefly mentioned in the March 4th posting) which I have narrated, under the umbrella title Eye of Terra. The production process on this anthology has been super speedy; we only completed recording on March 10th and the finished product was released just over a week later - quite amazing! In comparison, I've recorded a number of stories for Big Finish with a scheduled release date of several years hence...

Anyway; without further ado, here are some production details and some great artwork:

 Eye of Terra

The galaxy burns at Horus’s command, and the Imperium will never be the same again. This anthology gathers together tales of the primarchs and their sons, and the lengths to which their bitterness may yet drive them…

The galaxy burns at Horus’s command, and a billion more lives are lost with each passing moment – though it was not always so. Once, the title of Warmaster stood for honour, loyalty and a fierce pride in the strength of the Space Marine Legions. But perhaps by following the myriad lines of destiny and defiance that were already woven around the primarchs and their sons, we may yet come to understand the bitterness that can eat away at even the most steadfast of souls…

Eye of Terra includes:

The Wolf of Ash and Fire by Graham McNeill

Aurelian*, The Long Night and Massacre by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

Brotherhood of the Moon by Chris Wraight

Inheritor and Master of the First by Gav Thorpe

Vorax by Matthew Farrer

Ironfire by Rob Sanders

Red-Marked and Stratagem by Nick Kyme

Sins of the Father and The Herald of Sanguinius by Andy Smillie

The Eagle's Talon by John French

Iron Corpses by David Annandale

The Final Compliance of Sixty-Three Fourteen by Guy Haley

 *Aurelian is read by Toby Longworth

I was delighted to have been given the opportunity to work with producer Matt Renshaw on these stories, some of which, we had previously recorded as full cast audio dramas; slightly odd to narrate and play all the characters of a story one has already worked on in a different format, but an interesting challenge to play such a variety of characters. It was also a privilege to narrate scripts from such a fabulous team of writers and I can only hope that I've done justice to their work. Performing these stories is one thing, to write them and integrate them into the vast world of Warhammer is quite another and my admiration goes out to all of these hugely talented people.

* * * * *

The Beasts of Cartha

Part one of the new Knights of Vengeance audio drama series:

After their disastrous search for the Supreme Lord of the Undead, the Hallowed Knights are reforged and tasked with a new mission: to find and capture the vampire that betrayed them, Mannfred von Carstein…

After being reforged, Lord-Relictor Ramus of the Hallowed Knights is sent by Sigmar to capture the betrayer, Mannfred von Carstein. The quest brings Ramus to the Carthic Oldwoods of Ghur where he comes to the aid of the Astral Templars against a massive ogor horde. Victorious, but at great cost, Ramus discovers Mannfred is finally close at hand. Only with the help of the Astral Templars will the Lord-Relictor catch his quarry, but there are deadlier things in the woods than ogors, a fact the Stormcast Eternals soon discover.

Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Jonathan Keeble, Stephen Perring and Luis Soto

Written by David Guymer

Directed by Matthew Renshaw

All four stories of this new series are also available as a subscription download: 

Following on from the previous series and the Hallowed Knights' confrontation with Nagash, they've been reforged and we get to see something we've never seen before in the Stormcasts: a very personal thirst for revenge...


At the end of The Bridge of Seven Sorrows, I was naturally concerned that Ramus had met his end and that would be the end of his story line. I had enjoyed playing him and although I've lost count of the number of audio dramas my characters have 'died' in, I was particularly sorry to see him go. How foolish of me; the clue is really in the series title "Stormcast Eternals"... "eternals"!

So, after a quick, if painful, re-forging, Ramus returns in better form than ever for these four new adventures and has even been 'promoted', now languishing under the splendid title 'Lord-Relictor Ramus of the Hallowed Knights' - how fab is that!?! Can't wait to give these stories a listen, although I'm finding it hard to keep up with the current glut of 'must hear' audio stuff - need more time!

* * * * *

After a few days away from the recording studio, I'm currently preparing four audio books to be recorded over the next four weeks; two further titles in Ian C. Esslemont's Malazan series and two more adventures with the Space Marines for Games Workshop; so, it's back to work for me!

Before I go, there's just enough time to wish you a very Happy Easter!

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

The Paradox Planet

"ahhh, yeaahhhss, The Paradox Planet, ha-ha!" Tricky to pull off a written impersonation of Tom Baker, as you can see.

A quick update this week to mention this latest Fourth Doctor release from Big Finish and here are some details:

Whilst travelling in the vortex, the TARDIS is struck by an advanced war machine - a Time Tank! Losing Romana, the Doctor and K9 pursue the Tank to Aoris, a world quite literally at war with itself.

Soldiers from the future are attacking the past of their own planet - gathering resources and stealing endangered species. But the past is not without weapons of its own - leaving deadly devices ready to trigger many years ahead after their enemies have been born.

Trapped at opposite ends of a temporal war, the Time Lords have two time zones to save. But who is in the right, and who in the wrong? And when history itself is against you, can anybody actually win?

Tom Baker The Doctor   Lalla Ward Romana   John Leeson K9/Machina  

Simon Rouse Drang Tom Chadbon Embery Paul Panting Fyrax Emma Campbell-Jones Shola Laura Rees Tyrus   Bryan Pilkington Lostar   Jane Slavin Medea   John Banks Valchak

Written by: Jonathan Morris
Directed by: Ken Bentley  

The story continues next month with  The Legacy of Death. Although uncredited on the BF web site, rest assured that Valchak and the Warden will be back!

