Assassin's Creed

And so. The second of today's audio releases; an audiobook that I mentioned originally, although not by name, in the 20th November posting. Here are some details:

Penguin presents:

 the unabridged downloadable audiobook edition of Assassin's Creed: The Official Film Tie-In 

by Christie Golden, read by John Banks.

The official film tie-in to the Assassin's Creed motion picture starring Michael Fassbender. 

"We work in the dark to serve the light. We are assassins."

Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th century Spain. Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day.

 Assassin's Creed: audio book sample

Assassin's Creed: The Official Film Tie-In

Written by Christie Golden, Narrated by John Banks & Produced by Neil Gardner

Unabridged Audiobook: 8 hours & 30 minutes

Publisher: Penguin AudioBooks

Release Date: 21st December 2016

©2016 Christie Golden (P)2016 Penguin AudioBooks

* * * * *

I must thank Producer Neil Gardner and the production team at Penguin Random House Audiobooks for getting me in to record this audio book, which was great fun to do, even though our recording scedule was incredibly tight. I can only hope that their faith in me has been justified and I look forward to hearing the finished production with fingers firmly crossed!

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

The Art of Provocation

And so, onto the sixth release of mine this month from those festive folk at Games Workshop. Here are some details of the audio drama, The Art of Provocation:

The Art of Provocation

A Space Wolves audio drama

Lukas the Trickster plays a dangerous game. With hordes of orks massing on Polix Tertius, he risks the ire of Wolf Lord Kjarl Grimblood, as well as the blades of his xenos foes…

Amongst the Space Wolves, the name of Lukas the Trickster is as much a curse as anything in the old tongues of Fenris. Named Jackalwolf by his masters, none of whom wish his dubious fealty, he now plays a dangerous game with the hordes of orks massing on Polix Tertius.

Risking the ire of Wolf Lord Kjarl Grimblood, as well as the blades of his xenos foes, he turns his attentions to the planetary vox-communications network, and begins to broadcast...

John Banks, Jonathan Keeble and Toby Longworth

Written by Josh Reynolds & Produced by Matt Renshaw

* * * * *

...all for now, more very, very soon! 

 

Plethora

Plethora indeed! December has been an incredible end to an incredible year of audio releases, 8 so far this month, with more to come - and 59 so far this year. Needless to say, I'm way behind in listening to all of this stuff (I'm still listening to Bleeding Heart Square!) and with all that's going on, I don't look like catching up any time soon.

The pace has calmed a little as the Christmas holiday gets ever closer, although, I have been recording this month and I'm off to Games Workshop HQ tomorrow for more work next week, which I'm really looking forward to. Next year is beginning to take shape and there are a couple of exciting projects I'm already keenly anticipating. But all that is to come, what about now???

Since the release earlier this month of The Calculus of Battle, here are details of the 'plethora' of subsequent releases:

Doctor Who: The Sontarans

The TARDIS arrives on a moon-sized asteroid orbiting two gas giants. With an amazing view, it’s a chance for the Doctor, Steven and Sara to unwind after their recent adventures.

But they quickly find themselves in the midst of battle - on one side: a familiar group of space-suited soldiers - members of the Space Security Service. On the other: strange, squat aliens in body armour.

Surviving the initial hostilities, the Doctor and his friends discover that the SSS squad is on a terrifying mission. With many lives at stake, they have to venture deep inside the asteroid in search of a hideous weapon. But who can they trust in the battle against these Sontarans?

Peter Purves Steven - The Doctor - Narrator     Jean Marsh Sara Kingdom

Dan Starkey Corporal Ellis - Slite - Shrok - Stack - Commander Jemma Churchill Captain Papas
 John Banks Corporal Gage Rosanna Miles Tinder - Human Soldier

 Written by Simon Guerrier
Directed by Ken Bentley

* * * * *

 Valerius

A Horus Heresy audio drama

 

Sent by Corax to the great slaughter at Beta-Garmon, Marcus Valerius fears the end is nigh. Guided by visions from the God-Emperor, can he lead the Therion Cohort back to victory?

Though he knows such beliefs are forbidden, Vice-Caesari Marcus Valerius of the Therion Cohort is willing to lay down his life in service to the immortal God-Emperor, for the good of all mankind.

Sent by Corax to the great slaughter at Beta-Garmon, every last one of the Imperial Army soldiers under his command knows that the end is nigh - but can Valerius' holy visions guide them to one final victory over the hordes of the hated Arch-traitor?

Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Ian Brooker, Cliff Chapman, Steve Conlin, Saul Reichlin,

Toby Longworth and Luis Soto

Written by Gav Thorpe & Produced by Matt Renshaw

* * * * *

The Embrace of Pain

A Lucius the Eternal audio drama

 

Lucius the Eternal is openly challenged by a champion of the old Death Guard Legion. Could an immortal daemonhost, blessed by Nurgle, be the undoing of the blademaster’s curse?

While voyaging through the depths of the warp, the infamous blademaster Lucius the Eternal is challenged by a servant of another god - a champion of the old Death Guard Legion, no less.

Keen to remain dominant over his preening and ambitious rivals in the Cohors Nasicae, Lucius takes up his sword without a second thought... but could an unfeeling daemonhost of Nurgle, or the voices inside his own head, be the undoing of his Slaaneshi curse?

John Banks, Antonia Beamish, Robin Bowerman, Steve Conlin and Luis Soto.

