“Gotrek & Felix Anthology” & Others (Black Library)

A bumper crop of Gotrek & Felix short stories

In many ways, my interest in fantasy began with Gotrek and Felix – the short snippets you used to find in the Warhammer Armies books and White Dwarf magazine were great fun. Then I discovered the oft-mentioned-on-this-blog early Warhammer anthologies: Ignorant Armies (1989), Wolf Riders (1989) and Red Thirst (1990). Ever since then, I have tried to read everything Gotrek & Felix related. I’ve not done badly, reading all of the main series’ novels, but with the release of the Gotrek & Felix Anthology, I realised that there were actually quite a few other short stories I’d missed – I haven’t really been keeping up-to-date with the Warhammer anthologies. Thanks to Black Library’s extremely-well-managed move into eBooks, I was able to read them all, and bring you this bumper-review. While it did end up feeling just a tad overwhelming to get through all fifteen of these short stories in basically one go, it was nevertheless great fun to spend more time with these characters.

If you’re not familiar with Gotrek & Felix, or Warhammer in general, then this is a series you must read. It’s a great introduction to the setting, and is written with style and humour, and not a little bit of carnage.

Reviewed Herein: Gotrek & Felix Anthology (Various), Red Snow (Nathan Long), Charnel Congress (Josh Reynolds), The Oberwald Ripper (Laurie Goulding), Slayer of the Storm God (Nathan Long)

Catching Up With the Book Haul

It’s been a loooong time since I did one of these, but because the past few weeks have been amazing for books, I thought I’d use this opportunity for a quick round-up of what you can expect to appear on the blog in the next few weeks and months – some of these have arrived quite early, so I’ll hold back on them until closer to their publication dates.

This is not exhaustive (some very exciting books came in the mail after I took the photo below), so there is actually going to be even more awesome stuff up here as well. This post also doesn’t talk about the comics and graphic novels that will feature on the blog, but I’ll do a separate post for those.

“Age of Legends” edited by Christian Dunn (Black Library)

A collection of dark fantasy fiction

The dark origins of the Warhammer World are soaked in blood. Epic wars between kindred races reshaped continents, vast civilisations rose and fell, the dead walked the earth in legions. This is an age of mighty heroes whose like will never be seen again, such as the mangod Sigmar and Caledor, the Phoenix King of the elves. It is also an era of dread villains like the Witch-King Malekith and Nagash, the Lord of the undead. In these troubled times, dragons still flock the skies and magic exists that can doom or save the world.

It used to be that all Warhammer fiction came in the form of short stories, so it’s nice that Black Library are maintaining output of shorter slices of Warhammer (and WH40k) action and adventure. In Age of Legends, we have ten stories from a number of established masters of the world, as well as some new blood. Overall, this is another great anthology of dark, engaging fantasy fiction, with some particularly enjoyable contributions from newer authors.

“The Red Duke” by CL Werner (Black Library)

A resurrected vampire seeks revenge against enemies long-since dead

Once a valorous and honourable knight of the realm, the Red Duke was betrayed and struck down in battle but rose again before death could truly claim him. As a bloodthirsty vampire lord he undertook a long campaign of butchery and terror before being defeated once more, and entombed for all time so that he could never again menace the Old World. But centuries later the witch Jacquetta resurrects this ancient evil, and the Red Duke stalks the night again – a new reign of terror plagues the lands of Bretonnia!

CL Werner is Black Library’s best horror writer. He has a gift for writing the macabre that is near peerless, and in The Red Duke, he offers us a dark tale of revenge, obsession, madness and blood. This is sure to please lovers of Warhammer fiction as well as dark, horror-infused fantasy.

November’s Most Anticipated

Haven’t done this sort of post in a while, but I thought I would as I am surprisingly on the ball for November’s releases (which makes a nice change, given my low rate of reviews recently). Five have stood out particularly for me this coming month (all but one of which I already have). They’re not the only releases for November that are interesting, though, so here’s a simple list and some thoughts for the coming month.

“Hour of Shadows” by CL Werner (Black Library)

The Storm of Magic comes to Athel Loren

For thousands of years, the Golden Pool has been a source of malignant energy within the forest of Athel Loren. The wood elf spellweaver Ywain, secretly entrusted with the stewardship of this magical fulcrum, prophesises the coming of a terrible enemy to the ancient realm – even now, the undead hordes of the Black Seer Huskk Gnawbone approach. As the elves marshal their forces against him, the power of the pool grows and an eternal evil rises to corrupt even the very forest itself.