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

The Heart of The Pharos

Good afternoon! And what a beautiful warm, sunny and calm afternoon it is. Calmness is an interesting state of being for me at the moment, as I'm now into my first 48 hours of calm since the last week of November 2015 and trying to come to terms with the fact that I actually have some 'free time'. "Why so?" I hear you ask.

Well, since 26th November to Thursday of the week just gone, I've recorded 13 audio books, 17 'short' stories, 5 audio dramas and a few other bits 'n' pieces that don't really fit into any specific category. Some of the audio books were over 800 pages long and one, over 1,000; even some of the 'short' stories have been the equivalent of a full cast audio drama. So far, five books into the Malazan series of novels, I've attempted to create voices for something like 450 characters and for Games Workshop, I think we must now be approaching the 70 to 80 mark in terms of character voices.

So; calm now, as I've got a gap over Easter, which will hopefully be time enough to allow my brain to slip back into neutral before preparing the next three audio books scheduled for recording in late March - early April.

Alongside all this frenetic activity, quite a few recordings are now being released and the latest from Games Workshop is the audio drama The Heart of The Pharos, which I narrated and played the part of Holguin. In some ways, it's a dramatised adjunct to the full length audio book Pharos, which became available a few weeks ago. Here are some details from The Black Library:

Young Oberdeii and Tebecai, Scouts of the Ultramarines 199th Company, descend into the depths beneath Mount Pharos in search of a dark truth... though it may haunt them for all time.

The Pharos stands as a beacon of light in the darkness, a whisper of hope in the silent void, a bastion of defiance in the face of treachery. Without it there could be no Imperium Secundus – why, then, do the masters of Ultramar know so little about its operation, or the dangers it could present?

    Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Jim Barclay, Ophir Burton, Cliff Chapman & Steve Conlin

Written by L J Goulding

Produced by Matthew Renshaw 

There's much more to mention about things already done, things in the pipeline and exciting things to come, but as usual, I'll have to 'calmly' wait until I'm allowed to give specific details; and so that's...

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

We're doomed!

March! Can't believe it's already the third month of 2016; the time has zipped by in a flurry of audio drama and audio book recordings. Such has been the pace of recent events, (ie barely able to remember what I've done!) that I'm sure, when the opportunity comes to listen to these various recordings, they'll all sound quite new and fresh, which is how it should be I suppose.

I'm currently listening to Pharos and the two stories I contributed to the War Without End anthology, namely, All That Remains and The Harrowing. I have to say, I'm really enjoying the story of Pharos and if you choose to invest in a copy, all 13 hours and 22 minutes of it, I hope you'll enjoy it too.

Now, as we're into a new month, there are a number of new recordings scheduled for release and the first to mention this month is the second box set of stories from Big Finish, collectively referred to as Doom Coalition 2.

Here are some details and a bit of an audio-visual treat:

Doom Coalition 1 saw the travellers defeat the Eleven's first terrible scheme – but the battle's not over yet. An encounter with a group of invading Voord places the TARDIS on the trail of the next threat against reality, concealed within the Time Vortex! But this may be the least of the Doctor's worries; because River Song (Alex Kingston) needs the Doctor’s help on a distant planet…

Continuing on from the explosive opening box set, Doom Coalition 2 pits the TARDIS team in another battle against the Eleven (Mark Bonnar); an insane Time Lord whose previous incarnations still exist in his head.

2.1 Beachhead by Nicholas Briggs

In an attempt to recharge his batteries after his confrontation with the Eleven, the Doctor takes Liv and Helen to the sleepy English seaside village of Stegmoor. But they find the village in turmoil and, to make matters worse, their arrival uncovers a mystery from the Doctor’s past which threatens the future safety of the planet. Can the Doctor prevent the Voord from invading Earth? And more importantly why have they come in the first place?

2.2 Scenes from her Life by John Dorney

Investigating the appearance of the Voord on Earth, the Doctor, Liv and Helen follow a trail which takes them to the other side of the universe. There they discover a mysterious and almost deserted gothic city lost in space and time, in which the grotesque inhabitants are conducting a vile and inhumane experiment. The Doctor and his companions must hurry to save the lives of those in danger before the experiment is a success and the unimaginable consequences become all too real.

2.3 The Gift by Marc Platt

The TARDIS deposits its crew on Earth in San Francisco, 1906. There they find an actor-manager desperate to stage his definitive production of King Lear. But a real storm is headed their way when he becomes the possessor of a mysterious psychic ‘Gift’ which is hungry for power and intent on wreaking havoc and destruction. But exposure to so much psychic activity has the Doctor becoming increasingly erratic. Can he battle his demons and save the world?

2.4 The Sonomancer by Matt Fitton

On the other side of the galaxy a mining company is exploiting the already unstable planet of Syra for every precious mineral it contains. River Song is attempting to save the native people. She needs the Doctor’s help, but she also knows he mustn’t yet discover her true identity. The final confrontation sees the Doctor once again face his enemy the Eleven in an attempt to prevent the destruction of Syra and the genocide of its inhabitants.

Paul McGann, Nicola Walker, Hattie Morahan, Alex Kingston, Rebecca Night, Julia Hills, Kirsty Besterman,
Andrew Dickens, Emma Cunniffe, Vincent Franklin, 

Jacqueline King, Hamish Clark, James Jordan, Paul Marc Davis, Cory English, Laura Harding, 

Enzo Squillino Jnr, Derek Ezenagu, Janet Fullerlove, John Banks & Mark Bonnar

Written by Nicholas Briggs, John Dorney, Marc Platt & Matt Fitton

Directed by Ken Bentley 

* * * * *

Last week saw the completion of the fifth book to be recorded in Ian C. Esslemont's Malazan series of novels and this week I've recorded two audio books for Fantom Films. Next week, I'm once again off to Games Workshop HQ to record an audio drama and a really fascinating and quite challenging audio book with ace producer Matthew Renshaw. 