Written by Ian St. Martin & Produced by Matt Renshaw

* * * * *

Blood And Bone

In the western sky, the bright emerald banner of the Visitor descends like a portent of annihilation. On the continent of Jacuruku, the Thaumaturgs have mounted another expedition in a bid to tame the neighbouring wild jungle. Yet this is no normal wilderness.

It is called Himatan, and it is said to be half of the spirit realm and half of the earth. And it is said to be ruled by a powerful entity whom some name the Queen of Witches and some a goddess: the ancient Ardata.

Saeng grew up knowing only the rule of the magus Thaumaturgs - but it was the voices from that land's forgotten past that she listened to. And when her rulers launch their invasion of this jungle, those voices send her and her brother on a desperate mission.

To the south the desert tribes are united by the arrival of a foreign warleader, a veteran commander in battered ashen mail men call the Grey Ghost. This warrior leads these tribes on a raid unlike any other, deep into the heart of Thaumaturg lands, while word comes to K'azz and mercenary company the Crimson Guard of a contract in Jacuruku. And their employer? Could it be the goddess herself?

Unabridged audio book narrated by John Banks

Running time: 26 hours and 38 minutes

Produced by Neil Gardner

* * * * *

The Soul, Severed

A Horus Heresy audio drama

 

As Lord Commander Primus, Eidolon leads the Emperor’s Children in Fulgrim’s absence. But a challenge from within the Legion forces him to turn the Kakophoni against their brethren.

As Lord Commander Primus, Eidolon leads the Emperor’s Children in the absence of his primarch - who even knows where the daemon prince Fulgrim resides, now? But a challenge from within the Legion forces Eidolon to confront one of his rivals, the ambitious Archorian, a capable officer and tactician who would see the Legion returned to glory. 

Dissent is unacceptable. It is time for the Kakophoni to be set against their erstwhile brethren.

Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Steve Conlin and Luis Soto

Written by Chris Wraight & Produced by Matt Renshaw

* * * * *

It was quite a thing for me to work with Peter Purves and Jean Marsh on The Sontarans. Peter has been a part of my life for most of my life, as a presenter of iconic children's television program, Blue Peter and Jean had created and acted in one of the most enduring and beloved television series in British tv history, Upstairs, Downstairs. Many's the time I've had 'pinch yourself' moments working with Big Finish and I've had the privilege of working with some amazing actors, but this certainly ranked very highly as a treasured moment. 

Having essentially suggested that you immediately acquire all of the above recordings and listen to them, I do of course, sincerely hope that they are good and that you will enjoy them. As I said, I'm way behind in my listening and have only heard The Soul, Severed so far, so fingers crossed, there'll be some good stuff in there.

As a parting thought: did you read the update I posted on 20th November? There'll be a further, related update sometime next week, so if you find your thumbs starting to twiddle, I invite you to pop back and have a look at what's happening...

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

 

The Calculus of Battle

If you've had a look at yesterday's posting, amongst other things, I mentioned a freshly released audio drama, The Calculus of Battle. And so, without further ado, here are some details from Games Workshop:

The Calculus of Battle

An Iron Hands audio drama
 
Warleader Kardan Stronos of the Iron Hands fights against the tyranids on Varasine, measuring his Chapter’s infallible logic and ruthless strategy against the cost in human lives.

The beleaguered Astra Militarum defenders of Varasine fight against the alien menace of a tyranid invasion, but their only possible salvation approaches in the form of something almost equally inhuman.

Warleader Kardan Stronos of the Iron Hands, long having studied the xenos threat, now brings his fearless battle-brothers to join the war - only he can save Varasine, measuring his Chapter’s infallible logic and ruthless strategy against the cost in human lives.

John Banks, Cliff Chapman, Steve Conlin, Toby Longworth and Luis Soto

Written by David Guymer & Produced by Matt Renshaw 

* * * * *

My principle task today is to re-read and prepare an audio drama script for Big Finish, which we are scheduled to record a little later this week. I have already had a chance to study the story and I'm very much looking forward to recording it; today is my chance to brush up on it and I'm savouring the prospect. 

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

Fabius Bile Primogenitor

"Primogenitor: noun: an ancestor, especially the earliest ancestor of a people; a progenitor."

It seems that in the run up to the Christmas holidays, otherwise known as Advent (especially for those of us who are fortunate enough to have a chocolate filled Advent Calendar!), those good folks at Games Workshop are releasing something every day, either a novel or audio book/drama.

What a great idea! But as you can tell from the last posting, it's caught me out a little and I'm just as surprised as anyone as to what's becoming available. The audio drama Perpetual was my first and another was released today, The Calculus of Battle; but more of that anon, because in addition to these Advent releases, regular 'main range' stories are also appearing and for me, Fabius Bile Primogenitor by Josh Reynolds is a very exciting prospect indeed and I'm listening to it now, for the first time, as I write.

So what's it all about? Have a look at this amazing artwork, featuring dear old Fabius himself and whet your appetite (hopefully!) on the synopsis. There's also an audio sample to listen to on the Games Workshop website (via the following link) if you'd like a flavour of the story: Fabius Bile Primogenitor

Fabius Bile: Primogenitor

A Warhammer 40,000 audio book

Exiled into the depths of the Eye of Terror for his dark deeds, former Emperor's Children Apothecary Fabius is drawn back to the Imperium in search of a secret that could be the key to saving his misbegotten life…

He is known by many names - Clonelord, Manflayer, Primogenitor. He is the epitome of deceit and perversion, and feared by man and monster alike. Once the Chief Apothecary of the Emperor's Children, the madman known as Fabius Bile possesses a knowledge of genetic manipulation second to none. Now a renegade among renegades, he is loathed by those he once called brother, and even the most degraded of Chaos Space Marines fear his name. 

