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Kingdom
Fiefdom
Limited edition hardback edition. New York Times best selling author Dan Abnett is to write an original novel set in the world of his hit 2000 AD comics series Kingdom. Co-written with Nik Vincent, Fiefdom is set one hundred years after the events of Kingdom, in which a genetically-engineered dog-soldiers fought giant marauding insects in a post-apocalyptic future. Kingdom took us to the isolated wastelands of the southern hemisphere, where Gene the Hackman and his fellow Aux listen to the voices of The Masters as humanity hibernates, awaiting the destruction of the alien Them. In Fiefdom the action moves into the northern hemisphere, where Them are now a folk memory and the Aux war with one another in the ruins of what was once Berlin. Inspired by the legends of Gene, young Evelyn War begins to question the Aux's situation as she hears the first rumours about the return of Them...
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2014
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173 people want to read
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August 13, 2014
(I got an ARC through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
My review comes a little late, I should've read this novel in June or July, and posted back then. Ah, well...
Mixed opinions on this one. It's set in the world of the comics Kingdom, but decades after their events. I never read the comics, so I probably missed a few interesting things, or didn't "get" everything right; I honestly can't tell. On the other hand, since I approached the novel with an unknowing eye, at least I can tell what would work for new readers, and what wouldn't. Or so I hope.
The setting is definitely a post-apocalyptic one. At some point, "Them" (giant insects of sorts—possibly alien?) came to Earth; to hunt them down, the humans engineered dog-human hybrids, the Aux, powerful fighters meant to obey the voice of their "Masters". One of them in particular, Gene the Hackman, became quite the legend, to the point that every tale told by the Aux today, gathered in packs in the old Berlin underground stations and tunnels, start with a recap of what he did. The weather changed (or was changed), leading to a "Time of Ice" that made Earth too cold for the insects, and drove survivors underground. I think this is the gist of the background story behind this world, and if it indeed is, then the book is clearly understandable from a new reader's point of view.
I wrote "mixed opinions" earlier on, though, because Kingdom also has a deterrent potential, depending on what you're looking for in it. So I'm going to proceed in a "what I liked/disliked" fashion, and let readers decide if this would be their cup of tea or not.
What I liked:
* The Aux live according to a pack mentality loosely based on dogs'. Not wolves, for a change, but dogs. Their mythology, their beliefs, have evolved along such lines. They display attitudes and personalities of fierce warriors, with both male and female being sent to "scrap" (kill the insects), but deep inside, there's still talk of "Masters", of "keeping Them off the lawn" (in a way, that was almost cute). It's indeed as if they were dogs given a human voice to speak of what their owner expected of them, and they don't take kindly to those who go "feral", start forgetting their duties.
* The names: every Aux has a name reminiscent of a famous writer/poet, sometimes being exactly the same, sometimes not, but always with a hint of what they stand for: Ezra Pound, Evelyn War, Makewar Thackeray, and so on. This brought a smile to my face more than once, although I'd have liked to know why they had such names.
* The Berlin setting. I like underground stations in general, but I don't know Berlin, so I was both in familiar territory and in one a little different from the usual Anglo-Saxon cities I read about in novels. The third person narrators are Aux, and they see everything through their own eyes, obviously. I liked that little game of reading a description and piecing things up to determine what was its original function. The station plans, for instance. Or the "voice of the Master" that is actually an old recording of which tunnel each train had to run in.
* The Aux mythology, their tales of Gene the Hackman who walked the earth to kill "Them":
He's a role model for them all, but the tale-teller, Edward Leer, had a way to use his Gene stories to weave new tales, and adapt them to the pack's current predicament.
* The Aux speech patterns. They talk in mangled, broken English that fits well with their origins: simple words (just like the ones you'd use to order dogs around), a lot of playing on words (get wet/get whet—although that one doesn't work with the "hw-" feature in my own accent), yet that also gave every dialogue a strange musical lilt. It enhanced the oral quality of their culture, as well as their existence as warriors bred for one thing only, and now living as if the threat was still here, while slowly losing their ways. (Once-revered Hearers, those who received orders from the Masters, aren now despised, just like those who believe in their words.)
What I disliked:
* I never got a clear idea of what the Aux looked like. At first I imagined them 100% human-looking, only with a pack mentality, but this seemed a little too... clean? to my liking. They have hands and legs (they wear gloves, trousers, can use crowssbows...) so they don't have paws, but are their faces hybrid of dog and human, or not? I could never tell.
* Things got repetitive after a while, with the pack moving around looking for alliances and getting into various fights. The story ran in circles, much like them, which in terms of matching patterns did fit, but wasn't so interesting in terms of plot.
* This included the broken English, a make-it-or-break-it deal in my opinion. It was pleasant to my "mental ears" in the beginning, but in the end, I wished the characters sometimes used different expressions for a change, not always "time to get whet" or "there's strength in numbers".
* I still don't know if it's a standalone stories, or the beginning of a series. The story took its sweet time to get to the ending. Then, once said ending was here, I thought it was too abrupt, and both too open and too closed at the same time: we can easily imagine what will come next, and it seems like there aren't that many possibilities left for the Aux.
* I would've enjoyed more details about the world. The Aux never talk about packs outside Berlin, in other cities. We don't know if the Masters are still here, nor how the Hearers managed to listen to them (was it some different chemistry in their brains?). What is this "Auxtralia" mentioned once? (It sounds like Australia, but that would be way too far considering the Berlin setting.) Why did they have writers' names, was it some tradition initiated by the Masters? I guess someone who's read the comic books will have some of those answers, but I didn't, and I was a little frustrated.
Overall, though I kind of enjoyed this book, I wasn't awed. I liked its atmosphere, but not so much its plot.
My review comes a little late, I should've read this novel in June or July, and posted back then. Ah, well...
Mixed opinions on this one. It's set in the world of the comics Kingdom, but decades after their events. I never read the comics, so I probably missed a few interesting things, or didn't "get" everything right; I honestly can't tell. On the other hand, since I approached the novel with an unknowing eye, at least I can tell what would work for new readers, and what wouldn't. Or so I hope.
The setting is definitely a post-apocalyptic one. At some point, "Them" (giant insects of sorts—possibly alien?) came to Earth; to hunt them down, the humans engineered dog-human hybrids, the Aux, powerful fighters meant to obey the voice of their "Masters". One of them in particular, Gene the Hackman, became quite the legend, to the point that every tale told by the Aux today, gathered in packs in the old Berlin underground stations and tunnels, start with a recap of what he did. The weather changed (or was changed), leading to a "Time of Ice" that made Earth too cold for the insects, and drove survivors underground. I think this is the gist of the background story behind this world, and if it indeed is, then the book is clearly understandable from a new reader's point of view.