I look forward to sharing details of all these projects when they become available - and when I'm allowed to!

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

Pharos, War Without End, The Labyrinth of Buda Castle and Dancer's Lament... phew!

One way or another, February is turning out to be a very busy time indeed, both in terms of new audio recordings being released and also because lot's more stuff has been and is being recorded for future release.

So, where to start? How about with Games Workshop and those funsters over at The Black Library? Excellent, glad you agree.

Here are details of two, yes two, further releases this month from The Black Library:

Just as Guilliman’s dream of Imperium Secundus seems finally to be realised, the Night Lords launch a full invasion of distant Sotha. Their target? The mysterious Mount Pharos…

With the noble Emperor Sanguinius ruling from Macragge, Imperium Secundus stands as a lone beacon of hope even as the Warmaster’s forces continue to ravage the rest of the galaxy. Roboute Guilliman, still Master of Ultramar, has convinced his brother that Terra has fallen and that the mysterious Mount Pharos on Sotha now holds the key to mankind’s future. But the Night Lords, those cruel and pitiless sons of Konrad Curze, have been watching from the shadows, and make ready to launch their long-planned attack on the Pharos itself…

                         Written by Guy Haley, Produced by Matthew Renshaw & Narrated by John Banks.

                                                 Audiobook running time: 13 hours and 23 minutes.


Pharos is the first full length solo audio book I've done for The Black Library and I'm particularly grateful to producer Matthew Renshaw for asking me to work with him on the book. We had great fun recording and I'm delighted to say that there are further audio books in the pipeline brought to you by the same winning team (!).

Rogal Dorn, Primarch of The Imperial Fists

Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of The Ultramarines

In the process of recording Pharos, I came accross these fabulous drawings of some of the characters featured in the story.

Konrad Curze, Primarch of the Night Lords, the Night Haunter

Captain Alexis Polux, 405th Company, Imperial Fists at Pharos

 
Roboute Guilliman's new Imperium faces its first test as the Night Lords, scattered after the events of Prince of Crows, attack in force.

And of course, Curze is still around...

A Horus Heresy anthology

The Warmaster’s rebellion spreads to every corner of the galaxy in this Horus Heresy anthology. The galaxy will never know peace again, not in this lifetime or a thousand others...

The Emperor’s vision of mankind ascendant lies in tatters. The Great Crusade is naught but a fading memory. The dream of Unity is no more. But with Horus’s rebellion spreading to every corner of the Imperium and war engulfing new worlds and systems almost daily, there are some who now ask: were the signs there to be seen all along? In these dark times, only one thing is certain – the galaxy will never know peace again, not in this lifetime or a thousand others...

This anthology contains twenty-one stories from the Horus Heresy:

                                                              Sermon of Exodus by David Annandale
                           Howl of the Hearthworld & Lord of the Red Sands by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
                                                                   Black Oculus by John French
                              The Laurel of Defiance, A Safe and Shadowed Place & Twisted by Guy Haley
                                      Artefacts, The Phoenician, Imperfect & Chirurgeon by Nick Kyme
                                            The Devine Adoratrice & Wolf Mother by Graham McNeill
                                              Hands of the Emperor & The Harrowing by Rob Sanders
                                                                    Virtues of the Sons by Andy Smillie
                                                   All That Remains & Gunsight by James Swallow
                                                               By the Lion's Command by Gav Thorpe
                                                        Allegiance & Daemonology by Chris Wraight

A great collection of short stories and I'm thrilled to have narrated a couple of them; The Harrowing by Rob Sanders and All That Remains by James Swallow.

* * * * * 

Additionally this month, is the Fourth Doctor audio drama release from Big Finish, The Labyrinth of Buda Castle. We made this recording some time ago and my CV reminds me that I'm playing a character called Kovatch in it, although both he and I seem to be missing from the published web site cast list. It really is hard to keep an accurate record of what I've done with Big Finish as there are now quite a number of stories for which I'm not credited; mmm...

Anyway, if Kovatch does put in an appearence, I'm playing him! And here are some details:

The Doctor and Romana land in Budapest, intent on enjoying another holiday, but shortly after landing they find themselves too late to save the life of a man who has seemingly been attacked by a vampire. As they learn that this is the latest in a series of violent attacks, it becomes clear that they have stumbled onto something that needs investigating.

Aided by a vampire hunter who is searching for Dracula, they look into the nearby Buda caves, currently being used for storage by the military - and find that the soldiers have problems of their own.

Stalked through the tunnels by a monster, and up against an ancient evil, the race is on to escape alive - and foil the dastardly schemes of the maniacal Zoltan Frid.