Exiled for his dark experiments, Bile has retreated deep into the Eye of Terror, leaving a trail of twisted abominations in his wake. But when a former student brings word of the ultimate prize for the taking, Bile is unable to resist being drawn once more into the cauldron of war. For in seizing this prize, Fabius Bile might yet discover the one secret his has been unable to unlock... the secret which will prevent his inevitable doom.

Written by Josh Reynolds, Produced by Matt Renshaw & Narrated by John Banks

* * * * *

I thoroughly enjoyed working on this recording and had a great time up at Games Workshop HQ. I also have a particular reason to look forward to listening to this story, which I might mention in a future posting; how mysterious!

In closing, now is about the time I would normally sign off by saying:

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

And while that is still the case, the wait for the next posting won't be very long; in fact, it will be appearing here tomorrow! I spoil you I know, but hey, it's Christmas!  

Perpetual

What? Two posts in as many days? Yes indeed; once again, Games Workshop have surprised me with the release today of the audio drama Perpetual. The turnaround on this story has been pretty quick and I wasn't expecting it to be available so soon, but here it is in all its glory, complete with a synopsis and some great artwork:

A Horus Heresy audio drama
 
Escaping from ruined Calth, Oll Persson and his band of refugees are trapped on a dark, forgotten world. But the enemy draws near, and immortality may not be enough to survive...

Oll Persson stands apart from the rest of mankind. He is one of the old ones, one of the undying. One of the Perpetuals. Now, fleeing from the ruins of Calth with his band of fellow refugees, the vagaries of the warp have brought him through the backways of time and space to a city that rests on the edge of oblivion... and no further.

The path has ended abruptly, and Oll's enemies are finally closing in. Will his immortality be enough to save him this time?

 Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Ian Brooker, Cliff Chapman, Steve Conlin, Penelope Rawlins,

 Saul Reichlin and Luis Soto

Written by Dan Abnett & Produced by Matt Renshaw 

In this story, I'm primarily playing a character called 'John Grammaticus' and here are some details about him which I'm quoting from the Warhammer Wiki:

"John Grammaticus was a human operative of the mysterious xenos organisation known as the Cabal, and had been genetically altered by them to become what they referred to as a "Perpetual", a being who was capable of reincarnation and therefore was effectively immortal, much like the Emperor of Mankind. Also like the Emperor, Grammaticus was a natural psyker whose main psychic power allowed him to act as a powerful logokine, a psyker who is able to understand any language, no matter its form or origin, and unleash the innate power of words"

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

The Avengers: The Comic Strip Adaptations...

...Volume 2! Just sneaking in on the last day of the month is the second collection of stories featuring, for me at least, the classic combination of Steed & Peel, who appeared not only on television, but also as a comic strip in 'Diana' magazine in 1966 and '67. The name 'Diana' had nothing to do with Diana Rigg, who famously and iconically played Emma Peel on tv; just a coincidence as far as I'm aware.

There are lots of actors involved in the telling of these stories, (as you can see by scrolling down!) and I'm in there somewhere too. These stories are usually a lot of fun and I'm very much looking forward to giving them a listen. Although I must confess, I'm already way behind in my listening; so many long audio books to keep up with and the seven Malazan novels are not yet in my possession (do they even exist on CD yet???). A couple of those are up in the twenty hours plus range and one is something like 34 hours long. That's nothing of course to my audio version of The Bible (again, not available yet), which I reckon, comes in at something around the seventy-four hour mark! And the UNIT: Silenced box set has just arrived...

"But enough rambling!" I hear you cry, "Tell me about The Avengers!" Ok, here goes:

'... wonderfully silly, jam packed with knowing, self-deprecating and reverential humour, these are the kind of stories that you lose yourself and all track of time in... The writing is spot on, Olivia Poulet and Julian Wadham are absolutely splendid... the supporting cast do a first class job.... In fact, it’s all rather magnificent and jolly good fun.' Tim Cundle Mass Movement

Playtime is Over by Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky

Steed gets toyed with, Emma has an admirer.

A series of impossible robberies have plagued London. Called in to investigate, Steed and Peel find themselves up against some very deadly children. Or do they?

The Antagoniser by Paul Morris and Simon Barnard

Steed catches a bite, Emma is a little cowed.

Several noted scientists have died in unusual circumstances, and Steed and Peel find themselves up against a deadly weapon. But who is behind it? Does an old TV broadcast hold the answer?

The Mad Hatter by Matt Fitton

Steed charms a princess, Emma buys a hat.

When Princess Helga of Varania comes to England, all the nation is charmed. Well, nearly all. A dastardly assassination plot is being prepared and only Steed and Peel can stop it. Who wants to be a milliner?

The Secret Six by John Dorney

Steed hits a boundary, Emma shall go to the ball.

When an invitation to a fancy dress party leads to murder, Steed and Peel face the fight of their lives. The world’s six deadliest criminals want them dead – and will stop at nothing to make sure of it!