I wrote "mixed opinions" earlier on, though, because Kingdom also has a deterrent potential, depending on what you're looking for in it. So I'm going to proceed in a "what I liked/disliked" fashion, and let readers decide if this would be their cup of tea or not.
What I liked:
* The Aux live according to a pack mentality loosely based on dogs'. Not wolves, for a change, but dogs. Their mythology, their beliefs, have evolved along such lines. They display attitudes and personalities of fierce warriors, with both male and female being sent to "scrap" (kill the insects), but deep inside, there's still talk of "Masters", of "keeping Them off the lawn" (in a way, that was almost cute). It's indeed as if they were dogs given a human voice to speak of what their owner expected of them, and they don't take kindly to those who go "feral", start forgetting their duties.
* The names: every Aux has a name reminiscent of a famous writer/poet, sometimes being exactly the same, sometimes not, but always with a hint of what they stand for: Ezra Pound, Evelyn War, Makewar Thackeray, and so on. This brought a smile to my face more than once, although I'd have liked to know why they had such names.
* The Berlin setting. I like underground stations in general, but I don't know Berlin, so I was both in familiar territory and in one a little different from the usual Anglo-Saxon cities I read about in novels. The third person narrators are Aux, and they see everything through their own eyes, obviously. I liked that little game of reading a description and piecing things up to determine what was its original function. The station plans, for instance. Or the "voice of the Master" that is actually an old recording of which tunnel each train had to run in.
* The Aux mythology, their tales of Gene the Hackman who walked the earth to kill "Them":
"Gene the Hackman, top dog, him done the great Walk Around. Not for him the darkness, not for him the cold, not for him the Time of Ice. Gene the Hackman, him got whet. Gene the Hackman, him got whet and walked the Earth and him killed Them."
He's a role model for them all, but the tale-teller, Edward Leer, had a way to use his Gene stories to weave new tales, and adapt them to the pack's current predicament.
* The Aux speech patterns. They talk in mangled, broken English that fits well with their origins: simple words (just like the ones you'd use to order dogs around), a lot of playing on words (get wet/get whet—although that one doesn't work with the "hw-" feature in my own accent), yet that also gave every dialogue a strange musical lilt. It enhanced the oral quality of their culture, as well as their existence as warriors bred for one thing only, and now living as if the threat was still here, while slowly losing their ways. (Once-revered Hearers, those who received orders from the Masters, aren now despised, just like those who believe in their words.)
What I disliked:
* I never got a clear idea of what the Aux looked like. At first I imagined them 100% human-looking, only with a pack mentality, but this seemed a little too... clean? to my liking. They have hands and legs (they wear gloves, trousers, can use crowssbows...) so they don't have paws, but are their faces hybrid of dog and human, or not? I could never tell.
* Things got repetitive after a while, with the pack moving around looking for alliances and getting into various fights. The story ran in circles, much like them, which in terms of matching patterns did fit, but wasn't so interesting in terms of plot.
* This included the broken English, a make-it-or-break-it deal in my opinion. It was pleasant to my "mental ears" in the beginning, but in the end, I wished the characters sometimes used different expressions for a change, not always "time to get whet" or "there's strength in numbers".
* I still don't know if it's a standalone stories, or the beginning of a series. The story took its sweet time to get to the ending. Then, once said ending was here, I thought it was too abrupt, and both too open and too closed at the same time: we can easily imagine what will come next, and it seems like there aren't that many possibilities left for the Aux.
* I would've enjoyed more details about the world. The Aux never talk about packs outside Berlin, in other cities. We don't know if the Masters are still here, nor how the Hearers managed to listen to them (was it some different chemistry in their brains?). What is this "Auxtralia" mentioned once? (It sounds like Australia, but that would be way too far considering the Berlin setting.) Why did they have writers' names, was it some tradition initiated by the Masters? I guess someone who's read the comic books will have some of those answers, but I didn't, and I was a little frustrated.
Overall, though I kind of enjoyed this book, I wasn't awed. I liked its atmosphere, but not so much its plot.
April 28, 2014
Shooting At Myths: Fiefdom by Dan Abnett and Nik Vincent
"Me, I was just shooting at myths."
With these words near the opening of the book the story magically takes shape within your mind and you are hooked. The characters immediately bring you into their brutal kill or be killed world, and make you desire to belong to their singsong speaking pack.
The Aux, a bioengineered fighting force, are humanity's last answer against THEM: a ruthless alien force attacking the Earth. The war was brought to a standstill due to the new Ice Age brought on by the devastation. During this Ice Age the Aux have allowed their enemies to become myths to laugh at.
But a few Aux know the myths are true....
I truly enjoyed this book! The singsong language of the Aux causes you to truly see the world through their eyes and engages you directly into the story. The pacing keeps you breathlessly turning the pages to see what happens next. This is a book I happily recommend and look forward to more by the authors! As the Aux would say:
This tale is a good tale truer and true.
http://redstarreviews.com/2014/04/28/...
"Me, I was just shooting at myths."
With these words near the opening of the book the story magically takes shape within your mind and you are hooked. The characters immediately bring you into their brutal kill or be killed world, and make you desire to belong to their singsong speaking pack.
The Aux, a bioengineered fighting force, are humanity's last answer against THEM: a ruthless alien force attacking the Earth. The war was brought to a standstill due to the new Ice Age brought on by the devastation. During this Ice Age the Aux have allowed their enemies to become myths to laugh at.
But a few Aux know the myths are true....
I truly enjoyed this book! The singsong language of the Aux causes you to truly see the world through their eyes and engages you directly into the story. The pacing keeps you breathlessly turning the pages to see what happens next. This is a book I happily recommend and look forward to more by the authors! As the Aux would say:
This tale is a good tale truer and true.
http://redstarreviews.com/2014/04/28/...
January 28, 2021
More of a 3.7 rating not quite a 4 but not 3.5 either. Like the dystopian world with the Them, insect giants and the hybrids. Got a nice story going on and quite entertaining. Might be greater in a graphic novel from to see what everyone look like but it was good nevertheless
July 14, 2018
Recap: The ice is melting and the Them are coming. Evelyn War must convince her alpha to join forces with another pack in order for the Aux to survive.
Review: I read this quicker than quick. Part of a larger universe but still easy enough to figure out what's happening. I loved the patois and the pack hierarchy, I haven't decided if they're part dog, part human or just devolved humans. You get sucked in to the pack and mourn when characters die and hope for the survival of your favourites. A well written, easy read.
