25 & 26...

...and still more audio stuff explodes onto an unsuspecting listening world! "Now what?" I hear you ask. Well, let me tell you! Two further releases from Games Workshop, namely, Fist of Mork, Fist of Gork, a full cast audio drama and The Path of Heaven, an unabridged audio book by Chris Wraight and narrated by me.

Here are some details and some fantastic artwork:

The Path of Heaven

The Khan returns! After the events of 'Scars', the White Scars Legion have chosen their loyalties. Now, after years of battle against the traitors, it's time to return to Terra and prepare for the inevitable invasion.

But first, Jaghatai and his warriors must brave a gauntlet of enemies and the terrors of the warp...

For too long had the Vth Legion ranged out beyond the sight of the wider Imperium, remaining ignorant of the Warmaster’s rebellion and the war that inevitably followed. Only once their primarch, Jaghatai Khan, had satisfied himself that the path before them was just and true did the White Scars choose a side, taking the fight to the traitors on every front.

But, four years later, the Legion’s unfettered spirit has been broken by relentless attritional warfare against the Death Guard and the Emperor’s Children – the Khan’s Stormseers must find a clear route to Terra if they are to take part in the final, apocalyptic battle.

  Narrated by John Banks

 Written by Chris Wraight and Produced by Matthew Renshaw

Audiobook running time 13 hours and 28 minutes

 * * * * *

Fist of Mork, Fist of Gork

 

Part 2 in the Knights of Vengeance audio drama series

The siege of Cartha is over, but the hunt for Mannfred von Carstein continues, and more savage enemies await the Stormcasts in the Carthic Oldwoods...

 

After a bloody triumph at the siege of Cartha, Lord-Relictor Ramus’ Hallowed Knights and the Astral Templars of Knight-Azyros Vandalus press on with their search for Mannfred von Carstein, but they soon learn that orruks, not ogors, hold sway in the Carthic Oldwoods. 

The Stormcast Eternals must overcome not only these brutish warriors, but also the will of their gods. Ramus and Vandalus must prevail against the fist of Gork and the fist of Mork if they are to forge a path to the Sea of Bones where their hated quarry awaits. 

Performed by Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Ian Brooker, Jonathan Keeble and Luis Soto

Written by David Guymer and Produced by Matthew Renshaw

* * * * *

I think it 's about time to edit together some new audio samples, which, when completed, I'll post here and perhaps delete some of the older samples already posted below (scroll down, waaaay down). Many of the things I'd like to post are yet to be released, although that still leaves hundreds of hours of narration to consider. That's my work sorted out then! Speaking of work; I've had a few days 'off', but I'm delighted to be back with the Big Finish crew next week to record some more audio drama. A great story this one and a fabulous cast; but all top secret for the moment, which is why I will say...

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

...pleased 'tau' meet you!

Ooo, maybe a pun too far; "pleased 'tau' meet you"? But what can it refer to I wonder? Well, let's see.

Before we get into that, I just want to take a moment to mention a couple of other things, which in the general scheme of things, may not be very important or even interesting, but I'm trying to 'take in' what I've been doing over the past several months, because the time has gone by in a flash.

Since recording of The Bible came to an end in mid-November 2015, work has really cracked on apace and there have been few occasions when I haven't either been recording or peparing something to be recorded. To put that into some kind of perspective, since mid-November of last year, I've recorded 16 full length audio books, 17 short stories, 6 audio dramas and two narrated audio dramas. In the last two weeks I've recorded two audio books, narrated an audio drama and performed three roles in an audio drama. Last week's book was almost 800 pages in length and had 187 named characters. In the 7 Malazan Empire novels alone, we recorded roughly 7,000 pages of text and I had to create individual and recognisable voices for 583 named characters.

And now, for the first time in many months and before my brain explodes, I'm taking a break. Although, having completed my last project only yesterday, it already feels very odd not to have something to be reading...

              ..."and the other thing?"