It is always a pleasure to read Werner’s work. He manages to evoke the dark and gothic nature of the Warhammer world brilliantly (perhaps peerlessly). In this novella, he brings the twisted, horrific Skaven to life on the page, their machinations and cowardice perfectly rendered in such a short space.

“Thanquol’s Doom” by CL Werner (Black Library)

Reviewed by Brennon Shaw

The latest Thanquol & Boneripper adventure

Upon his return to the Old World, the ambitious Grey Seer Thanquol is coerced into leading an army against the dwarfs of Karak Angkul. Renowned for its engineer clans, this city will not fall easily, but the true object of Thanquol’s fascination is a secret artefact of incredible power which he believes will assure his ascension to the Council of Thirteen. His efforts are thrown into disarray when the infamous Skaven Ikit Claw usurps control of the army for his own nefarious schemes, and so Thanquol must act quickly before the warlock can unleash his ultimate weapon – the Doomsphere.

Continuing the tale of the conniving and downright lucky Grey Seer Thanquol and his hapless minion Boneripper, C.L. Werner has woven a tale of backstabbing, dwarfen resilience, and rampant in-fighting in the sprawling Under Empire of the Skaven. The novel starts off with Thanquol scratching a living out in the dankest corner of the world. He works his way back into favour, trying to save his own tail while manipulating those around him to suit his needs. There are plenty of twists and turns throughout, which keep readers on their toes until the novel’s final, epic conclusion in the halls of Karak Angkul.

Black Library “Storm of Magic” (e)Novellas

With the release of the new game expansion, Storm of Magic, Black Library has commissioned three novellas based on magic in the Warhammer world written by three of their best fantasy authors. Below are the details of the three stories, all three of which I will review as they become available – the first, by Darius Hinks, will probably be reviewed next week.

“Wulfrik”, by C.L. Werner (Black Library)

The second Warhammer Heroes volume turns to Chaos…

Emerging from the mists, Wulfrik the Wanderer brings destruction and death everywhere he treads. Cursed by the Ruinous Powers, the champion must travel across the Old World and seek prizes to appease the forces of Chaos.

But now dark forces plot against Wulfrik, and he must discover the enemy within or else his soul will be lost to the Dark Gods forever.

In the second Warhammer Heroes novel, a champion of Chaos takes centre stage. This time, it is Wulfrik, a Norscan champion, who has attracted the attention of the capricious Chaos Gods. After loudly boasting that he was the superior of any foe, from the realm of the living or otherwise, the gods visited Wulfrik in a vision.

“The gods were displeased with his proud words. However, it amused them to allow Wulfrik the opportunity to prove his arrogant boast.”

Because of the curse, Wulfrik

“would wander the world, seeking battle to prove himself the equal of any warrior, mortal or spirit, living or undead. He would make offerings to the gods he had offended, offerings the gods themselves would choose.”

The gods, interested in any way they can toy with mortals’ fate, fully expect Wulfrik to fail, to be bested by their next chosen sacrifice. In order to facilitate his challenges, they have given him the Gift of Tongues – an ability to instantly know and speak any language he may need. Ultimately,

“The gods enjoy punishing hubris.”

But Wulfrik means to confound the gods’ expectations…

Wulfrik’s curse makes for a brilliant premise, as it has almost limitless potential. Each future novel (if there are any) could be set anywhere in the Warhammer world, as Wulfrik hunts any number of champions from the broad range of races that populate this world. With Werner’s writing, the novel is dark and brutal, while also retaining depth (this is not a mindless hack-a-thon) and being populated by interesting and complex characters. In this novel, Wulfrik’s curse takes him from the snowy northern peaks battling fearsome yhetees, to the land of men, elves and Chaos-corrupted dwarves.

Werner’s grim writing style is once again on top form – his novels about the Bounty Hunter Brunner were grittier and bloodier fare than Black Library released at that time; recent novels have become more ‘adult’ (not in that way!), unafraid of war-related taboos or enjoying a spot of gratuitous violence. That being said, the best authors are still those who can temper this obsession with violence, focussing more on character and plot. Werner is an author who finds a middle ground – he is able to write realistic battle-scenes that are grim and brutal, but without dispensing with character development. As the novel progresses, we get a more rounded, nuanced picture of the reavers who accompany Wulfrik on his quests – with a small number of whom Wulfrik forms a bond of brotherhood, while retaining a callous disregard for newcomers.

The context is brutal, but Werner is still telling a story about nuanced characters, not just mindless killing-machines (as the Empire’s propaganda machine might have us believe). They exist in a brutal realm – in between the land of the humans and other fair races, and the twisted Chaos Wastes. Their lives are martial and difficult, strength and toughness valued over other virtues. The Norscans’ home environment is harsh, the demands of their gods are frequently fatal and so any novel in this setting that didn’t have a darker, harsher feel to it wouldn’t be true to its subjects.