Review: I read this quicker than quick. Part of a larger universe but still easy enough to figure out what's happening. I loved the patois and the pack hierarchy, I haven't decided if they're part dog, part human or just devolved humans. You get sucked in to the pack and mourn when characters die and hope for the survival of your favourites. A well written, easy read.
July 7, 2014
“Gene the Hackman, top dog, him done the great Walk Around. Not for him the darkness, not for him the cold, not for him the Time of Ice that we know today.”
This is a novel set a hundred years after the activity in the comic series Kingdom. Kingdom was originally serialised in 2000AD and has since been reprinted as graphic novels. They follow the exploits of Gene the Hackman, a bio enginered warrior.
Fiefdom is set in a future where Germany has been in the grasp of Winter for a vast number of years.
Evelyn War, Omega Dam in Zoo Pack, speaks out about change that is coming. Her father, Oberon War, had been the last of the Hearers in Zoo Pack. Those that like Gene the Hackman had heard the Masters Voice and felt the Urgings. Oberon War is dead but Evelyn continues the warnings her father had given.
It is a rich cast of genetically modified dogs. Ezra Pound, the Alpha Dog, leader of Zoo Pack is a tough leader with no time for dreamers like Evelyn War. Ben Gun, a Pup, is full of keen intelligence and quick on his feet. Not a single Human in the tale but the variety in characters is undamaged.
There is no need to be well versed in the comic series Kingdom. Indeed this novel can be used as introduction to the source just as much as the other way round. While those such as myself that have read the full comic series are treated to recollections of that story everything a reader needs to know is presented in the novel. The revealing of who Gene was and what he did is a tool that assists in the unveiling of the story itself. So old readers and new have something to gain.
The narrative style is a ‘naive narrator’. We the reader are presented with knowledge at the level of the Aux. So while we recognise objects and occurrences for what they are we are not told directly about everything. Knowledge is slowly eked out, as the Aux learn we learn. This is the same narrative voice used in the comics
The Aux have a distinctive way of talking, again similar to the comic. It is easy to learn and soon will feel familiar to new readers.
This is a novel set a hundred years after the activity in the comic series Kingdom. Kingdom was originally serialised in 2000AD and has since been reprinted as graphic novels. They follow the exploits of Gene the Hackman, a bio enginered warrior.
Fiefdom is set in a future where Germany has been in the grasp of Winter for a vast number of years.
Evelyn War, Omega Dam in Zoo Pack, speaks out about change that is coming. Her father, Oberon War, had been the last of the Hearers in Zoo Pack. Those that like Gene the Hackman had heard the Masters Voice and felt the Urgings. Oberon War is dead but Evelyn continues the warnings her father had given.
It is a rich cast of genetically modified dogs. Ezra Pound, the Alpha Dog, leader of Zoo Pack is a tough leader with no time for dreamers like Evelyn War. Ben Gun, a Pup, is full of keen intelligence and quick on his feet. Not a single Human in the tale but the variety in characters is undamaged.
There is no need to be well versed in the comic series Kingdom. Indeed this novel can be used as introduction to the source just as much as the other way round. While those such as myself that have read the full comic series are treated to recollections of that story everything a reader needs to know is presented in the novel. The revealing of who Gene was and what he did is a tool that assists in the unveiling of the story itself. So old readers and new have something to gain.
The narrative style is a ‘naive narrator’. We the reader are presented with knowledge at the level of the Aux. So while we recognise objects and occurrences for what they are we are not told directly about everything. Knowledge is slowly eked out, as the Aux learn we learn. This is the same narrative voice used in the comics
The Aux have a distinctive way of talking, again similar to the comic. It is easy to learn and soon will feel familiar to new readers.
February 26, 2023
I tried, man. I really, truly tried. This book broke me like I didn’t know I could be broken. I’ve never felt such contempt for the written word in my life. For half the money I spent on the paperback, I could’ve paid a teenager loitering outside my local McDonalds to crack me over the head with a brick, and wound up with approximately the same effect.
Before I go any further, a couple of things.
One: no, I didn’t read Kingdom, but yes, I am familiar with Abnett’s other graphic novel work. In graphic novels, Abnett’s an icon, no doubt about that. That’s half the reason I decided to give this a whirl. I figured Abnett’s storytelling abilities might carry through. I was wrong. Regardless, I understand that if you’re a fan of the Kingdom series, this book might do something for you; if you’re that person, and you enjoyed this, good. I’m glad somebody did, but a book is not made on nostalgic allusions to another media form alone.
Two: I’m the first to admit dogs-of-war style, hack’n’slash sci-fi isn’t my bag. I’m putting preferences aside and evaluating this book purely on my (admittedly personal) technical interpretation of Abnett’s craft.
And my takeaway can be summed up in: what the f***, Abnett?
If ever you doubted that different mediums require different writing abilities, look no further than this book for proof. Abnett brought none of his usual gritty charm or vision to this book. The visuals were, at best, absent; at other times, lazy. He singlehandedly gutted every ounce of suspense through cluttered spacing and rushed, irregular prose. The beat-for-beat plot—which usually, I don’t mind in sci-fi/fantasy, as it can help keep a strange world ordered—is scraped so thin by the lack of stylistic supplementation that calling it a plot is beyond charitable and entering philanthropic territory.
I’m going to avoid critiquing the bare-bones of the world-building, because I imagine they’re quite integral to the graphic novels, and without reading those, I don’t want to say that they’re bad. They are also, however, a great disservice to this book, which is far too reliant on an assumption of the reader’s own sentimentality for the original series to ever hope to function as anything other than a masturbatory indulgence in Abnett’s canon. Purely in the context of this book, nothing in this world feels organic, intentional, nor intelligently curated. The various pieces of this world are so hopelessly ungrounded, unexplained, and unimportant that they more resemble a 5th-grader’s hiccoughing rant about his fantastical recess adventures than the construction of a story.
I know that’s harsh. And that’s why I’m stressing that these things may serve the graphic novels excellently, but Abnett didn’t write a graphic novel here. He wrote a novel, and he did it poorly.