 Tom Baker (The Doctor), Lalla Ward (Romana), Kate Bracken (Celia Soames), Mark Bonnar (Zoltán Frid), Peter Barrett (Guard-Major Priskin), John Dorney (Ensign Kanta),  

Anjella Mackintosh (Anita Kereki) John Banks (Kovatch)

Written by: Eddie Robson
Directed by: Nicholas Briggs 

* * * * *

...and finally for this posting, if not for this month, I can at last reveal the title of the first audio book of the seven book epic saga of novels I'm currently recording with producer Neil Gardner for Penguin Random House: Dancer's Lament by Ian C. Esslemont. I know people are already downloading copies of the book, which is being made available simultaneously with the print version. However, as I understand it, the CD version won't be released until the end of May; consequently, the artwork is currently unavailable. The details I've posted here are from the publisher in reference to the printed book:

It was once a land ravaged by war, minor city states, baronies and principates fight for supremacy, and then the rival cities of Tali and Quon formed an alliance and so Quon Tali came into being. 

However that was generations ago, that dynasty has collapsed and the regional powers are now clawing at each others throats once more. But at the heart of Quon Tali lies the powerful city state of Li Heng which has for centuries enjoyed relative stability under the guidance of the powerful sorceress known as the "Protectress". 

She is not someone likely to tolerate the arrival of two particular young men in her domain: one is determined to prove he is the most skilled assassin of his age; the other is his quarry - a Dal Hon mage who is proving annoyingly difficult to kill. The sorceress and her cabal of five mage servants were enough to repel the Quon Tali Iron Legions, so how could two such trouble-makers upset her iron-fisted rule? 

And now, under a new and ambitious king, the forces of Itko Kan are marching on Li Heng from the south. His own assassins, the Nightblades, have been sent ahead into the city, and rumours abound that he has inhuman, nightmarish forces at his command. 

So as shadows and mistrust swirl and monstrous beasts that people say appear from nowhere, run rampage through Li Heng's streets, it seems chaos is come - but in chaos, as a certain young Dal Hon mage would say, there is opportunity...  

* * * * * 

I will of course mention this release again when publication details of the audio version are available. At least now it's no secret as to what the rest of the series is; we're recording all of Ian C. Esslemont's Malazan novels in sequence* and yesterday, we finished the fifth audio book, Orb, Sceptre, Throne, 844 pages in four days - phew! There will be lots more to come about this series, but over the next few weeks, I'll be recording two books for Fantom Films, then off to Games Workshop HQ for another audio drama along with a solo audio anthology, followed by a short break (!), then back in the studio with Niel to record the final two Malazan novels.

In the meantime, thanks for sticking with this fairly 'epic' update and I hope it makes some kind of sense!

...all for now, more just as soon as it becomes available! 

*see the Christmas 2015 posting below. 

Painkiller

Is there such a thing as a 'turnaround day' do you think? If there is, I might just be having one right now. The last couple of weeks have been a bit 'full on', a bit 'flat out' in recording terms and today, I have to start preparing for another epic adventure which starts on Monday.

Last week (it seems so long ago now!) I recorded a chunky little tome as part of the ongoing series of fantasy adventure novels - 880 pages in 4 days - busy indeed! This week, I did some recording with RNIB (details to follow soon) and then went to Games Workshop HQ to work with the brilliant audio producer Matthew Renshaw on another epic, sprawling, semi-apocolyptic (!) adventure in space with, who else, but the Space Marines - yaay!

Before the end of the month, there will be news of further audio releases from Games Workshop, but just for now, the only new audio entertainment I can officially mention is: Painkiller by Nev Fountain, simultaneously released in print and as an audio-book on February 18th.

Here are some details:

I cannot go on like this. I feel such a burden to you. You are young and can start again. You deserve that chance. By the time you read this I will be dead. Do not grieve for me, for I am now without pain.

Yours truly for ever,
Monica

Monica suffers from chronic neuropathic pain. Every second of her life is spent in agony, and she is coping with it the best she can. However, there are whole years of her life which are a blur to her.

But when she finds what appears to be her own suicide note, Monica begins to question everything. She has no memory of writing it - so who did? And if someone tried to kill her once, what's to say they won't try again . . .

NJ Fountain is an award-winning comedy writer, chiefly known for his work on the radio and television show Dead Ringers. He has also contributed to programmes such as Have I Got News For You, 2DTV and the children's sitcom Scoop. He also writes for Private Eye.

A read-in-one-sitting edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller...

                               Painkiller: published by little,brown

I'm very grateful to Nev for asking me to co-read this novel with Nicola Bryant: it's as twisty, red-herringy and intriguing as you might imagine from a writer such as Nev and it was a great pleasure to work with the team at Chatterbox and my producer, Nikki Ruck. Can't wait to give it a listen!

Meanwhile, back to prepping the next great adventure...

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

...you say neither, I say tomato, you say pajamas, I say... EITHER!

As the release of Games Workshop audio drama and audio book productions often comes as a bit of a surprise, it's surprising that the release this month of The Either, has come as a bit of a surprise; if you get my drift.

So, without further ado, here are some details of the production and a link to the trailer, which to my eager ears, sounds pretty fab:

Tybalt Marr, Captain of the Sons of Horus, swears to bring down a thorn in the Warmaster's side: the commander of the so-called "Shattered Legions", the infamous Shadrak Meduson.

Captain Tybalt Marr of the Sons of Horus, so often overlooked by his more glory-hungry brethren, returns to his Legion in triumph. However, his boasts of having slain the infamous Iron Hands warleader Shadrak Meduson soon fall flat when he learns of the recent assassination attempt on Horus himself. Gathering his forces upon the conquered world of Dwell, Marr returns to battle against the Shattered Legions, determined to earn his rightful place in history.