Julian Wadham (John Steed), Olivia Poulet (Emma Peel),

 Lizzie Roper (Black Heart/Miss Fellowes), Michael Keane (Jorgo), Kiruna Stamell (Girlie), Andrew Wincott (Tiny Tony/Lord Beauville), John Banks (Teddy/Taxi driver), 

Richard Earl (Dr Verbatim/Fairground Worker), Michael Lumsden (Gruber/Klein/Window Cleaner/Agent), Paul Kemp (Partridge/Porter), 

Eve Webster (Nurse/Elaine Veer/Matron/Parrot), 

Maggie Service (Princess Helga/Assistant), Paul Chahidi (Mad Hatter/Driver/Policeman), 

John Voce (Tom Bowler), Terry Molloy (Inspector Corduroy), Ozzie Yue (Chang-Tu), 

George Asprey (Nick the Knifeman/Karloff), 

Jonathan Tafler (Ice-cold Alex/Lord Tweezle), Anita Booth (Ma the Mink/Olga)

Directed by Ken Bentley & Produced by David Richardson

* * * * *

Phew! And that's the end of November's releases, but it's fair to say that I'm very excited about what might be coming up in December; very excited; very, very excited...

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

The Vanquished

Good afternoon! I have to start by saying that "it's been quite a week!". Having completed the series of audio book recordings I mentioned in the last posting and 'been there and done that' with the episode of the tv series I also mentioned a while ago, (terrific fun by the way & much more to come on this) I had honestly been looking forward to a time of calm contemplation, a bit of navel gazing and the occasional thumb twiddle, maybe a hair cut?

But no. Two very welcome and exciting audio dramas have materialised in the last few days and will need to be recorded over the next few weeks. As always, I can't yet give details, but they will assuredly follow when the time comes for the recordings to be released. In their different ways, both dramas present interesting challenges and I'm thoroughly looking forward to mid week, when recording begins. I'm now in the process of reading and marking up the scripts and assimilating the narrative and the characters I'm required to play, all of which is fun, although marking up a long audio book can sometimes stretch on a bit.

"So far, so what?" you may ask. Well, just as one of my thumbs decided on a bit of twiddle practice, late on Thursday afternoon, the prospect of a very interesting job was dangled before me, a job which I thought I had virtually no chance of being seriously considered for - I mean, seriously? My benificent tormentor told me that by 6 o'clock that evening, I would know if the job was mine - or much more likely, not mine.

6 o'clock eventually came, about an hour after 5 - with no news - and went. Mmm. Not good. So I started telling myself how unlikely it would have been to have been offered the job and "you never miss what you haven't had" and trying to effect a sort of cool indifference to my inevitable disappointment which, karma wise, balanced out an otherwise upbeat and very positive week.

Friday. Nothing. The job, I should mention, is the recording of an audio book; quite a special and exciting and somewhat daunting audio book. Schedules are tight, deadlines already loom. It's Friday afternoon; the job has gone... surely?

...?

Late Friday afternoon; an email has been sent but is somehow late in arriving, lost in the ether. Unbelievably and only a few emails later, the offer is astonishingly made and the deal is done! Shocked. Just shocked. Still shocked a couple of days later and now also knee deep in preparation for this daunting task which will commence - sometime this week!!! 

And all is calm.

So, to the main purpose of this posting. Not very long ago, a month or so, I recorded a fascinating book, which is now available from audible and Amazon and probably lots of other places too. Here are some details:

The Vanquished: Why The First World War Failed To End, 1917-1923

For the Western allies, 11 November 1918 has always been a solemn date - the end of fighting which had destroyed a generation and a vindication of a terrible sacrifice with the total collapse of their principal enemies: the German Empire, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. But for much of the rest of Europe, this was a day with no meaning, as a continuing nightmarish series of conflicts engulfed country after country.  

 

In this highly original, gripping book, Robert Gerwarth asks us to think again about the true legacy of the First World War. In large part it was not the fighting on the Western front which proved so ruinous to Europe's future but the devastating aftermath, as countries on both sides of the original conflict were wrecked by revolution, pogroms, mass expulsions and further major military clashes. 

If the war itself had in most places been a struggle purely between state-backed soldiers, these new conflicts were mainly about civilians and paramilitaries, and millions of people died across Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe before the USSR and a series of rickety and exhausted small new states came into being. Everywhere there were vengeful people, their lives racked by a murderous sense of injustice, looking for the opportunity to take retribution against enemies real and imaginary. 

Only a decade later, the rise of the Third Reich and other totalitarian states provided them with the opportunity they had been looking for. 

Written by Robert Gerwarth & Narrated by John Banks  

Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins

By strange coincidence, I'd been looking at this book in a book shop the day before the job to record it was offered; I took it as 'a sign'.

The book has certainly helped me to understand the brutal nature of the post WWI period and how the political threads of that conflict lead to the further catastrophe of WWII. Technically, I found The Vanquished quite a challenge to narrate, primarily because of the complexity of pronouncing the myriad people and place names that occur throughout. A private reader might easily skip over these names in pursuit of the stronger narrative line, whereas a narrator has to make each name sound authentic and accurate - and 'conversational'! I hope I have had some success with the task of achieving the right balance in pronouncing names from across Europe, Russia, The Balkans and indeed all those countries that became embroiled in the global conflict of WWI and it's aftermath.

  * * * * *

That ought to be all for now, but just to step out onto a thinnish branch here: an audio drama has just been released from Games Workshop and I have been credited with an appearance in it. That might well be the case, but I have no specific record or recollection of having taken part...