Which is all the more strange considering his work on the Warhammer 40k Books, which I adore. The Warhammer books are consistent, evocative, ordered and artful. His writing style there is smooth, with a strong internal voice, encouraging the reader to dive deeper into the story, rather than beating the reader over the head in a blatant taunt to continue reading. Fiefdom suffers greatly from an incoherent voice, exemplified in the split between dialogue and the POV’s internal thoughts. The characters are capable of saying approximately two dozen words, 3 of which are “tougher and tough”, a phrase that so meaninglessly takes up so much of the word count that I think it technically qualifies as the literary equivalent of Chinese water torture. Stylizing dialogue is always a risk, and I admire Abnett’s courage in committing to that stylization here. But when contrasted with the comparably eloquent inner monologue of Evelyn War (“They were base and isolationist and mean. The alpha dog was a belligerent leader…”), it becomes jarring. It breaks immersion. It invites a lot of questions about world-building—why do they talk like this if they know this language? Why do other fractured packs speak the exact same way? Is this meant to show Evelyn is different? If it is, why does it go nowhere?—that this book was deeply uninterested in answering.
This is a whole lot of words for me to basically say this is the first and only 1-star review I’ve ever given. It takes a lot to break me down to this point. I’ve read some truly awful stuff in my days—writing is hard!—but you can always see the potential, see what the author was trying to do, and appreciate the book for the process.
Not this time. Abnett objectively should know better. He is way better than this book.
If you’re a Kingdom fan, read at your own risk; I hope you like it, and I hope it reads better to someone invested in that canon.
If you’ve never read something by Abnett, and want to start with Fiefdom, do yourself a favor. Pick up the Horus Heresy instead.
Before I go any further, a couple of things.
One: no, I didn’t read Kingdom, but yes, I am familiar with Abnett’s other graphic novel work. In graphic novels, Abnett’s an icon, no doubt about that. That’s half the reason I decided to give this a whirl. I figured Abnett’s storytelling abilities might carry through. I was wrong. Regardless, I understand that if you’re a fan of the Kingdom series, this book might do something for you; if you’re that person, and you enjoyed this, good. I’m glad somebody did, but a book is not made on nostalgic allusions to another media form alone.
Two: I’m the first to admit dogs-of-war style, hack’n’slash sci-fi isn’t my bag. I’m putting preferences aside and evaluating this book purely on my (admittedly personal) technical interpretation of Abnett’s craft.
And my takeaway can be summed up in: what the f***, Abnett?
If ever you doubted that different mediums require different writing abilities, look no further than this book for proof. Abnett brought none of his usual gritty charm or vision to this book. The visuals were, at best, absent; at other times, lazy. He singlehandedly gutted every ounce of suspense through cluttered spacing and rushed, irregular prose. The beat-for-beat plot—which usually, I don’t mind in sci-fi/fantasy, as it can help keep a strange world ordered—is scraped so thin by the lack of stylistic supplementation that calling it a plot is beyond charitable and entering philanthropic territory.
I’m going to avoid critiquing the bare-bones of the world-building, because I imagine they’re quite integral to the graphic novels, and without reading those, I don’t want to say that they’re bad. They are also, however, a great disservice to this book, which is far too reliant on an assumption of the reader’s own sentimentality for the original series to ever hope to function as anything other than a masturbatory indulgence in Abnett’s canon. Purely in the context of this book, nothing in this world feels organic, intentional, nor intelligently curated. The various pieces of this world are so hopelessly ungrounded, unexplained, and unimportant that they more resemble a 5th-grader’s hiccoughing rant about his fantastical recess adventures than the construction of a story.
I know that’s harsh. And that’s why I’m stressing that these things may serve the graphic novels excellently, but Abnett didn’t write a graphic novel here. He wrote a novel, and he did it poorly.
Which is all the more strange considering his work on the Warhammer 40k Books, which I adore. The Warhammer books are consistent, evocative, ordered and artful. His writing style there is smooth, with a strong internal voice, encouraging the reader to dive deeper into the story, rather than beating the reader over the head in a blatant taunt to continue reading. Fiefdom suffers greatly from an incoherent voice, exemplified in the split between dialogue and the POV’s internal thoughts. The characters are capable of saying approximately two dozen words, 3 of which are “tougher and tough”, a phrase that so meaninglessly takes up so much of the word count that I think it technically qualifies as the literary equivalent of Chinese water torture. Stylizing dialogue is always a risk, and I admire Abnett’s courage in committing to that stylization here. But when contrasted with the comparably eloquent inner monologue of Evelyn War (“They were base and isolationist and mean. The alpha dog was a belligerent leader…”), it becomes jarring. It breaks immersion. It invites a lot of questions about world-building—why do they talk like this if they know this language? Why do other fractured packs speak the exact same way? Is this meant to show Evelyn is different? If it is, why does it go nowhere?—that this book was deeply uninterested in answering.
This is a whole lot of words for me to basically say this is the first and only 1-star review I’ve ever given. It takes a lot to break me down to this point. I’ve read some truly awful stuff in my days—writing is hard!—but you can always see the potential, see what the author was trying to do, and appreciate the book for the process.
Not this time. Abnett objectively should know better. He is way better than this book.
If you’re a Kingdom fan, read at your own risk; I hope you like it, and I hope it reads better to someone invested in that canon.
If you’ve never read something by Abnett, and want to start with Fiefdom, do yourself a favor. Pick up the Horus Heresy instead.
June 3, 2020
This is a spin-off from the "Kingdom" story in 2000AD (a weekly anthology comic in the UK). Some of the other stories in that comic (e.g. "Judge Dredd") have been around for donkey's years, and I haven't read the whole backlog, which sometimes means that I'm missing context for newer stories (prose or comics). "Kingdom" is relatively new, and I've been there since day 1.
I like the comic, but it's more about action than dialogue; when Gene the Hackman speaks, it's often the same few lines repeated, e.g. "Get whet!" or "Tougher and tough". Based on that, I hoped that a novel would offer a bit more depth; that's worked elsewhere, e.g. with The Incredible Hulk: What Savage Beast. Unlike some of Rebellion's other offerings, this is a full length novel rather than a novella.
This novel is set about 100 years in the future, so none of the characters from the comic appear in this directly, although Gene is mentioned a lot. That makes this story fairly independent of the comic, and there's no obligation to restore the status quo at the end of the novel. However, it would probably be useful to read one of the comics first, just to help visualise what's going on. (If nothing else, there are 6 free preview pages.)
The authors told a complete story, while leaving room open for a sequel. Since it's now been 6 years since the novel was published, I doubt that we'll see a sequel any time soon, so it's good that this book can stand alone.
Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed by this book. As I approached the end, I was keeping an eye on the page count just to see how much was left to slog through before it was over. I don't think it's bad as such; according to the Goodreads (asymmetric) scale, 2 stars means "it was ok", and that basically sums up my attitude after finishing the book. Not good, not bad, just ok. That said, this is more about my personal tastes than anything else, and other people might enjoy it more than I did.