Matching the practices of the real-world inspiration for the Norscans, the novel is written in a rather saga-like fashion – or, at least, that’s the feel the novel has for me. Dialogue is spare and kept to a minimum, with more focus on narrative, atmosphere, action and what’s going on inside Wulfrik’s (still taciturn) mind. Werner’s very good at describing the locations he sends Wulfrik to. Be it the biting cold of snowy peaks, or the hot and oppressive land of the ‘fire dwarves’ (Chaos Dwarves of the game), we get a great sense of the settings and their atmospheres throughout the novel.

The saga-like style was certainly interesting, though it did make the novel slower to sink into. When the story got going, however, I found myself caught up in the Wulfrik’s saga. [Which, if we wanted to be authentic, would be known as “Wulfriksenna” in the Old Norse. Never thought that university elective would come in handy…] Like the best Black Library and Warhammer novels, this had me reading well into the wee hours of the morning.

There’s more going on in this novel than just Wulfrik’s missions – in fact, his gods-delivered missions form a smaller part of the novel than one might expect. Our champion is presented with a tantalising offer by a wandering sorcerer, one that could have great consequences for his life and afterlife. This offer sends him off on a personal quest, which forms the majority of the novel. While dealing with his curse, Wulfrik must also navigate the local politics of his people, and the imperfect and time-bending nature of his travel arrangements. King Viglundr, the lord of Ormskaro, uses Wulfrik’s long absences to plot against him and manoeuvre around the promises that have been made to him for his service, leading to a tragic betrayal.

The battle scenes in Wulfrik are detailed and well paced, but not gratuitous or over-long – Werner gives us a good sense of the speed and confusion of the violence, not to mention the furious prowess of the Norscan reavers – particularly Wulfrik, although it’s important to point out that he is no mindless, Chaos-worshipping berzerker, either. The champion must always weigh the possibility that the gods would grow tired of his curse and let him die an ignoble death, he also has something to live for and that gives him a human fear of dying too soon. This vulnerability opens him up to temptation and exploitation by others with devious and evil agendas.

One could say that, just as the Horus Heresy novels have humanised the Chaos/‘evil’ side of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Wulfrik offers a more humanised impression of the Chaos-effected Norscans (or an ‘evil’ race) of the Warhammer world.

I preferred this to Sword of Justice, although that was also a very good novel. Wulfrik is, however, quite different, and it appeals more to my taste in BL (and fantasy in general) fare: it’s a little darker, grittier and the characters are a little more interesting in their impurity and questionable morals. If you like your fantasy with a classic, darker hue, then Wulfrik should definitely appeal.

Adventure, glory, honour and betrayal are at the centre of the novel, and in classic saga-fashion, the love of a woman forms the root of the characters’ oh-so human failings. Wulfrik is a great addition to the series, written by a gifted author. Highly recommended for anyone who likes their fantasy a bit darker. This was a very enjoyable read.

Warhammer Heroes: Sword of Justice, Wulfrik, Sword of Vengeance (February 2011), Sigvald (July 2011)

For Fans of: Joe Abercrombie, Ari Marmell, Nathan Long, MD Lachlan, Alan Campbell

“Fear the Alien”, edited by Christian Dunn (Black Library)

Here come the aliens! A selection of stories dealing with the future alien menace faced by Man in the Grim Far Future

The Imperium of Man has many enemies among the stars, but none are reviled so much as the alien. Dangerous races seek to destroy humanity wherever they turn –the brutish Orks, the ravening hordes of the Tyranid, the unrelenting Necrons and the mysterious forces of the tau and the Eldar. Across the universe, humanity and their defenders, the Space Marines, seek to eradicate these xenos threats. Yet all they can hope for is another day of survival – for to stand against the alien is to enter an unending war...

Featuring stories by Dan Abnett, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Nick Kyme, Juliet McKenna, C.L. Werner and many more, Fear the Alien is an unmissable collection for fans of Warhammer 40,000 and military science fiction.

Nothing characterises the Warhammer 40,000 universe more than the struggle between the Imperium of man and the hordes of aliens massing at and within its borders. In this anthology, we have ten short stories that focus on the theme of “alien” – whether in the guise of the truly alien xenos species that are a constant threat to mankind, or a general “otherness”, these stories all have something original to add to the existing literature set in the 40k universe.

