“Zombieslayer”, by Nathan Long (Black Library)

The dead rise, Gotrek & Felix put them back down

Pursued by the dark forces of Necromancer Heinrich Kemmler, Gotrek and Felix arrive at Castle Reikgard, where they must hold out against the zombie hordes.

The brutality of the siege is unremitting as wave after wave of horrific creatures, led by the undead champion Krell, attempt to take the walls. With supplies running low and morale sinking, the defenders begin to hear terrible whispers and endure awful nightmares. Suspicion and paranoia run rampant within the castle walls, and the defence seems impossible.

Somehow Gotrek and Felix must unite the forces of the Empire against Kemmler’s ever-growing legion until help arrives, or will the Slayer find his doom amidst the unrelenting undead…?

Picking up immediately after the events of Shamanslayer, this novel drops the reader right into the thick of it. The battle against the marauding beastman horde is over, but now the dead are starting to rise, and our already-weary heroes must fight once more. ‘Hans the Hermit’ from Shamanslayer is not at all who he seemed – instead of a vagrant old tramp, he is actually Heinrich Kemmler, one of the most powerful and feared necromancers in the world.

Felix, Gotrek and their companions are caught up in the retreat from the battlefield – after mistakenly being accused of killing a nobleman’s son (actually already dead and resurrected as a zombie) – and are then dragooned into helping with the re-fortification of Castle Reikgard as it comes under siege by a ten-thousand-strong army of the undead. While sabotage hurts the garrison’s ability to defend and turn back the tide of undead, the dwarfs set to work rebuilding the walls and other features, Felix twists himself in knots trying to figure out who Kemmler’s mole is inside the castle at the same time as navigating the internal politics and rivalries of the human armies.

Nathan Long has done an admirable job of conveying the tense atmosphere inside the castle; the proud but scared defenders beset by an implacable, relentless enemy, succumbing to paranoia and starvation as their situation worsens and their enemy matches them move for move. As the saboteur does more damage, suspicions spread throughout the human ranks, threatening to tear the garrison apart in a fit of paranoid irrationality. Felix and Kat find themselves disgusted and frustrated with their fellow men, but eager to help diffuse any situation that could lead to worse conditions within the castle walls.

With each novel, the author improves and appears more comfortable with his characters. With great writing, the series continues to entertain, and Zombieslayer – like Shamanslayer before – has the same adventurous feel of Will King’s first handful of Gotrek & Felix novels. Not only that, the novels are longer, which means there’s more fun and action. The series is an excellent example of adventure-filled, character-driven fantasy.

I’m never sure to what extent my familiarity with the characters and setting make this a better and quicker read. While it’s obvious that familiarity with the setting will ease understanding and acceptance of the premise, it still shouldn’t prevent me from making a decent judgement on the novel. After all, not all of the Gotrek & Felix novels have been brilliant, and a couple have been quite slow and disappointing. I wouldn’t suggest diving into the series at this point, because I think a new reader might feel somewhat adrift – particularly regarding the subplot involving Snorri Nosebiter’s memory loss and what this means for Felix’s oath to Gotrek (which forms the foundation of the whole series). Considering the superb price of the omnibus editions, however, for only a couple more pounds a new reader can get their hands on the first three novels, so it’s not as if catching up is an insurmountable goal.

Zombieslayer is an entertaining novel. The gentle humour is not quite as prominent as in previous volumes (certainly not as frequent as King’s original novels), but the atmospheric setting is well-crafted and -conveyed, and the characters well-rounded and realistically rendered. The siege is never boring, and Long manages to keep events interesting and fresh throughout. If you’re a fan of the series, then I highly recommend you keep reading the adventures of Gotrek & Felix, and if you’re a newcomer, then you should really go out and buy the first omnibus.

I’m incredibly fond of the Gotrek & Felix novels and its off-shoots, as I’m sure is plain from this and previous reviews on the site. It has everything one could ask from both a Black Library/Warhammer novel, and also from the fantasy genre as a whole. It benefits from a long-established setting, and anyone familiar with it should sink straight into the novel.

A pleasure to read, from an ever-improving author, Zombieslayer is a worthy addition to one of Black Library’s flagship Warhammer series.

“Shamanslayer”, by Nathan Long (Black Library)

The ever-entertaining adventures of Gotrek and Felix continue into the 11th novel!

When Gotrek and Felix travel north to seek the remaining members of the Order of the Fiery Heart, they find themselves with new companions and allegiances.

Of course they have heard the rumours of beastmen lurking in the Drakwald, but there is far more to the story than they could have imagined.

The malignant forces of Chaos are at work, and Gotrek and Felix find themselves battling not only for their honour, but for the very future of the Empire itself.

Picking up almost immediately after the end of Elfslayer, we find Felix at the doors of his father’s home in Altdorf, seeking closure and answers to what he discovered in his previous adventure. Events, as always, have a tendency to get in the way of the best-laid plans, and he is confronted by a Knight of the Order of the Fiery Heart, who lays claim to the sword he has carried since the earliest short-stories to feature our indomitable heroes. Thanks to the intervention of an enthusiastic squire, however, Felix is granted custody of the sword in return for helping Teobalt, the last remaining, elderly knight of the Order. The other members of his Order rode north to battle the invading forces of Chaos, but no word has been heard of or from them for some time, so Teobalt is insistent that Felix and Gotrek must retrieve the Order’s sacred relics. After a brief, violent stay in a northern town under the thumb of a corrupt former soldier, our heroes head off in pursuit of the band of beastman the Order supposedly was hunting before they disappeared.