The story is set in Berlin: there are a lot of references to railway stations and underground tracks. It's a bit of a cliché for fantasy novels to start with a map, but this is a case where it would have been quite useful. If you're not familiar with Berlin, you might struggle to visualise everything that's going on. I couldn't actually be bothered to look up a map on the internet (which comes back to my general lack of enthusiasm), but I'm sure there are plenty of resources out there.
I like the comic, but it's more about action than dialogue; when Gene the Hackman speaks, it's often the same few lines repeated, e.g. "Get whet!" or "Tougher and tough". Based on that, I hoped that a novel would offer a bit more depth; that's worked elsewhere, e.g. with The Incredible Hulk: What Savage Beast. Unlike some of Rebellion's other offerings, this is a full length novel rather than a novella.
This novel is set about 100 years in the future, so none of the characters from the comic appear in this directly, although Gene is mentioned a lot. That makes this story fairly independent of the comic, and there's no obligation to restore the status quo at the end of the novel. However, it would probably be useful to read one of the comics first, just to help visualise what's going on. (If nothing else, there are 6 free preview pages.)
The authors told a complete story, while leaving room open for a sequel. Since it's now been 6 years since the novel was published, I doubt that we'll see a sequel any time soon, so it's good that this book can stand alone.
Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed by this book. As I approached the end, I was keeping an eye on the page count just to see how much was left to slog through before it was over. I don't think it's bad as such; according to the Goodreads (asymmetric) scale, 2 stars means "it was ok", and that basically sums up my attitude after finishing the book. Not good, not bad, just ok. That said, this is more about my personal tastes than anything else, and other people might enjoy it more than I did.
The story is set in Berlin: there are a lot of references to railway stations and underground tracks. It's a bit of a cliché for fantasy novels to start with a map, but this is a case where it would have been quite useful. If you're not familiar with Berlin, you might struggle to visualise everything that's going on. I couldn't actually be bothered to look up a map on the internet (which comes back to my general lack of enthusiasm), but I'm sure there are plenty of resources out there.
June 22, 2017
Having some free time, I decided to pick up a Dan Abnett book I hadn't read from the library. I had never read any of the "Kingdom" stories from 2000 AD (the same comic outlet that brought us Judge Dredd), but I trust Abnett's ability.
For some background, the first Abnett book I read was "Traitor General," a later Gaunt's Ghosts novel set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The book reads like a "Dirty Dozen" story written in some alternate "futuristic" universe. I didn't feel that missing out on previous Ghosts books kept me from enjoying the novel. There were enough familiar elements that I could relate to the story.
For "Fiefdom," some familiarity with the material may be necessary to really enjoy it. There is a point where a character tells a story of a legend from the past, which would be familiar to anyone who had read the comic. The cadence of English that Abnett gives the characters in the book sets up the idea that the people have regressed as they have adapted to a future ice age, but there is little reference to the idea that the Aux, as they call themselves, are really dogs that have been genetically modified to be more human like.
The book leaves many questions unanswered about the society of the Aux. What do they eat? Where does that food come from? Where do the furs they wear to keep warm come from?
Where it shines is in how the characters speak with one and other. It's different, but the meaning is easy to determine. The jargon used is consistent, which can be really hard to maintain.
If you're looking to read Dan Abnett at his best, then read either his Gaunt's Ghosts novels or his run with Andy Lanning on Guardians of the Galaxy. This is good if you're just looking for more Abnett that you haven't read yet.
For some background, the first Abnett book I read was "Traitor General," a later Gaunt's Ghosts novel set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The book reads like a "Dirty Dozen" story written in some alternate "futuristic" universe. I didn't feel that missing out on previous Ghosts books kept me from enjoying the novel. There were enough familiar elements that I could relate to the story.
For "Fiefdom," some familiarity with the material may be necessary to really enjoy it. There is a point where a character tells a story of a legend from the past, which would be familiar to anyone who had read the comic. The cadence of English that Abnett gives the characters in the book sets up the idea that the people have regressed as they have adapted to a future ice age, but there is little reference to the idea that the Aux, as they call themselves, are really dogs that have been genetically modified to be more human like.
The book leaves many questions unanswered about the society of the Aux. What do they eat? Where does that food come from? Where do the furs they wear to keep warm come from?
Where it shines is in how the characters speak with one and other. It's different, but the meaning is easy to determine. The jargon used is consistent, which can be really hard to maintain.
If you're looking to read Dan Abnett at his best, then read either his Gaunt's Ghosts novels or his run with Andy Lanning on Guardians of the Galaxy. This is good if you're just looking for more Abnett that you haven't read yet.
August 29, 2017
This one didn't work for me. It's comic book origins didn't translate to the written word, losing a lot of the impact of the artwork. Dialogue, suited to speech bubbles in surrounding imagery struggled inside quotation marks and the surrounding narrative. An interesting world but not a book to grab me.
June 4, 2018
Get whet!
July 16, 2014
First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and Abaddon/Rebellion for this opportunity.
It is really a nice feeling when you get much more than you expected from a novel. 'Fiefdom' has been such an enjoyable experience for me. I started to read this expecting mindless fun, but ended up having enjoyed witty humor with some delightful action sequences as well as a nice story with likable characters. The setting of post-apocalyptic Berlin with genetically engineered dog-soldiers fighting alien insects turned out to be much more fun in a very different way than I first thought it would be.
'Fiefdom' tells the story in a previously established setting which came to be in the comic series 'Kingdom', but now the writers take the story about 100 or more years into the future. We get introduced with a community of the Aux (genetically engineered dog-soldiers) named 'Zoo Pack'. These guys have forgotten about the Them (alien invaders in the form of giant insects) as they live underground during a new ice age and only remembers stories about their masters and fighting Them in the form of myths. Now there is dispute among the different clans in maintaining their territories. The story stars with a omega dam Evelyn War trying to make people believe that the world is changing and them are coming back. This leads to various struggles of the pack with the melting ice, with people not wanting to embrace the change, with their struggle to unite the different clans for the war, with finally start of their war against Them.
The most fun aspect of the reading was the simplistic english which the Aux used as their way of communication and the various interesting names (like Evelyn War, Ezra Pound, Becky Sharp, Dorothy Barker to name a few) that the writers used. These facts adds a much more interesting and fun approach to the setting and makes the various short comings and triumphs of the Aux seem realistic in a subtle way. The battle scenes were done very nicely, and were heck of fun to read. The characters were once again approached in a simplistic way yet the authors managed to give some of them unique personalities and made me care about whether they will survive or not.