Anyway, the cover art alone is worth posting, so whether I'm in it or not, here are some details:

The Thirteenth Wolf

A Horus Heresy audio drama

The Space Wolves have assaulted Prospero and driven the traitorous Thousand Sons into the madness of the immaterium. Bravely, the 13th Company pursue their fleeing foes, but at what cost?

For more than two hundred years, the armies of the Emperor of Mankind fought to reconquer the galaxy - led by the superhuman primarchs, the Space Marine Legions brought countless worlds back under the rule of ancient Terra.

Now Horus, once honoured Warmaster and favoured son of the Emperor, has been corrupted by the whispered promises of Chaos. At his command the Imperium is torn apart by a terrible and bloody civil war, the likes of which the galaxy has never seen... At the Emperor's command were the Wolves of Russ unleashed, but it is by the will of Horus alone that Prospero now burns.

The VIth Legion have stormed the world of Magnus the Red, with venerable warriors of the Thirteenth Great Company always to be found where the fighting is at its most bloody, seeking to write their own names into the sagas of Fenris.

But the Thousand Sons are far from defeated, and their foul sorcery may yet be the doom of all, deep within the maddening heart of the Portal Maze.

 Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Ian Brooker, Tim Bentinck, Steve Conlin, Jonathan Keeble

and Toby Longworth

Written by Gav Thorpe & Produced by Matt Renshaw 

* * * * *

And that really is where I should draw this posting to a close; the text becons! 

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

 

You nit!

Little play on words there; 'you nit', 'UNIT' - geddit? Oh well. So the first Big Finish release from me in a while - and it's quite a hefty box set. Should be an interesting and entertaining listen - I hope! Here are some details and an appetite whetting trailer:

Decades after their defeat by the Eleventh Doctor, the Silence prepare to rise against humanity....

  House of Silents

There is no record of the presence of an alien species known as ‘The Silents’ on Earth. UNIT has never engaged hostiles capable of editing themselves from observers’ memories.

There is no evidence that such an opponent, if real, is regrouping and beginning a new plan of infiltration and manipulation.

Kate Stewart and her team are in no mortal danger. How can they be, when they don’t even know the enemy exists?

  Square One

It’s business as usual at UNIT, and thankfully, Kate Stewart has no immediate threats to concern her. Or so she believes.

But when Sam Bishop returns from leave, he notices things aren’t quite as they seem. Soon he and Osgood are on the trail of an elusive enemy.

Meanwhile, Kenneth LeBlanc and his controversial political movement gather momentum, and one UNIT team member isn’t quite themselves...

  Silent Majority

Kenneth LeBlanc looks set to lead his party to national victory, overturning political opinion and taking the polls by storm. UNIT can only stand and watch as a silent revolution takes place.

But who are LeBlanc’s real backers? And what use to them is the triumph of a leader who seems to be nothing more than a liability?

The Silents are about to make the headlines.

  In Memory Alone

When Sam Bishop and Osgood visit an orbiting space station for a routine mission, they have no idea that they are part of an alien scheme, years in the planning.

As the global situation spins out of control, Kate seeks help from an unlikely source.

The Silents are not done with humanity yet – and they will have their revenge.

Jemma Redgrave Kate Stewart Ingrid Oliver Petronella Osgood Warren Brown Lieutenant Sam Bishop 

James Joyce Captain Josh Carter Ramon Tikaram Colonel Shindi Tracy Wiles Jacqui McGee Joanna Wake Miss Faversham Nicholas Day Kenneth LeBlanc/Heston Tom Alexander Cecil/Derek Aaron Neil Homeless Man/News Reporter/David Nimmy March Baroness Vance/Telokni  

John Banks Mission Control/Captain/Soldier and Nicholas Briggs as The Silence

Written by Matt Fitton & John Dorney
Directed by Ken Bentley  

* * * * *
 

Earlier today, I finished recording a series of audio stories which are scheduled to be released, starting early next year, which is now getting quite close! As usual, all a bit secret at the moment, but not long to wait for a proper update. Last week, I also had great fun doing some telly acting, which I haven't done for some time. It was quite a challenging part to play in some ways, but was nevertheless a very enjoyable project to work on and again, details will be revealed as soon as possible. And so, to sign off in time honoured fashion...

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

So what can that mean, 'Children of Sicarus'? Well, it's another full cast audio drama from Games Workshop which, astonishingly, becomes my 7th audio release of October and 48th of 2016 - phew!

Here are some details to whet your appetite and potentially, denude your savings...

Children of Sicarus

A Horus Heresy audio drama

Kor Phaeron of the Word Bearers and his devoted followers adjust to life on the daemon world of Sicarus. Threatened by enemies and surrounded by terrors, will they survive to exact revenge on the Imperium?

After the destruction of the Infidus Imperator, Kor Phaeron of the Word Bearers brought his followers to supposed safety in the Eye of Terror. However, their newly adopted home, the daemon world Sicarus, is far from the sanctuary they imagined – the twisted hordes of the Kairic Adept Larazzar seek to crush these newcomers and all who would ally with them.

Only in the ancient legends of Sicarus can their salvation be found, but is Kor Phaeron the one to lead them to it?