 The Either

Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Robin Bowerman, Ian Brooker, Steve Conlin, Toby Longworth, 

Luis Soto & Ramon Tikaram 

Written by Graham McNiell and Produced by Matthew Renshaw 

* * * * *

I'm really looking forward to listening to The Either; indeed, I'm looking forward to catching up with the last several Games Workshop and Big Finish releases, some of which I don't yet have copies of. In truth, I've just been too busy to do much of anything recently, as I've either been recording or preparing to record something and have spent most of my time over the last few months in a recording studio somewhere. 

Yesterday, producer Neil Gardner and I completed recording a fairly epic book, details of which will follow as soon as I'm allowed to talk about them. I say epic as it was over a thousand pages in length and featured more than 155 named characters. After six days of recording, I was just about wrung out, mentally and physically; sitting fairly still in front of a microphone, fully concentrating and articulating an average of 180 or so pages per 8, 9 or 10 hour session, trying to seemlessly flow between each character voice, expressing their various emotional journeys and describing monumental and very fast moving battle scenes was... extremely tiring - as you can imagine!

Now I have a few days to catch up with the rest of my life and prepare for what's coming next. And coming next for me is some more Big Finish this week, another fairly epic audio book next week - 900 pages and 63 characters - and then off to Games Workshop for another audio book adventure with some Space Marines - huzzah! There will probably also be a very interesting little project for RNIB, but more of that and everything else to come. 

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

...more from The Black Library!

Just as I was thinking January's releases had peaked, The Black Library have issued two more audio dramas - kinda sneaky if you ask me! So as a brief respite from the adventures of The Stormcast Eternals and their mission to confront Nagash, we are once again in the company of the heroes and villains of The Five Hundred Worlds, The Space Marines - yay!

Here is some fabulous artwork once again and details of what these awesome warriors are getting up to in each story:

The Sons of Horus destroyer-class Grey Talon, flying under Bion Henricos of the Iron Hands and Hibou Khan of the White Scars, undertakes a new campaign of retribution and vengeance.

After the horrors of Isstvan, the XVIth Legion destroyer-class Grey Talon now flies under a loyalist crew on a campaign of retribution and vengeance, using her original colours to strike covertly at isolated traitor forces. Commanded by Bion Henricos of the Iron Hands, the ship is also home to many disgraced White Scars who have taken death-oaths to seek atonement – among them the peerless warrior Hibou Khan.

But tensions run higher with each new engagement and, without a wider strategy to guide them, the crew of the Grey Talon will surely come to a grim and sudden end.

Performed by

John Banks, Ian Brooker, Steve Conlin, Toby Longworth & Louis Soto 

Written by Chris Wraight and Produced by Matthew Renshaw

It's a glimpse at what the disgraced and exiled White Scars did after being sent to redeem themselves. And it's brutal, bloody and epic.

Here's a fabulous image of the character I'm playing in Grey Talon, Shadrak Meduson: 

* * * * * 

This month's other Black Library release is Red-Marked, by Nick Kyme:

Sergeant Aeonid Thiel frustrates his superiors in the Ultramarines Legion once again, by leading a handful of rogue veterans against the traitor warbands still at large in Ultramar.

Though the Word Bearers’ attack on Calth and the subsequent Shadow Crusade into Ultramar are but a memory, the borders of Imperium Secundus are far from secure. Sergeant Aeonid Thiel, stranded on the garrison world of Oran on his way back to Macragge, frustrates his superiors once again by pointing out the holes in their defence – traitor warband activity is increasing, and a series of key listening posts have fallen silent. Leading a handful of rogue veterans and wearing the red mark of censure like a badge of honour, can Thiel uncover the truth behind the mysterious ‘Nightfane’?

Performed by

Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Steve Conlin, Jonathan Keeble, Toby Longworth, Saul Reichlin & Luis Soto

Written by Nick Kyme and Produced by Matthew Renshaw

It's another chapter in the tale of everyone's favourite maverick Ultramarine. Last time, disobeying orders put him in the heart of the greatest battle the Ultramarines have ever faced. What will he end up part of now...?

                                                                               * * * * *

Just before wrapping up this posting, I should mention that for reasons unknown and beyond my control, I noticed when I looked at this blog a few days ago, that the background formatting had changed, seemingly of its own accord. After much tweaking with the mechanics of the web site, I have been unable to restore the colour scheme to it's former glory; the presentation as you now see it here, is the best compromise I could create. All quite odd really.

Anyway, to end on a much more positive note; I've been very busy in various recording studios over the past several weeks and next month should see further new releases which will hopefully be of interest.


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

Tempus fugit...

Indeed it does 'fugit'! The working year has begun in earnest and recording started yesterday on book two of the new epic saga (details coming next month - hopefully), which went very well; actually managed to record 224 pages yesterday, which is a first for me, then did some pick ups on the first story in the series. This first story is not yet published and the author had decided on a few changes before we hit the very tight deadline. I had also made a mistake and misread a word, which was picked up in the editing process. Because of a slight re-jig in the recording schedule, I'm 'free' today, which allows me to post an update here and gives me a little more time to prepare for next week's recording with Games Workshop, which includes an audio book, an audio drama and an audio drama narration...

But on to news of further January audio releases. After the audio book Ravenlord and audio drama The Diary of River Song comes the next instalment of The Realmgate Wars from Games Workshop and here are some details:

Finally, the Hallowed Knights reach their goal: the underworlds of Shyish and an audience with Nagash himself. On the Bridge of Seven Sorrows, Lord-Celestant Tarsus will meet his destiny.