I had not read any of the 'Kingdom' comics previously and yet enjoyed this as a standalone experience which is another plus point to be certain, the authors introduced the world and its inhabitants in a unique way through the eyes of the Aux and also gave various hints of the past. The overall progression and the sense of mystery that was developed in the first half of the book regarding the nature of the 'Them' was another bit that I really liked.
It was a fun experience and I am really hoping for a sequel so I get to know more about these characters and this world.
This gets 4 out of 5 stars.
For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/
It is really a nice feeling when you get much more than you expected from a novel. 'Fiefdom' has been such an enjoyable experience for me. I started to read this expecting mindless fun, but ended up having enjoyed witty humor with some delightful action sequences as well as a nice story with likable characters. The setting of post-apocalyptic Berlin with genetically engineered dog-soldiers fighting alien insects turned out to be much more fun in a very different way than I first thought it would be.
'Fiefdom' tells the story in a previously established setting which came to be in the comic series 'Kingdom', but now the writers take the story about 100 or more years into the future. We get introduced with a community of the Aux (genetically engineered dog-soldiers) named 'Zoo Pack'. These guys have forgotten about the Them (alien invaders in the form of giant insects) as they live underground during a new ice age and only remembers stories about their masters and fighting Them in the form of myths. Now there is dispute among the different clans in maintaining their territories. The story stars with a omega dam Evelyn War trying to make people believe that the world is changing and them are coming back. This leads to various struggles of the pack with the melting ice, with people not wanting to embrace the change, with their struggle to unite the different clans for the war, with finally start of their war against Them.
The most fun aspect of the reading was the simplistic english which the Aux used as their way of communication and the various interesting names (like Evelyn War, Ezra Pound, Becky Sharp, Dorothy Barker to name a few) that the writers used. These facts adds a much more interesting and fun approach to the setting and makes the various short comings and triumphs of the Aux seem realistic in a subtle way. The battle scenes were done very nicely, and were heck of fun to read. The characters were once again approached in a simplistic way yet the authors managed to give some of them unique personalities and made me care about whether they will survive or not.
I had not read any of the 'Kingdom' comics previously and yet enjoyed this as a standalone experience which is another plus point to be certain, the authors introduced the world and its inhabitants in a unique way through the eyes of the Aux and also gave various hints of the past. The overall progression and the sense of mystery that was developed in the first half of the book regarding the nature of the 'Them' was another bit that I really liked.
It was a fun experience and I am really hoping for a sequel so I get to know more about these characters and this world.
This gets 4 out of 5 stars.
For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/
July 9, 2014
Dan Abnett and Nik Vincent have come together to tell a tale of a future that feels and sounds not like what one would envision, resembling more our distant past then our near future. Many readers will know of Dan Abnett and his prolific work with Marvel, Abaddon, Games Workshop, and his most successful work, Gaunt’s Ghost (where I was first introduced to Abnett). Other readers might come to this story having already been exposed to the Kingdom comics from where our story takes places. In Kingdom, the world was first introduced to the struggled between the genetically engineered dog-soldiers and the alien invaders, simply known as Them. Fiefdom and it’s comic series holds a rich world that is unique among the plethora of series existing today on the market.
Synopsis: Ice hides a familiar Berlin, burrowed meters under centuries of ice. Hidden in the tunnels are fiefdoms (clans) of dog-soldiers, divided but surviving. Each fiefdom has eked out an existence differently from the others. Some are willing to trade while others prefer to remain in isolation. What they know of their past is passed on through tale-tellers who not only preserve the distant past but instruct pups in the art of fighting by telling the legend of Gene the Hackman.
“Gene the Hackman, top dog, him done the great Walk Around. Not for him the darkness, not for him the cold, not for him the Time of Ice that we know today.”
Our protagonist, Evelyn War, becomes the last Believer for the Zoo Pack after her father, a Hearer, dies. Fulfilling his final mission given to him by the Master’s Voice, Evelyn War stops at nothing to see the scattered fiefdoms unite against an ancient enemy that has woke from the ice. The time too has come for all dog-soldiers, Alphas, scrappers, and pups, to wage war. Time is now to get whet and unite, because there is strength in numbers!
Critique: I am totally in love with the world of Kingdom! Abnett and Vincent have won this reviewer over! The prose does take some time to become familiar but once you pick up it’s primitive, singsong flow, it becomes a great mechanism to draw the reader farther into their world. Some phrases tend to repeat a lot, causing minor annoyance. And I do have a hard time comparing this work with anything that I’ve read. It is Science Fiction mixed with light Fantasy and it is done well. I eagerly, repeat: eagerly, await the next book in this series. At 366 pages, there is a whole world to be discovered and much left for the promised Kingdom Book Two. Until then, I will have to check out the comics, Kingdom: The Promised Land and Kingdom: Call of the Wild.
sfbook.com
Synopsis: Ice hides a familiar Berlin, burrowed meters under centuries of ice. Hidden in the tunnels are fiefdoms (clans) of dog-soldiers, divided but surviving. Each fiefdom has eked out an existence differently from the others. Some are willing to trade while others prefer to remain in isolation. What they know of their past is passed on through tale-tellers who not only preserve the distant past but instruct pups in the art of fighting by telling the legend of Gene the Hackman.
“Gene the Hackman, top dog, him done the great Walk Around. Not for him the darkness, not for him the cold, not for him the Time of Ice that we know today.”
Our protagonist, Evelyn War, becomes the last Believer for the Zoo Pack after her father, a Hearer, dies. Fulfilling his final mission given to him by the Master’s Voice, Evelyn War stops at nothing to see the scattered fiefdoms unite against an ancient enemy that has woke from the ice. The time too has come for all dog-soldiers, Alphas, scrappers, and pups, to wage war. Time is now to get whet and unite, because there is strength in numbers!