Featuring:

 Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Tim Bentinck, Steve Conlin, Toby Longworth & Penelope Rawlins

Written by Anthony Reynolds & Produced by Matt Renshaw 

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

Horus Heresy anthology

Another Saturday and another Saturday release from Games Workshop - 'raay! In fact, as far as my contribution to this collection goes ( I've asterisked the stories I've read ), it's really a repetion of previously released material. There's an almost bewildering variety of 'bundled' stories to be had for the listener, keen to collect absolutely everything from The Black Library and Games Workshop, so just to tap into that sense of completeness, here are details of this latest anthology:

Books 22-24: Unabridged Audiobook Collection

A Horus Heresy audiobook collection

Traitorous brothers unite to take on mankind's Imperium not once but twice in a collection of audiobook adventures that encompass the Shadow Crusade that devastates Ultramar and an even more shadowy mission into the Eye of Terror – plus 'Shadows of Treachery', which collects two novellas and five short stories.

These stories all delve into the previously untold stories of the Heresy, filling in the gaps between Isstvan and Terra for several Legions, and showing the lengths to which the Traitor Primarchs will go to achieve their victory over their former brothers.

Two primarch team-ups change the face of the galaxy! Fulgrim and Perturabo team up for a mission that will prove the apotheosis of one and the beginning of the end for the other, while Angron and Lorgar bring ruin to the Ultramarines as their Shadow Crusade unfolds. Meanwhile, the anthology Shadows of Treachery brings tales from across the Imperium, from the killing fields of Isstvan V to the Iron Warriors' battlefleet where the Imperial Fists fight for survival, and the halls of the Imperial Palace itself where Rogal Dorn ponders the Imperium's future.

  The Crimson Fist by John French
  The Dark King by Graham McNeill *
  The Lightning Tower by Dan Abnett *
  The Kaban Project by Graham McNeill *
  Raven's Flight by Gav Thorpe *
  Death of a Silversmith by Graham McNeill *
  Prince of Crows by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
Angel Exterminatus by Graham McNeill
Betrayer by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

Narrated by John Banks, Jonathan Keeble and David Timson & Produced by Matt Renshaw

 Running time approximately 48 hours. 

* * * * *

I've been very busy in the recording studio over the last few weeks and there's much more to be done in the coming weeks; next week however, I'm filming a television drama documentary, in which I play an American cop (!). The audition was great fun and I hope the actual job will be equally enjoyable; I will of course, give further details when I'm allowed to talk about the project more fully. 

To finish on a tec note: I mentioned the non-functioning 'slideshow' feature last week and sadly, it will no longer work as part of this website, as the Picasa photo web site is no longer being updated and is unsupported now by Google. Maybe there'll be something better coming along soon to replace it; we shall see!

In the meantime that's...

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

Another quick update release, this time on a very interesting audio drama from Games Workshop and here are some details:

Vox Tenebris

A War Zone Fenris audio drama

In the midst of the daemonic assault on the Fenris system, a Space Wolf and Dark Angel must overcome their enmity and work together if either is to survive.

When the Fenris system is overrun by the forces of Chaos, the Imperium rallies to its defence, and Space Marines from many Chapters arrive to lend their aid to the beleaguered defenders. The battle to reclaim the worlds of the Space Wolves is waged on many levels – in space, on land and in the very seas themselves.

A Space Wolf and a Dark Angel must join forces when the rest of their strikeforce is slaughtered by daemons, deep underground. Unless they can find their way through the underworld back to the surface, they are doomed – but the trials that face them will test them to their very limit.

 Performed by John Banks, Steve Conlin and Toby Longworth.

Written by Robbie MacNiven & Produced by Matt Renshaw.

Running time 65 minutes.

*****

 

For some reason, the 'slideshow' feature which used to be situated at the bottom of this web page, has been removed. It's annoying, to say the least, that possibly as the result of a software update, a widget has ceased to function. I'll try to get it back up and running again, but it may now be impossible...

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

Bleeding Shadows...

And on we go. The last eighteen or so months has been a very busy time in the recording studio for me and as a consequence, lots of audio stuff is now being released. It's tricky to work out an exact correlation between recording and publication, as some recordings have a longer production process than others. My recording of The Bible for example is still caught up in that process; I had originally thought it might have been published back in May. But as you can see from the 'new releases' area to the left of this page, highlighted in bright green, even in the last few months of the year, new work is still being published - and often to my surprise.

This week has seen the release of two new recordings; one, an anthology of short stories from Games Workshop and the other, an intriguing mystery, Bleeding Heart Square by Andrew Taylor, which is available to download from audible.co.uk or Amazon.

Here are some details of both recordings:

1934, London. Into the decaying cul-de-sac of Bleeding Heart Square steps aristocratic Lydia Langstone fleeing an abusive marriage. 

However, unknown to Lydia, a dark mystery haunts Bleeding Heart Square. What happened to Miss Penhow, the middle-aged spinster who owns the house and who vanished four years earlier? Why is a seedy plain-clothes policeman obsessively watching the square? What is making struggling journalist Rory Wentwood so desperate to contact Miss Penhow? And why are parcels of rotting hearts being sent to Joseph Serridge, the last person to see Miss Penhow alive?





A Horus Heresy anthology

From the battlefields of Phall and Isstvan, to the haunted shadows of Terra itself – the Horus Heresy rages on across the galaxy in this collection of short stories and novellas.

This anthology spans the entire Horus Heresy, with short stories from Dan Abnett, Graham McNeill and Gav Thorpe, as well as two brand new novella-length tales. Learn the fate of Rogal Dorn's fleet originally sent to Isstvan III and descend deeper into the darkness of the Night Lords Legion.