At last, the great search for the Nine Gates is over as Tarsus and the Hallowed Knights reach the lair of the Great Necromancer himself, Nagash. Here, in the dark hollows of one of the underworlds of Shyish, the Stormcast Eternals will meet their fate. As they stand in the shadow of death, they must trust that their vampiric guide, Mannfred von Carstein, has not played them false.

Performed by Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Toby Longworth, Saul Reichlin, Luis Soto and Ramon Tikaram

Written by Josh Reynolds and Directed by Matthew Renshaw

* * * * *

Next to be released this month comes from Big Finish and is the beginning of the fifth series of Doctor Who adventures featuring the fantastic Tom Baker. Here are some details:

A modulated frequency wave cancellation signal isn’t something that the Doctor and Romana expect to detect in 1960s London. But then they don’t expect to find Professor Lanchester, the man who invented it, lying unconscious. Or MI5 investigating.
With the help of MI5 Agent Miller, Lanchester’s daughter Jill, and his nephew a pirate radio DJ called Mark, the Doctor, Romana and K-9 investigate. They soon discover that there is more at risk than they imagined, and an alien invasion is about to begin.
Can the Doctor identify and defeat the aliens in time? Will Romana manage to find a recombinant transducer before it’s too late? And how will K-9 cope with his new job?

 Tom Baker The Doctor   Lalla Ward Romana   John Leeson K9 

Karl Theobald Mark Lanchaster  Phil Mulryne Barnaby Miller  Alix Wilton Regan Jill  John Banks Derek Fretus

Written by Justin Richards
Directed by Nicholas Briggs

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There's more to come this month in terms of my audio releases and here's a bit of a teaser for what's coming up in January.

In the meantime, I think I'd better get back to doing some homework in preparation for the rest of recording this week and next!

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

January 2016... back to work!

What do you mean "back to work"? In some ways, it feels like work never stopped. That's not entirely accurate of course and I certainly enjoyed a bit of 'down time' over the holidays, although with so much to read and prepare for the rest of the month, a script was never very far away.

Anyway, a very Happy 2016 to all and first up this year is to mention a Big Finish release which became available as a download earlier than originally scheduled in December. The CD version should be available this month and here are some details of The Diary of Riversong, which some keen listeners might have lready heard; incidentally, do you remember the 'shushing campaign'?

The Boundless Sea by Jenny T Colgan

River Song has had more than enough excitement for a while. Deciding the universe – and her husband – can look after themselves, she has immersed herself in early 20th century academia, absorbed in writing archaeological theses.
But when a mysterious tomb is found in a dry, distant land, excitement comes looking for River.
Can Professor Song stop any more members of the expedition from dying? What deadly secrets lie buried within the crypt? And will British Consul Bertie Potts prove to be a help, or a hindrance?

I Went to a Marvellous Party by Justin Richards

River Song always enjoys a good party, even when she’s not entirely sure where or when the party is taking place. But the party she ends up at is one where not everything – or indeed everyone – is what it seems…
Being River, it doesn’t take her too long to go exploring, and it doesn’t take her too long to get into trouble. The sort of trouble that involves manipulating other civilisations, exploitation, and of course murder.
River is confident she can find the killer. But can she identify them before anyone else – or quite possibly everyone else – gets killed?

Signs by James Goss

River Song is on the trail of the mysterious, planet-killing SporeShips.
Nobody knows where they come from. Nobody knows why they are here. All they do know is that wherever the SporeShips appear, whole civilisations are reduced to mulch.
But River has help. Her companion is a handsome time-travelling stranger, someone with specialist knowledge of the oddities and dangers the universe has to offer. For Mr Song has a connection to River’s future, and he would never want his wife to face those perils alone…

The Rulers of the Universe by Matt Fitton

As shocking secrets are exposed, and a grand plan for the universe is revealed, River decides it’s time she took control of events once and for all.
Out in deep space, a clandestine society faces off with an ancient and powerful alien force – but, for River, there’s an added complication.
The Eighth Doctor has been caught in the middle, and she must make sure her future husband can arrive at his own destiny with all his memories – not to mention his lives - intact…

Alex Kingston River Song   Paul McGann The Doctor   Alexander Vlahos Bertie Potts 

Alexander Siddig Marcus Gifford   Imogen Stubbs Isabella Clerkwell   Gbemisola Ikumelo Prim  

Charlotte Christie Daphne Garsington  Alisdair Simpson Colonel Lifford  Oliver Dimsdale Archie Ferrers    

John Banks Professor Straiton  Letty Butler Spritz  John Voce Jenkins   
Aaron Neil Sanukuma Master  Samuel West Mr Song 

Directed by Ken Bentley

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The other currently available release this month is the audio version I recorded in early December of Gav Thorpe's novella Ravenlord, which is the first solo recording I've done for Games Workshop in quite a while. I thoroughly enjoyed Gav's story and I'm very much looking forward to hearing it soon. A clip is available via The Black Library web site and here's a link: Ravenlord audio sample

Corax's crusade against the traitors continues, but the primarch's past mistakes threaten his Legion's future as they liberate a prison colony.

Corax's mistakes come back to haunt him. The story of the Raptors – the mutated Raven Guard the primarch created in Deliverance Lost – is far from over, and this is another step towards its conclusion.

As the Horus Heresy grinds on, Corax and the remnants of his once mighty Legion now wage an entirely different kind of war – liberating worlds oppressed by traitor forces, they gather more and more followers to their banner, disrupting the Warmaster’s influence wherever they can. But after an unexpected reunion with a fellow survivor of Isstvan V, the Raven Guard learn of the prison colony of Carandiru and soon realise that they must face the ghosts of their past on Deliverance yet again if they are to prevail.