Critique: I am totally in love with the world of Kingdom! Abnett and Vincent have won this reviewer over! The prose does take some time to become familiar but once you pick up it’s primitive, singsong flow, it becomes a great mechanism to draw the reader farther into their world. Some phrases tend to repeat a lot, causing minor annoyance. And I do have a hard time comparing this work with anything that I’ve read. It is Science Fiction mixed with light Fantasy and it is done well. I eagerly, repeat: eagerly, await the next book in this series. At 366 pages, there is a whole world to be discovered and much left for the promised Kingdom Book Two. Until then, I will have to check out the comics, Kingdom: The Promised Land and Kingdom: Call of the Wild.
sfbook.com
December 7, 2014
I found the premise of this novel exciting and I'm sure it will hook in many others as the series develops. What Sci fi reader doesn't want to read about bioengineered dogs fighting alien insects in a post apocalyptic future. Having not read either of the graphic novels this was my first foray into the world of 'kingdom'. I expected a fast paced light reading experience and on that level Abnett delivered. The prose is fairly simplistic and easy to read helping the action sequences flow reasonably well. Many of the other reviews here on Goodreads and other sites seem to have had a problem with the dialogue. It took me a few pages to get to grips with but no more. Yes its simplistic but that's the point the 'Aux' as far as I know have been left to develop alone for a very long time and there speech is supposed to reflect that. I myself would have preferred the author to develop the language further. Perhaps considering in more depth the military origins of the 'aux'and how that would have affected there way of speaking and perceiving the world. Mostly the characters were bold and light fitting the writing style and the universe well even if they were slightly shallow. The naming convention was fun too ' Oscar so wild' being the most obvious , kudos to Abnett. However as an easy light read and an introduction to the world of Kingdom Abnett doesn't go far wrong and I will keep an eye out for the next installment.
Spoilers !!!!
Want to explain these ?
- Were do the aux get their food? I remember something about trading with packs outside Berlin (food for info) but that would give the packs outside the city all the power so why would they need the info? So food ????
-Gasoline how did they get it ? Lets be honest they burn through it like its candy ! So presumably there's plenty to go around but how ?
-On page 319 there's a glaring blending of narrative talk and character dialogue were a sentence appears that's actually something an 'aux' would speak. This feels out of place even considering if Abnett is using a wandering narrator. Its so bad I remember the page number.
- Contrived ending anyone?
April 23, 2015
OK, if dogs could talk, what would they say? It's easy with cats: they, of course, can talk, but they're obviously not going to have conversations with the servile class. But dogs, what would they say?
At first thought, I'd have said, 'Bone!' or 'Walks!', with great enthusiasm. But that is to do down dogs - and besides, that's pretty much what they always say when they can talk (or, in the wonderful film Up!, 'Squirrel!'). You know, that's too easy. Sure, some would go for the monosyllabic whuff of enthusiasm, but others would be more considered, more thoughtful, more mellow: they'd drop their head to one side, loll their tongues and say, 'Bones, walks, sleep, huh, huh, master, love.'
Yes, I set off this review trying to make a case for literary dogs and I don't seem to have made it to my destination. Neither does the Dan man (the world's hardest working author): the protagonists of Fiefdom are dog soldiers, genetically modified to protect mankind and then, finding themselves the only survivors of an Ice Age, living on in the U-Bahn tunnels under Berlin. But, being dogs, once, their vocabulary proves rather limited, and though the book has all the Dandroid's usual narrative drive, there's a limit to how many times you can hear a dog soldier saying, 'Tougher and tough' before it begins to pall a little. Still, for a blood-soaked light tube train read (particularly appropriate given its U-Bahn setting), it rattles along as quickly as the new rolling stock on the Metropolitan line.
At first thought, I'd have said, 'Bone!' or 'Walks!', with great enthusiasm. But that is to do down dogs - and besides, that's pretty much what they always say when they can talk (or, in the wonderful film Up!, 'Squirrel!'). You know, that's too easy. Sure, some would go for the monosyllabic whuff of enthusiasm, but others would be more considered, more thoughtful, more mellow: they'd drop their head to one side, loll their tongues and say, 'Bones, walks, sleep, huh, huh, master, love.'
Yes, I set off this review trying to make a case for literary dogs and I don't seem to have made it to my destination. Neither does the Dan man (the world's hardest working author): the protagonists of Fiefdom are dog soldiers, genetically modified to protect mankind and then, finding themselves the only survivors of an Ice Age, living on in the U-Bahn tunnels under Berlin. But, being dogs, once, their vocabulary proves rather limited, and though the book has all the Dandroid's usual narrative drive, there's a limit to how many times you can hear a dog soldier saying, 'Tougher and tough' before it begins to pall a little. Still, for a blood-soaked light tube train read (particularly appropriate given its U-Bahn setting), it rattles along as quickly as the new rolling stock on the Metropolitan line.
Read
October 13, 2014"Gene the Hackman, top dog, him done the great Walk Around" - Kingdom stories in 2000AD are always lightly narrated, but with all the genetically-enhanced-dog-versus-giant-insect action, I'd never thought to ask who was telling these tales, or to whom. Turns out at least part of the answer is that generations later, in an ice-bound Berlin, Aux packs live in the U-Bahn tunnels, and the stories we know as Kingdom pretty much comprise their culture. Of course, much like us, they don't think the stories are literally true...at least not until the ice starts dying and Them start thawing.
I've only read one other 2000AD prose book; generally, the strips that get them are the ones where there's already plenty. In the non-franchise stories, they face a consequentiality deficit - they have to slot between the real stories. Pushing the timeline forward, introducing new characters in the same world, at least works around that issue. But even at my most bullishly anti-litfic, I'm not going to claim these guys are great prose writers. Considered solely as a readable romp, there's still at least one scene where a key character's exit from a crucial fight is missing, and that's not good. The deliberately clunky narration style which works in a weekly comic starts to wear thin over 360 pages where it's carrying more weight. But, alternated with a book about neo-Nazi pricks that was doing my head in, Fiefdom pretty much did its work as an entertainment.
I've only read one other 2000AD prose book; generally, the strips that get them are the ones where there's already plenty. In the non-franchise stories, they face a consequentiality deficit - they have to slot between the real stories. Pushing the timeline forward, introducing new characters in the same world, at least works around that issue. But even at my most bullishly anti-litfic, I'm not going to claim these guys are great prose writers. Considered solely as a readable romp, there's still at least one scene where a key character's exit from a crucial fight is missing, and that's not good. The deliberately clunky narration style which works in a weekly comic starts to wear thin over 360 pages where it's carrying more weight. But, alternated with a book about neo-Nazi pricks that was doing my head in, Fiefdom pretty much did its work as an entertainment.
January 5, 2018
I liked 'Fiefdom'. I usually prefer massive, doorstop novels, but I've got exams coming up right now, so it makes sense to read something a bit shorter.
I haven't read the 'Kingdom' comic books, but it looks like you don't need a great understanding of them to understand this novel. Essentially, it's about tribes of genetically modified dog soldiers living in the frozen ruins of Berlin. What's not to like?
And on top of that, giant insects. My God, I love giant insects. I remember the hours of fun I had playing a Nintendo D.S. game about giant insects. That game was awesome.
But I'm getting of tangent. 'Fiefdom' isn't a perfect novel, not by any means, many characters are pretty much interchangeable, and the writing style could do with a bit of work, probably not something Dan Abnett has to worry about when he's working on a comic book. Still, it's definitely enjoyable.