Performed by John Banks* Jonathan Keeble and David Timson, Produced by Matthew Renshaw 

This anthology contains the following stories:

The Crimson Fist by John French
The Dark King by Graham McNeill *
The Lightning Tower by Dan Abnett *
The Kaban Project by Graham McNeill *
Raven's Flight by Gav Thorpe *
Death of a Silversmith by Graham McNeill *
Prince of Crows by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

From the battlefields of Phall and Isstvan, to the haunted shadows of Terra itself - the greatest war in the history of mankind rages on. While the traitor Legions continue their campaign of terror across the galaxy, preparations are made for the defence of the Imperial Palace and the final, inevitable reckoning that must yet come between Horus and the Emperor...

Running time: 11 hours and 44 minutes

I'll see if I can find some audio clips to go along with these titles, just to give a flavour of the content, although alas, that's not always possible. In the meantime, my latest news is that I started recording a series of classic sci-fi novels on Friday, which will hopefully see the light of day early in the new year, so much more on that subject nearer the time of publication - and having had a lot of fun with the Games Workshop crew recently, I'm recording more with them next week. top secret at the moment of course, but patience will always be rewarded - so I'm told!

Thanks for stopping by...

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

ORB SCEPTRE THRONE

Good afternoon! Much to relay of recent and future adventures, but for the moment, here's a 'newsflash' update to note the release of this audio book:

The tumult of great powers colliding has passed, and the city of Darujhistan and its citizens can at last get on with what matters: trading, bickering, politicking and enjoying all the good things in life. However, not all are ready to leave the past behind.

A treasure hunter digging amongst the burial grounds that surround the city is about to uncover a hidden crypt. He will open the last of a series of sealed vaults - the one that no other dared touch - and in so doing set free something so terrifying that the knowledge of its interment may have been systematically wiped from all history.

Fortune hunters are also at work far to the south. When a fragment of Moon's Spawn, once the home of Anomander Rake, Son of Darkness, crashed into the Rivan Sea, it created a chain of small islands. Legends and rumours already surround them. The most potent of these is that here is hidden the Throne of Night, claimed by some to be the seat of Mother Dark herself.

Either way, all who seek this ancient artefact - renegade mages, hardened mercenaries, even a Malazan army deserter - believe it will bestow unlimited power upon the eventual possessor. The stakes are high, greed is rife, betrayal inevitable, and murder and chaos lie in wait....

Written by Ian C Esslemont, produced by Neil Gardner and narrated by me. 

Running time 25 hours, 23 minutes

A Random House Audiobook, available now from audible.co.uk

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

October-fest...

Once again, my apologies for the lack of updates over the last few weeks; my excuse as ever, is that I've been immersed in preparation and recording. Details of what I've been doing will certainly appear here as soon as possible, although alas, not in this posting, as the intensity of work continues and I'm in the studio for the next several days. Before the middle of next month, I'll be recording four audio dramas and six audio books and time, as you can imagine, is at an absolute premium.

Such a short update, but there is something I can mention immediately, which is the release of an anthology of Warhammer stories that appear now as a single edition and here are some details:

Corax: A Horus Heresy anthology

The Lord of Ravens, Master of Deliverance, Primarch Corus Corvax of the Raven Guard takes centre stage in a collection of works by Gav Thorpe that explore his campaign of vengeance against Horus' allies and his desperate attempts to hold his Legion together.

After Isstvan, after Deliverance, the Raven Guard still endure. Their primarch Corvus Corax has rallied countless warriors to his banner, striking back at the forces of the Warmaster on every front – from the degenerate hereteks of the Mechanicum to the cruel legionaries of the Sons of Horus, none shall escape his wrath. But although Corax has managed to stall the physical corruption of his own Space Marines, what of their spirit? And what sinister end must await those who dwell forever in the darkness?

This anthology contains all of Gav Thorpe’s tales of the Raven Guard in the Horus Heresy – the novellas Soulforge and Ravenlord, and short stories ‘The Shadowmasters’, ‘The Value of Fear’ and ‘Raptor’. Also included is the brand new novella Weregeld, taking Corax’s legend to its grim conclusion.

 Narrated by Gareth Armstrong and John Banks  

Produced by Matthew Renshaw & Written by Gav Thorpe 

Audiobook running time 12 hours and 49 minutes

 * * * * *

Also,  released on the 6th October from Audible.co.uk, is my audio book version of Ian C. Esslemont's Novel of The Malazan Empire: Orb, Sceptre, Throne. 

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

...an 'august' update - hopefully!

Only the second update this month and very little in the way of excuses as to why I've been away from the blogosphere. Wait a minute; did you say 'Olympic Games'? Ah, yes; I have been glued to the Olympics and huge congratulations to all, medal winners or not and indeed to Rio for hosting the whole thing under difficult circumstances. Roll on Tokyo!

I wonder what events the Space Marines would be good at? Weight lifting? Shooting, TaeKwon-Do? At least those and several others I should imagine; but I digress.

Once again those good folks at Games Workshop have managed to spring a surprise or two over the last couple of weeks and I should give proper details of them here. A while ago, I mentioned that the second quartet of stories in the Realmgate Wars series had been released under the collective title Knights of Vengeance. Subsequently, the entire eight story saga was also released under the title The Realmgate Wars: The Audio Collection. What I have only recently noticed however, is that the first four stories have also been released under a collective title, The Hunt For Nagash. And so, perhaps somewhat out of sequence, here are the details:

In the long-ago Age of Myth, Sigmar's pantheon of gods conquered the Mortal Realms and ruled them in peace – until the coming of Chaos. Among the greatest of Sigmar's allies was Nagash, the god of Death and ruler of the underworlds of Shyish.