All the stories are quite varied and different, so I’ve dealt with them individually. So, without further ado…

 

Dan Abnett, “Gardens of Tycho”

This was a fun short story, like a quick murder-mystery, with the feel of Bones if it was set in 40k universe. Drusher is a poor, put-upon academic, called in to help solve a string of brutal and messy deaths.

There’s a rather gentle pace to the story, and not exactly what you’d expect from an opening story to such an anthology, so maybe it should have been located later in the book? Still, it’s very well written and enjoyable, with well-constructed characters. I’d be interested in reading more stories (short or otherwise) about this character, though I’m not sure how it would be spun out to novel-length. A slow-paced opener, it’s definitely worth a read.

Juliet E. McKenna, “Fear Itself”

Tyranids, the most alien enemies to be feared… Catmos, an Imperial Guard medicae, finds himself on the frontlines, as endless swarms of alien killers hurl themselves at the Imperial positions. Catmos is left to deal with the leftovers, which when the Tyranids are involved, is sadly plentiful.

McKenna’s description of the tyranid beasties evokes a particularly frightening picture, and we get a good sense of the fear and despair the Guardsmen must feel from the seemingly unending tide of alien, living killing machines. It’s a little predictable, but then when dealing with these aliens, that’s sort of a given…

A good story, from an author I’ve never read before.

Nick Kyme, “Prometheus Requiem”

This story is a tie-in Kyme’s his Salamander series (which I sadly have yet to read). I rather enjoyed “Prometheus Requiem” – it’s one of the better novelizations of what I imagine a game of Space Hulk would feel like if narrated. Kyme’s got a good eye for atmospherics and putting them into punchy prose, and creates a real sense of menace and tension for the Marines on the hulk that I thought worked rather well.

The team of Space Marines is taken from a number of squads, it seems, and they don’t all get on very well. Makes for a tense working relationship, as well as some unhelpful baiting and contest between the battle brothers. It doesn’t help that many of them seem to be carrying some pretty heavy emotional baggage. I’d certainly be interested in trying his longer fiction, featuring the same Legion, if only to figure out a little bit more of what was mentioned in this story – there seemed to be a lot more going on than I caught (mainly in those moments when the ship’s warp-taint effects the Marines), based on what happened in the Salamander novels.

A solid story, and well written. It ties in with Dembski-Bowden’s contribution to the anthology, too. (See below.)

Braden Campbell, “Mistress Baeda’s Gift”

This is a tale about a delightfully demented Dark Eldar lord (or “Archon”), trying to come to grips with and understand his love for a newly arrived lady. It’s an interesting short story, one that presents a totally different approach to love and relationships (the Dark Eldar understanding of ‘love’ is based around possession and domination), in the perspective of a race that welcomes pain and agony, prioritising dominance and ownership above all else. It’s pretty well written, too. The courting rituals of the Dark Eldar are not for the faint of heart, the social mores very different from our own high-society traditions. Malwrack’s obsession leads him down a dangerous path, as he keeps trying to win her attentions.

It’s Jane Austen, if she wrote on crack and was into domination... Given his good writing style and the demented characters he can write, I’d certainly be interested in reading more from Campbell, whatever length.

C.L. Werner, “Iron Inferno”

After a brief intro written from the perspective of an Imperial Guardsman officer planning his defences, this story switches to the ork point of view. Thankfully (some might say mercifully), the dialogue is not scripted; this could have become tedious and irritating very quickly. Instead, Werner manages to portray the ork kommandos’ actions, orders, and mindset brilliantly in the third person and internally.

Basically, for orks, it’s all about being and acting tough and, of course, fighting. A lot. For the orks’ smaller cousins, the gretchin, it’s about survival and not taking more beatings than absolutely necessary.

It’s a good, very short story, about the folly of man’s propensity for projecting one’s own beliefs, temperament and psyche onto something utterly alien. (Interestingly, it alludes to, in a very minor fashion, an enduring dilemma in the study of international relations.) The story manages to raise a few smiles without detracting from the moment (including, for example, a very brief explanations of why they were all wearing red boots – as everyone knows, red ones are faster). Simple touches like this will appeal to those familiar with Warhammer 40,000 orks, but also won’t lose newcomers to the universe and setting.

Mark Clapham, “Sanctified”

An enginseer, in his mechanical, calm and logical manner, comes into contact with xenos for the very first time. On his own, Kaspel has to expel an invading band of Dark Eldar, lest they cause any more damage to or violations of the Imperial cruiser and its technology that he has been tasked to repair.

It’s a strange perspective – the clinical enginseer, peeved more at the alien technology than the actual fact that they’re trying to steal the ship, or here in the first place. While the Dark Eldar are, of course, sado-masochistic aliens, Kaspel’s perspective offers another ‘otherness’, as his approach is almost too calculating and clinical.