And it has giant insects.
I haven't read the 'Kingdom' comic books, but it looks like you don't need a great understanding of them to understand this novel. Essentially, it's about tribes of genetically modified dog soldiers living in the frozen ruins of Berlin. What's not to like?
And on top of that, giant insects. My God, I love giant insects. I remember the hours of fun I had playing a Nintendo D.S. game about giant insects. That game was awesome.
But I'm getting of tangent. 'Fiefdom' isn't a perfect novel, not by any means, many characters are pretty much interchangeable, and the writing style could do with a bit of work, probably not something Dan Abnett has to worry about when he's working on a comic book. Still, it's definitely enjoyable.
And it has giant insects.
November 22, 2014
Fiefdom just kicks ass, it is genuinely just that plain and simple. Insect type aliens? Hunting out human/dog hybrid war machines who obey the voices of ‘the masters’ and the toughest and baddest lead character ‘Gene the Hackman’ mess things up oldschool post apocalyptic style like no other can. I read through this one not really knowing what to expect and struggled to put it down to make enough cups of coffee to keep me going through to the end. Fiefdom is the first novel in the ‘kingdom’ series and sets the tone about as perfect as any novel ever could. It didn’t surprise me at all when I eventually got to the back cover and seen the legendary 2,000AD logo on there.
Dan Abnett, Nik Vincent, take a bow, not for too long though, we really need the next instalment to happen very soon.
Dan Abnett, Nik Vincent, take a bow, not for too long though, we really need the next instalment to happen very soon.
July 23, 2014
I bought this book on a lark and read nearly through the entire book before concluding that most of my questions were not going to be answered (like "what happened to civilization?", and "are these characters human or wolves or something in-between?") . Upon finishing the last page of the story, I saw the "teaser" for the graphic novel that preceded the story... and THAT answered a lot of my questions. Duh... turns out this book is in the middle of a story. So, a somewhat strange reading experience. Would have helped me to have had a bit more detailed knowledge of Berlin's subway system. I enjoyed the writing style tremendously, though.
August 12, 2014
This book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest reivew.
I tried to get into this I really did but I kept hitting walls. I loved the idea of the world and thought I would enjoy it but didn't find the language relatable and it kept forcing me out of the story. I cannot help but think this book would have benefitted greatly from me having a clear understanding of the world and had I had the information from the graphic novel I might have enjoyed it more...but no that would still leave the language. I am giving it two stars because I think fans of the already established series will enjoy it.
I tried to get into this I really did but I kept hitting walls. I loved the idea of the world and thought I would enjoy it but didn't find the language relatable and it kept forcing me out of the story. I cannot help but think this book would have benefitted greatly from me having a clear understanding of the world and had I had the information from the graphic novel I might have enjoyed it more...but no that would still leave the language. I am giving it two stars because I think fans of the already established series will enjoy it.
July 17, 2015
Good book! I am a huge fan of Dan Abnett and this book is no exception. He can change his style and content so quickly. This book is filled with atmosphere and there is a very good direction in the writing. It is post-apocalyptic and in a very different way. The book doesn't really go into why things are as they are, but it goes directly into the current events with the characters and the rising situation and dangers at hand. Overall I would recommend this one to anyone who likes stories condensed from graphic novels, as this one is. It is a great read!
Danny
Danny
tried-but-not-for-me
July 24, 2014The dialogs just didn't work for me. A dumbed down english, similar to the future part in Cloud Atlas, was used and I just don't enjoy reading this.
Didn't get deep into the story to say anything about the plot, but it was an interesting premise.
Didn't get deep into the story to say anything about the plot, but it was an interesting premise.
January 21, 2015
A wonderful read, the cant gets in on your brain so quickly.
Only complaint it that it ended too soon, more please.
Only complaint it that it ended too soon, more please.
November 2, 2014
All in all, great story, great setting. But not for those unfamiliar with Kingdom universe. Might also be hard to follow thanks to the dialogues being grammatically mangled.
November 5, 2014
I wish there was a 4.5 star button. I really enjoyed this book
December 7, 2015
It was a pretty intense story. The imagery and post apocalyptic theme intrigued me. It takes awhile to get used to how they talk in the book but once you do it is very much worth it.
September 1, 2015
Entertaining but not especially memorable. Something for fans of the Kingdom series.
June 11, 2022
pretty good, interesting. Would like to see the other books in the series.
Read
October 6, 2017Did not finish
The language was annoying
The language was annoying
November 20, 2018
The last of humanity has taken refuge in hibernation at the poles, hiding from the giant invading insects that have conquered the Earth. Defending these outposts against bug attacks are genetically engineered dog soldiers, loyal and unquestioning to the Masters' voices in their heads. At least they were, but things have changed on the Earth. The Masters voices have gone and a new peace has arrived in the northern hemisphere. The legend of a masterless rogue soldier from the distant South has spread, and in the new Fiefdoms of old Germany something very dangerous is about to happen.
In a not-too-distant future, amongst ruins in the the ancient city of Berlin the Aux's live in clans, fighting amongst themselves. Their ancient enemey, Them - giant marauding insects, are a folk memory. Young Evelyn War however will be the first to realise that this quiet is not what it seems, that the Auxs themselves, having been bred for hand-hand combat in a war long-thought to be over, and now idling violently in peace in the subways and collapsing buildings Europe, must set aside their petty hostilities if they are to face the battle to come. Evelyn is the only one to see the oncoming storm, but the clan leaders and her elders do not believe her warnings, and time is running short.
The last of humanity has taken refuge in hibernation at the poles, hiding from the giant invading insects that have conquered the Earth. Defending these outposts against bug attacks are genetically engineered dog soldiers, loyal and unquestioning to the Masters' voices in their heads. At least they were, but things have changed on the Earth. The Masters voices have gone and a new peace has arrived in the northern hemisphere. The legend of a masterless rogue soldier from the distant South has spread, and in the new Fiefdoms of old Germany something very dangerous is about to happen.
In a not-too-distant future, amongst ruins in the the ancient city of Berlin the Aux's live in clans, fighting amongst themselves. Their ancient enemey, Them - giant marauding insects, are a folk memory. Young Evelyn War however will be the first to realise that this quiet is not what it seems, that the Auxs themselves, having been bred for hand-hand combat in a war long-thought to be over, and now idling violently in peace in the subways and collapsing buildings Europe, must set aside their petty hostilities if they are to face the battle to come. Evelyn is the only one to see the oncoming storm, but the clan leaders and her elders do not believe her warnings, and time is running short.
**
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