At the height of the Allpoints war, Nagash betrayed his oaths of loyalty and doomed Sigmar's plans to failure. Now, as the God-King's Stormcast Eternals battle to liberate the Mortal Realms, a force from the Hallowed Knghts Stormhost has been sent to find Nagash and bring him back into the fold. But as they search the Realm of Death, they find only the servants of Chaos – until a chance encounter provides hope. If they can trust a vampire, that is.

The Hunt for Nagash Audio Drama Collection consists of four audio dramas by Josh Reynolds, in a zip file:

Performed by:

 Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Ian Brooker, Steve Conlin, Jonathan Keeble, Stephen Perring,

 Saul Reichlin and Luis Soto

Written by Josh Reynolds & Produced by Matthew Renshaw

* * * * *

And secondly for this month and coming as a complete surprise, a release from the Warhammer 40,000 range of stories, which are set some 10,000 years after the original Space Marine adventures.

  

Deathwatch: The Last Guardian

Dark Angels Brother Balthasar and a Deathwatch kill-team investigate a long-dead eldar craftworld infested with daemons…

As part of an elite Deathwatch kill team, Brother Balthasar of the Dark Angels joins a special Inquisitorial mission to the eldar craftworld of Kher-Ys. Long ago ravaged by the daemonic forces of Slaanesh, the craftworld may still harbour the unlikeliest of allies for the Space Marines, and the key to a greater victory for the Chapter.

Performed by:

Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Tim Bentinck, Steve Conlin, Jonathan Keeble, 

Penelope Rawlins and Tania Rodrigues 

Written by C Z Dunn & Produced by Matthew Renshaw

* * * * *

And that's just about it for this posting; I'm currently preparing an audio book to record in October and awaiting some audio drama scripts for early September. I think there might also be another audio book or two to fit in around that schedule, although, as the sun is shining and the great outdoors beckons, I reckon I can safely defer any proper activity at least for the rest of the afternoon - a bit of executive time management - The Doctor would surely approve!

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

Novels of The Malazan Empire: Stonewielder

Released by Random House Audiobooks on 4th August, Stonewielder, by Ian C. Esslemont.

Greymane believed he'd outrun his past. With his school for swordsmanship in Falar, he was looking forward to a quiet life, although his colleague, Kyle, wasn't as enamoured with life outside the mercenary company, the Crimson Guard. However, it seems it is not so easy for an ex-Fist of the Malazan Empire to disappear, especially one under sentence of death from that same Empire.

For there is a new Emperor on the throne of Malaz, and he is dwelling on the ignominy that is the Empire's failed invasion of the Korel subcontinent. In the vaults beneath Unta, the Imperial capital, lie the answers to that disaster. And out of this buried history surfaces the name Stonewielder.

In Korel, Lord Protector Hiam, commander of the Stormguard, faces the potential annihilation of all that he holds dear. With few remaining men and a crumbling stone wall that has seen better days, he confronts an ancient enemy: the seaborne Stormriders have returned.

Religious war also threatens these lands. The cult of the Blessed Lady, which had stood firm against the Riders for millennia, now seeks to eradicate its rivals. And as chaos looms, a local magistrate investigating a series of murders suddenly finds himself at the heart of a far more ancient and terrifying crime - one that has tainted an entire land....

Stonewielder is an enthralling new chapter in the epic story of a thrillingly imagined world.

Produced by Neil Gardner and narrated by me. Running time is 26 hours and 42 minutes.

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

listen, enjoy, repeat...

Y'know, those good folks at Games Workshop do seem to like springing surprises and this month has had it's fair share. Earlier in July, I mentioned the four story collection of Realmgate Wars audio dramas Knights of Vengeance. 

Now also available, in a single box set collection, are the eight audio dramas that make up the entire epic saga: The Prisoner of the Black Sun, Sands of Blood, The Lords of Helstone and Bridge of Seven Sorrows by Josh Reynolds & Beasts of Cartha, Fist of Gork, Fist of Mork, Great Red and Only the Faithful by David Guymer.

Here's some fabulous artwork and further details of the stories in this collection:

A journey into the Realm of Death in search of Nagash himself leads the Hallowed Knights Warrior Chamber known as the Bull-Hearts into a dangerous alliance with an arch-betrayer... and the consequences of that decision lead them on another hunt, searching the Realm of Beasts in a quest for vengeance. Eight audio dramas weave a tale of hope, treachery and retribution that crosses Realms, life and death.

Performed by Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Ian Brooker, Beth Chalmers, Steve Conlin,

 Jonathan Keeble, Toby Longworth, Stephen Perring, Saul Reichlin, Luis Soto and Ramon Tikaram 

Produced by Matthew Renshaw

Also released this month, is the audio drama The Either, again with some fabulous cover art. This story has been available in other formats earlier this year, but here it is now in all it's individual glory!

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.

Performed by Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Robin Bowerman, Ian Brooker, Steve Conlin, 

Toby Longworth, Luis Soto & Ramon Tukaram 

Written by Graham McNeill & Produced by Matthew Renshaw

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

The Dragon Lords: Fool's Gold

Released today from Hachette Audio UK:

It's not easy to live in a world ruled by dragons. The taxes are high and their control is complete. But for one group of bold misfits, it's time to band together and steal back some of that wealth.

No one said they were smart.

Unabridged audio book narrated by me with a running time of 15 hours - 46 minutes. 

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