An interesting story, from an author I had not read before.

Matthew Farrer, “Faces”

I must sadly admit to being rather confused by this one. I wouldn’t even feel confident saying exactly what it was about. After finishing it, things become a little easier to understand, but Farrer’s approach to the enigmatic Eldar Harlequins matches the subjects themselves: ethereal and somewhat incomprehensible.

One of the Harlequins, it seems, possibly a psychic one, is struggling as its dreams begin to bleed into reality. I think if I could remember more of the background info on the Harlequins, this would be easier understood – I remember reading something about the dances and rituals these warriors perform to decide who plays which role in their troubadour-approach to war. It’s a little weird, anyway.

It’s a long story, one of the longer in the anthology, and perhaps this wasn’t the wisest move. It’s certainly well written, and Farrer’s adept at working Jann’s confusion into the narrative atmosphere. The style is very different from the Farrer’s better-known Shira Calpurnia novels which I’m more familiar with, so at least it showcases what the author can do.

Alien? Sure. Comprehensible? Um...

James Gilmer, “Unity”

Gesar, a Raven Guard Astartes (“a study in patience and potential violence”), is saddled with an Imperial Guardsman sniper, Tam. They have become separated from their respective forces, and are trying to find their way back. At the same time, they are up against the Japanese-/Oriental-styled, quasi-communist Tau and their allied corps of animalistic Kroot mercenaries and human traitors.

It made a nice change to have the Raven Guard as the featured Space Marines – it’s not a legion I’ve read much about (I would still like to know more about the original twenty legions, their primarchs and traits). There are two levels of alien in this story: first, and most obviously, Tam experiences the considerable ‘otherness’ of the Tau forces (and he really does experience it at the end); secondly, there is also his Raven Guard companion, so different physically and in temperament, that it would be almost impossible not to consider him ‘alien’.

The story is well-crafted and builds to a fine ending. Gilmer’s writing is great, reminiscent of thriller writers as much as sci-fi authors. Would be interesting to see what he could do with something novel-length.

Aaron Dembski-Bowden, “The Core”

I’ve really missed out by not yet reading Soul Hunter… In this story, a group of Night Lords Chaos Space Marines investigate a massive Space Hulk – it is the same as that featured in Kyme’s story (above). They are on a salvage mission, when they come face-to-face with the slumbering horde of Genestealers and the loyalist Salamander Space Marines.

The characters are quite varied – some disciplined and focused, others wild and addicted to the hunt. The Raptor squad in particular (Bleeding Eyes) were interesting, less human than the others, having become more animalistic as the decades have gone by. Even though they are battling genestealers (along with tyranids, the most alien creatures in WH40k universe), the Chaos Marines are themselves pretty alien.

Bowden’s writing is great, and the characters are certainly interesting and well-crafted. In just a short space, he is able to make us care for these characters, and despite their ‘traitor’ nature and Chaos affiliation, they are far from two-dimensional ‘baddies’. Talos is a particularly interesting character, breaking with the standard impression of what a Chaos leader might be like.

I really liked this story, especially because it tied into another in the volume. I would say this was probably my favourite in the book, alongside Abnett’s (though they’re quite different from each other). “The Core” just works on every level. Excellent story.

Andy Hoare, “Ambition Knows No Bounds”

An ambitious scion of an Imperial Rogue Trader clan stumbles across a Necron tomb, and decides to rob it.

The story has some classic tomb raiding elements to it, complete with hubristic protagonists, and an unerring (almost single-minded), all-too-human avarice (particularly at the end). The story’s pretty good, and quite atmospheric. There’s not much characterisation, but the members of Brielle's team are realistic and dedicated, and Hoare is certainly able to convey the tension and underlying, menacing atmosphere of the tomb.

Perhaps not the best close to the anthology, after the previous story, but it’s certainly a good addition and well worth reading.

*     *     *

All in all, this was an interesting anthology, with a couple of great stories. For me, it served as an introduction to some new authors writing for Black Library; as well as an intro to some more established authors I had yet to try out (Dembski-Bowden being the most notable and unforgivable oversight on my part). And, as always, it’s nice to read more work by Dan Abnett, C.L. Werner, and Matthew Farrer.

While not the best anthology they’ve ever published, this is still yet another solid release from the Black Library. These ten tales are great fillers for the time between novels, and also great vignettes set in the grim, war-dominated future. For those new to the setting, Fear the Alien is a great introduction to the species that populate the universe and how they effect the continued existence of mankind.

Good fun and varied, this is a recommended sci-fi anthology full of action and interesting characters.