 What great fun it is to have the opportunity to play such a character and what a fantastic image of Corax!

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January is going to be a very busy time; I'm back in the studio next week for the first of this month's three audio books, followed by a Games Workshop audio drama, in which I'm playing a very interesting character and narrating the story. There are also further audio releases this month, details of which I'll mention as they become available. Oh, and in the middle of all this activity, there's Big Finish Day 8 to look forward to on the 16th! Big Finish Day 8

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

 

Christmas 2015

So this is Christmas - 2015 style.

December has been unusually busy for me, although miraculously, apart from one much coveted job which unfortunately clashed with another, everything somehow found its place and all the various pieces of work fitted together perfectly.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of this month's recording work, which includes six audio-books, four audio-dramas and a voice over for an educational project. In all honesty, I did initially wonder whether I'd bitten off more than I could chew, but with the supportive collaboration of some highly professional colleagues, it all worked out very well. I must particularly thank producer Niel Gardner, who helped me to record an audio book in three days rather than the scheduled five by suggesting we work all day till late at night and over a weekend - what a team!

Most audio drama scripts and books are now usually sent to me online in pdf format rather than as printed texts. I then mark them up and read from my i-pad in the studio. Although I have been and will be working from pdf copies for this epic new series of fantasy audio books that Neil and I have embarked upon, the publisher has also sent paperback editions of the books. They arrived a couple of days ago in a small crate and without revealing details of what they are, I've posted a photo of them here.

Seeing the actual books and appreciating in a physical sense the sheer volume of words to be recorded, let alone character voices to come up with, presents itself as a bit of a daunting prospect to say the least. The first book of the seven volume saga has been recorded (that's what we were doing in our very intensive three days in the studio) and will be released in February as far as I know. In addition to continuing with those books, there's also a book, drama and drama narration to prepare for Games Workshop. Think I'd better get on with some reading over the holidays!

In the midlle of all this new year activity, there's Big Finish Day 8 which I'm very much looking forward to; if you plan to go along, do come and say 'hello'.

In the meantime, thank you for stopping by this web site over the last year, your support is much appreciated. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and have a fantastic 2016!

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

Only The Monstrous... or not?

I know, I know - I apologise; it has, yet again, been quite a while since the last posting and once again, my only excuse is that I've been busy recording stuff. "What stuff?" I hear you ask. Well, ok; since 26th November, I've recorded six audio-books and two audio dramas. This week, I'm recording an educational documentary film and two further dramas with Big Finish. The positive spin to all of this is, of course, that there will soon be more to post and talk about - 'circle of life' and all that...

In the last posting, I mentioned a few projects in oblique and sketchy form. I'm delighted to confirm that the 'hugely challenging and exciting project' I mentioned has indeed worked out and we have just finished recording the first of a seven book 'fantasy' genre saga. For those like me with limited patience and keen curiosity, it can be irksome not to know everything immediately and this month particularly, there are quite a number of really fascinating projects I'd like to talk about right now - but alas, no, it can't be done; not yet at least. It's almost always the case that until the publicity machinery of each particular company gears up to promote the 'new product', those of us involved in its creation are bound to secrecy - sometimes officially, by being required to sign 'non-disclosure' clauses in contracts.

What I can talk about this fine December day, is the release of the following audio drama and audio book productions. First to mention is the box set collection of stories from Big Finish, featuring Sir John Hurt as The War Doctor. Here are some details:

Taking place before the apocalyptic events portrayed in the 2013 Doctor Who TV special The Day of the Doctor, this new four-disc box set finds the War Doctor recruited for the war effort by the scheming Cardinal Ollistra (Jacqueline Pearce). A desperate mission will send the Time Lord deep behind enemy lines – where the Daleks await!

Written and directed by Big Finish Executive Producer Nicholas Briggs, Doctor Who – The War Doctor 1: Only the Monstrous contains the following three stories, along with a bonus documentary disc.





The Innocent

As the Daleks mass their time fleet for a final assault on Gallifrey, something ancient is waiting for them at Omega One. And a sacrifice must be made.
Arch-manipulator and Time Lord strategist, Cardinal Ollistra receives shock news of the Doctor’s death.
Meanwhile, on the planet Keska, a parochial war has returned to plague a peaceful civilisation after decades of tranquillity. But how can such a war have any connection with the great Time War which, at any one moment in the whole of eternity, could threaten to tear the universe apart?
If only the Doctor were still alive.



 


The Thousand Worlds

With the high-ranking Time Lord Seratrix behind enemy lines, the War Doctor finds himself assigned to a rescue mission. But any room for manoeuvre is severely restricted by an area of space known as the Null Zone.
Times have changed on Keska, and a countdown to destruction is beginning.
But who are the Taalyens and what is their part in the great and terrifying Dalek plan?






The Heart of the Battle

Trapped in a citadel swarming with Daleks, the Time Lord rescue force must find a way to overcome insurmountable odds. With the Daleks apparently planning to rule the Null Zone, perhaps their thirst for universal conquest and victory has been quenched…
The War Doctor doesn’t believe so — but how can he prove it without destroying any chance of peace?
As the countdown to the destruction of Keska proceeds, a deadly choice must be made... A choice that will define this Doctor, and perhaps forever cast him in the role of ‘monster’.