                                                        "mmm? oh, yes, the other thing."...

There's a photo of me in the May edition of Doctor Who Magazine. I haven't had a chance to look at it yet (see above as to why...) but I'm quite thrilled by it. I know, I know; for many of my Doctor Who and Big Finish pals, being in DWM is a regular occurrance and no big deal, but for me, it's a new thing and consequently, quite a thrill. Have to see what it's all about, although I suspect it has something to do with David Tennant and Catherine Tate recording some new adventures with Big Finish, which I'm also in. But more of that next month!

Back to this month and details of a couple of new audio releases, (24 so far this year!). The 'big release' for me this posting is the Games Workshop audio book Blades of Damocles by Phil Kelly.

I've done quite a bit of work now with Games Workshop and I'm beginning to get a grip on the worlds of the Space Marines and The Legions and how they function and relate. So just when I think I'm making progress with who's who, along comes an entirely new alien race that I've never heard of - The Tau! And here they are...

Blades of Damocles:

Setting out to exterminate the upstart Tau Empire before they become the threat, the Ultramarines under Captain Atheus discover that the xenos may be more of a menace than they originally believed…

It is the 41st millennium, and an upstart alien empire has emerged on the Eastern Fringe. After a few skirmishes to retake human worlds from these blue-skinned invaders, the time has come to strike against the so-called Tau Empire. At the forefront of the Damocles Crusade stand the Ultramarines, commanded by Captain Atheus, the Chapter’s Lord Executioner. With his loyal sergeants Numitor and Sicarius by his side, Atheus vows to exterminate the aliens…

But the cunning xenos commanders, Farsight and Shadowsun, have other plans.

 

Audiobook running time 11 hours and 30 minutes.

 

* * * * *

The second release to be mentioned in this posting, is a follow up to the Fourth Doctor adventure mentioned previously, The Paradox Planet, which is titled The Legacy of Death. Once again, I'm not credited in the cast list, but as I remember, I played the reprising roles of Varchak and Warden. I'll amend as necessary when I've received my copy and had time to listen to it.

The Doctor, Romana and K9 have found themselves trapped in a temporal war. On Aoris, the past battles the future - and the future fights back!

With both sides of the war now capable of time travel, the conflict is about to enter a deadly stage. As the pieces of history lock into place, there is little the Doctor can do.

With more Time Tanks moving into combat, the endgame is approaching. The people of Aoris risk extinction at their own hand.

Can even the Doctor save the same planet twice in the same day?

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

Written by Jonathan Morris
Directed by Ken Bentley  

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

Knives to Peel...?

The empire is named for the tiny island and city of Malaz, now a sleepy, seedy backwater port. Tonight however, a once-in-a-generation Shadow Moon brings demon hounds and darker beings. 

Also, a prophecy promises the return of long missing Emperor Kellanved to the contended imperial throne. This night will determine the fate of the world.

A-HA! Thought I'd start this most cryptically titled update (knives? peel? - geddit?) with a synopsis; never done that before! "A synopsis?" I hear you ask, "but of what?". Of the third novel in Ian C. Esslemont's Malazan series of novels to be given the audio book treatment from producer extraordinaire, Neil Gardner and myself, that's "of what?". Released yesterday on an unsuspecting and entirely innocent public from Audible.co.uk. One further novel to record in this seven book series which we start next week, so lots of prep this weekend!

Below: ...recording Blood and Bone from The Malazan Empire series by Ian C. Esslemont 

"Over 7 books recorded since December, John Banks has had to create unique voices for 583 characters. Quite amazing!"
                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                           Neil Gardner - producer

Because I've been so busy over these last several, days, weeks etc, a couple of other audio book releases from Fantom Films have so far gone un-mentioned; so now is a perfect opportunity to set that to rights - and here they are:

Ignored by his dad, bullied by the teachers at his posh school, and picked on by the gang of kids who roam the stairways of his tower block home, Roland Wright thinks he has it pretty bad. Then, a broken lift hurls him into a strange kingdom where fantasy and reality meet, and Roland finds that his nightmare has only just begun.