Some of the new characters we’re introduced to are welcome additions to the series. Specifically, knightly novitiate Ortwin’s admiration of Felix and Gotrek, based on his reading of My Travels With Gotrek (the great work Felix is turning Gotrek’s tale into), makes Felix uncomfortable, and unable to dissuade Ortwin of the folly of thinking adventuring to be grand and romantic; Felix takes on a sense of responsibility for the squire, which offers up some amusing moments as our heroes’ world-weary cynicism comes face-to-face with Ortwin’s youthful enthusiasms and worldly innocence.

A couple of previously-featured characters return, too. Snorri Nosebiter, the fiercely-loyal yet slightly simple and addled slayer who has accompanied Gotrek and Felix in many past adventures – now suffering the ravages of age on a mind and body that has been put through some of the most brutal punishment imaginable. Snorri’s predicament occupies Gotrek’s mind a fair bit, as he sees his friend struggle and silently suffer; it’s a touching aspect added to Gotrek’s usually stony character. Kat – last seen as a 7 year old orphan in Trollslayer – has grown up to be an adventurer and smiter of Chaos beasts herself, and is another youth in awe of Felix and Gotrek’s achievements. In Shamanslayer, she also plays the role of love-interest, which makes Felix somewhat conflicted; and, as often is the case, saves Felix’s life a couple times.

One thing that is almost immediately apparent with this eleventh novel in the series, is that Nathan Long seems to have located the classic fun and feel that characterised earlier volumes. Shamanslayer was, for me, more reminiscent of William King’s first handful of novels (particularly Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer and Dragonslayer) than some of the other recent novels: the mixture of swashbuckling-yet-realistic adventure, a good sense of humour, and a well-paced plot all mesh perfectly to create an exciting, engaging and enjoyable read.

Another considerable improvement is the author’s description of the atmosphere and environments experienced on the quest – they are far more evocative than in Elfslayer (a good, if slightly uneven instalment of the series), and I found it easy to imagine almost every scene in great detail. The close, dark menace of the beast-populated Drakwald Forest is brought brilliantly to life on the page, and it’s easy to appreciate the disorienting nature of it as Felix and friends at times run blindly through it at night, pursued by enemies.

The action scenes are well-written and fast-paced, therefore not ruining the quick pace of the plot (it’s a frequent problem when they are over-written); the antagonists (be they human or beast) are satisfyingly portrayed, just evil or bad enough to make us dislike them while avoiding cartoon-like villainy; and our heroes remain grounded and realistic. The particularly ‘special’ aspect of the beastman herd in the novel is a pretty horrific ability (not to mention an inventive one), and one that would truly have dire consequences for the Empire if allowed to travel further into its territory.

Overall, then, this is exemplary and gripping fantasy writing. Irrespective of whether or not you are a fan of the world, or familiar with the setting, Shamanslayer is a great fantasy adventure.

Entertaining, yet also detailed and thoughtful, this is a very highly recommended novel and an excellent addition to the series.

Series Chronology: Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer, Dragonslayer, Beastslayer, Vampireslayer, Giantslayer, Orcslayer, Manslayer, Elfslayer, Shamanslayer, Zombieslayer (released)

[If you would like to purchase any books in the Gotrek & Felix series, or the new spin-off series featuring some favourite characters, visit Black Library’s web-store, here.]

“Elfslayer”, by Nathan Long (Black Library)

The latest adventure from the Black Library’s oldest duo

Trollslayer Gotrek Gurnisson and his human companion Felix Jaegar reluctantly travel to the port city of Marienburg to fulfil a last request from Felix's dying father, hoping to save the reputation of the Jaegar family name. However, a chance meeting with their old acquaintance Max Schreiber (who was a recurring character earlier in the series, and a rival for another recurring character, Ulrika’s attentions) knocks them well off course, after an initial, disastrous attempt to fulfil their supposedly simple task.

Max, the Imperial wizard has been sent by his college to investigate some disturbing magical phenomena off the northern coast of the Empire. Bringing along with him an impressionable seeress, who immediately becomes infatuated with Felix (who doesn’t want her attentions, and keeps finding himself in situations resulting in a reprimand from Max).

Pretty soon, the heroic duo and their companions find themselves caught up in a deadly situation, with seemingly no escape. As enemies old and new keep cropping up, Felix and Gotrek face their latest, perhaps greatest adventure.

When the novel opens, Gotrek has descended further into an alcoholic slump, and Felix is spinning his heels, waiting for something to happen. It’s amazing how quickly one gets back into the swing of the series, familiarising ourselves again with the characters almost instantly. It’s a bit of a slow start, and it takes a long while for the elves to actually show up, but the novel takes some interesting twists and turns, and Nathan Long’s writing is solid throughout. There’s a little more delving into Gotrek and Felix themselves and how they’ve managed to survive so long, with barely any evidence of time affecting them. The jokes and quips are still amusing, adding a lightness to the novel that makes it all the more enjoyable.

It took me a long time to work my way through the novel, because of a number of unavoidable distractions, so it’s possible that I could have enjoyed it a great deal more had I had the freedom to just sit down and read it.

If you are a fan of the series, or Warhammer as a whole, then you should certainly enjoy this novel. The next in the series, Shamanslayer is already out, too, so you won’t need to wait at all for your next fix.

A solid addition to the series.