John Hurt    Jacqueline Pearce    Lucy Briggs-Owen    Carolyn Seymour

 Beth Chalmers    Alex Wyndham    Kieran Hodgson    Barnaby Edwards    Mark McDonnell

 John Banks   &   Nicholas Briggs

* * * * *

The next release this month comes from Games Workshop and is the third instalment of the quest of The Stormcast Eternals in which I play Lord Relictor Ramus:

Mannfred von Carstein leads his Stormcast allies into the deathly city of Helstone... What does he seek, and why does Lord-Celestant Tarsus feel a connection to the forsaken place?

 

The quest to find the Nine Gates that lead to the underworlds of Shyish and an audience with Nagash continues... Tarsus of the Hallowed Knights leads his Stormcast Eternals into the unearthly city of Helstone. Their enigmatic guide, Mannfred von Carstein, assures them that what they need to find his necromantic master lies within its halls, but there is more than darkness lurking in the ruins. Chaos has already taken root and a reckoning against the servants of the Plague God awaits.

Performed by:

 Gareth Armstrong  John Banks  Jonathan Keeble  Toby Longworth  Luis Soto &  Ramon Tikaram

Written by Josh Reynolds and Produced by Matthew Renshaw

* * * * *

And finally; released this month from Fantom Films, is the audio-book version of Karen Louise Hollis's biography of Anthony Ainley: 

Although known to an audience of millions the world over for his portrayal of The Doctor's arch nemesis The Master in Doctor Who during the 1980's, Anthony Ainley had a prolific career which encompassed starring roles in Spyders Web and It's Dark Outside, as well as appearances in renowned dramas such as The Pallisers, Elizabeth R, Nicholas Nickleby, Upstairs, Downstairs, and cult films including Blood On Satan's Claw and The Land That Time Forgot.

But the dramas in Anthony's real life were far more fascinating than any of the many parts he played on screen. Born the illegitimate son of actor Henry Ainley, and taken into care at the Actors' Orphanage at the age of four, the hidden story behind one of Doctor Who's most enigmatic characters is brought to life by author Karen Louise Hollis.

Using exhaustive interviews with friends and colleagues from every aspect of Anthony's life, including his best friend from school, fellow children from the Actors' Orphanage, cricketing friends, colleagues, and those who remained close to him until his death in 2004, this book aims to uncover the real Anthony Ainley - The Man Behind The Master.

* * * * *
 

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

Audio updates...

What with computer meltdowns and furious bouts of activity, it's been quite a while since I've just been able to post a general update about what's going on in my professional world, tiny as it is.

First thing to mention perhaps is the astonishing realisation that our recording of the New Revised Standard Version of The Bible, read by me and produced by Neil Gardner, is complete.

After 18 days in the studio, we finished last Friday evening, although as the editing process has reached Galatians, Book 66 of 84, there will still be a number of pick ups and corrections to be made over the next several weeks.



The greatest 'surprise' when reading The Bible as a narrator, was just how many names there are, both of people and places and how fearsomely tricky some of them are to say, especially if one wishes to give a flowing, seamless read, which is of course, a minimum requirement. Here's a very small example of what I mean, taken from The Book of Numbers, although there are many other exhaustive 'lists' throughout The Bible:

Numbers Chapter 1: Verses:

4 A man from each tribe shall be with you, each man the head of his ancestral house.
5 These are the names of the men who shall assist you: From Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur.
6 From Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
7 From Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab.
8 From Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar.
9 From Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon.
10 From the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
11 From Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni.
12 From Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
13 From Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran.
14 From Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel.
15 From Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan

For reasons unknown, one of the trickiest names to read 'fluently' was King Ahasuerus; getting the pronunciation right drove us both to distraction. Anyway, here's Rembrandt's impression of what he might have looked like, bless 'im!

The next item on the agenda is to mention a couple of BBC Radio Drama Award nominations. Checking the Big Finish web site the other day, it came as a bit of a surprise to realise that four of their productions have been nominated for the 2016 Awards and I'm delighted to be acting in two of them - I know! Third year in a row to be nominated, which is hugely gratifying, as I'm sure you can imagine.

The two nominated productions I'm involved with are The Judgement of Sherlock Holmes, written brilliantly by Jonathan Barnes, in which I play Inspector Lestrade and The Hunted from the second series of Survivors, again, superbly written and directed by Ken Bentley, in which I play Daniel Connor. Congratulation to the entire cast & crew involved in the nominated productions - what larks!


And so, to round off with teasingly minute scraps of information about what's coming up. You will, I know, sympathise with me in regard to a situation that arose a couple of days ago; I was offered a really exciting job that I'd been hoping to get for weeks. My joy lasted for mere seconds however, when I realised that it clashed with another job already agreed and in the diary; to add to the carpet chewing frustration, the jobs only clashed because the original dates had been altered - oh, the agony and the ecstasy - only in reverse!

Moving on; I'm very much looking forward to co-narrating a fascinating new novel next week. It's a highly original work, full of twists, turns, red herrings and wrong-footings and I hope both the book and our audio-book do very well.

At the end of next week, I start recording the biography of an actor, who might well be of great interest to classic Doctor Who fans and I shall say much more about both projects at the appropriate time.

Following that, in a couple of weeks, I'll be recording more audio drama for Games Workshop and for the first time in several years, I'll also be narrating some short stories and a novella for them, which I'm really looking forward to and very excited about. Plans are also afoot for a hugely challenging and exciting project, but I really can't say anything about that at the moment because I'm still waiting to be 'approved' by the powers that be; if it works out, and I ought to find out fairly soon, there will definately be much more to come on that particular update - much more!

Exciting and busy times ahead, for which I am very grateful.

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