 

  “The Juganet is a circle. The circle is a machine. The machine is a cross-over point. The point is a paramagnetic intersection. That is where I must be. Not here...”

Sky is a mixture of ecological fable, science fantasy and good, old-fashioned peril. An ethereal boy called Sky materialises on an Earth that is as unprepared for him as he is for it. He soon realises that he’s been brought to the wrong time and must seek out the Juganet to return to his correct place in reality. With the help of tearaway Arby Venner, his sister June and friend Roy he must race against time as Nature rejects Sky and the Earth’s immune system creates the evil Goodchild, who is out to stop him at all costs...

Based on one of the most memorable television series of the 1970s 

* * * * *

 ...aaand finally for this posting; the release of a box set of adventures from Big Finish, featuring Steed and Mrs. Peel from my favourite era of, the one and only... The AVENGERS!!!

1. Return to Castle De'ath by Simon Barnard and Paul Morris

Steed is left hanging, Emma pays the piper.

Steed and Peel return to the scene of an earlier adventure to find it much changed. Now a ski-resort, Castle De'ath is playing host to many new visitors - including a wealthy Prince targeted by assassins.
Assigned as bodyguards, the Avengers have to keep the Prince alive and discover which of the Castle's guests are behind the murderous plot - before they succumb to it themselves.

2. The Miser by Simon Barnard and Paul Morris

Steed has a nasty scare, Emma has a pressing engagement 

When the phrase 'sleeper train' takes on a very literal meaning, Steed and Peel witness the first action of The Miser, a terrifying extortionist. The race is on to stop his ambitious scheme - but in this case, appearances can be deceptive.

3. The Golden Dresses by Paul Magrs 

Emma hits the heights of fashion, Steed plumbs the very depths. 

The ladies of society can't get enough of Madame Zingara's Golden Dresses. Especially now their husbands have gone missing. Steed and Peel look into the world of haute couture to discover the dark secret of this latest craze. Can they pull it off with style?

4. The Norse Code by John Dorney

Steed has the horns of a dilemma, Emma milks her moment.

An agent has gone missing whilst holidaying in the Norfolk Broads. With an American nuclear bomb being stored in the region, Steed and Peel can't take any risks. But the last thing they expect to find on their boating trip is a Norse longboat. What are Vikings doing in East Anglia?

Julian Wadham John Steed     Olivia Poulet Emma Peel

Sam Kordbacheh Prince Abdul Bey    Shelia Reid Morag McIntosh/Matron  

Allan Corduner James McTaggart/Murdoch/Crabtree   Ruby Thomas Countess Beatrice of Burgundy 

Simon Greenall Colonel Augustus-Smyth   Jeremy Clyde The Miser   Graham Seed Dick North  

David Acton Montague Pratt/Air Marshall Cuthbert Fortescue 

John Banks Dave/Squire Trevithick/Train Guard   Phillip Pope Derek/Reg the Trainspotter/Newsreader 

Jacqueline Pearce Madame Zingara  Becky Wright Bunty/Nurse  Christopher Naylor Emil/Sailor  

 Nick Underwood Anton/Rough Sailor/Announcer   

Timothy Speyer Oswald English/Captain Jolleye/Radio Presenter 

Ewan Bailey Ivan Stevenson/Venka/Newsreader   Francesca Hunt Ingrid Thornton/Brunhilda  

Jot Davies Wellington - other parts played by the cast

Directed by Ken Bentley 

I love The Avengers and particularly the stories with Steed and Emma Peel; I am of the generation where the series was required viewing and I'm still watching all these years later - albeit in much higher definition! Really can't wait to listen to this collection and I'm deeply grateful to producer David Richardson and director Ken Bentley, for inviting me to come and play...

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

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

* * * * *

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!