Voidscarred

by Mike Brooks

An Aeldari Corsairs Novel
Baron Myrin Stormdawn of the Starsplinters Corsairs allies with a craftworld aeldari to deal with rival ork freebooters for plunder and territory. Along the way, he must negotiate a complicated web of connections and the favour of his superiors.

READ IT BECAUSE
It's a glimpse into the mysterious life of the aeldari corsairs, who exist somewhere between the structured craftworld aeldari and the unscrupulous drukhari. It's a life of daring adventure and excitement as well as danger and dirty politics. Plus, they're up against everyone's favourite cunning and brutal pirates – ork freebooters.

THE STORY
The Starsplinters are aeldari corsairs, raiders and reavers of the void, and Baron Myrin Stormdawn is one of their greatest leaders. When his running conflict with the Badskab Bukkaneers of Uzgul da Magnificent escalates in unexpected ways, Myrin is forced into an alliance with Taenar Leotharan, an exiled admiral from his former home – the craftworld Ilmaren.

As Taenar is forced to adapt to the unfettered life of the corsair, whose freedom is a double-edged sword, Myrin faces challenges of his own. When a Starsplinters’ authority rests on the success of their last voyage and the whims of their feared commander, Princess Tishria, Uzgul da Magnificent's freebooters may not be the deadliest threat…

Genres: 40k, Science Fiction, Fiction

361 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2025

About the author

Mike Brooks was born in Ipswich, Suffolk and moved to Nottingham when he was 18 to go to university. He’s stayed there ever since, and now lives with his wife, two cats, two snakes and a collection of tropical fish. When not working for a homelessness charity he plays guitar and sings in a punk band, watches football (soccer), MMA and nature/science documentaries, goes walking in the Peak District or other areas of splendid scenery, and DJs wherever anyone will tolerate him.

And, y’know, writes.

Reviews

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a Warhammer 40K fan from way back, and when I played, my first preference was the Eldar (now referred to as the Aeldari). I have been aware of the tie-in fiction that focused on Aeldari characters, but this is the first time I've acted on the temptation to read one simply on the strength of who's writing it. I was a huge fan of The Black Coast and the rest of that series, so I wanted to see how Brooks would bring his considerable skill to bear here.

The answer is extraordinarily well. The modern depiction of the Aeldari is as a fragmented remnant of a lost empire with rigid space-dwelling Craftworlders, enigmatic Harlequins, savage planetbound Exodites, cruel Drukhari and enigmatic Corsairs. They are a people who value the ability to choose various Paths through their long lives and consider specialization a sad thing; to be "lost to a Path". This book brings out that alien mindset very well, following Baron Myren Stormdawn of the Starsplinters Corsairs as he battles with Orks and allies with Craftworlders from his former home.

As with most fiction set in this universe, it focuses on battle, but there's plenty of interesting relationship stuff here too, including a low-key gay relationship between Myren and the Admiral of the Craftworlder fleet. There's also a lot of background given for the Aeldari in general, and a lot of space given to the ridiculous fun of their Ork enemies.

Recommended.

[Zak Ingoe-Finch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I oh so enjoyed my jaunt through the life of Aeldari Corsair, and let’s face it, Aeldari culture! I look forward to the hopeful sequel!

[Sam Pittman · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book I have a much greater appreciation for the Aeldari and the Drukhari, tho I still think the Drukhari are a bunch of bdsm gimps that smell like cheap cologne and cigarettes. The nice thing about this book is that you do not have to know much about the Eldar to know what is going on, as they explain most of what happened to the Eldar and why they are they way they are. The story itself was very good and was action packed almost the entire way throughout. I hope we do get another book with Myrin and Taenar as I really liked their dynamic together.

[Brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unbelievable, they made an Aeldari book that was Good. Why didn’t they try that before?

Possibly the most LGBTQ book in the black library catalog, where the heart of the story revolves around a romantic same-sex relationship, and there’s at least three non-binary characters to boot.

Sadly the technology probably does not exist for the would-be Casanovas of Earth to steal the best line in this book.

My main complaint for this book is the ending. There is a pretty dramatic shift in focus on characters in the final 10% in a way that left me feeling a little deflated, and while it’s certainly not an Abnett-style rushed climax, the resolution felt rushed. I think it could have done with a slightly greater length to give its climax a bit more room to breathe before the book’s end.

I also liked the Ork POV sequences, don’t get me wrong, and the levity they added was great, but I’m not sure that they were necessary. It didn’t feel like they added much to the table other than jokes. I would have enjoyed them spending that time on our protagonists instead, particularly because the villain was not particularly memorable.

Overall, a really interesting look at the margins of Aeldari society, and one of the few actually compelling BL romances. The glimpses we get into craftworld life are also fascinating. Recommended for any 40K fan!

[Tanner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting characters, but the larger conspiracy feels implausible. Caman’s plan requires Taenar not only to infiltrate Stormdawn’s Corsairs, but to bring an entire fleet convincing enough to fake total defection. That implies thousands of Aeldari abandoning their craftworld, maintaining a perfect lie for years or even decades, and never leaking the truth or breaking ranks. It’s more implausible than faking the moon landing. The book treats this as a fragile and potentially long term operation, yet everything unfolds almost perfectly and resolves within months.

Still, the gay space elf drama was absolutely the highlight for me. I wish the story would’ve pushed harder on Taenar trying to maintain this increasingly fragile lie while getting pulled closer to the most dangerous Corsair alive.

[Bookish Barbarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Voidscarred by Mike Brooks

My first delve into the world of the Aeldari and Drukhari, and I was pleasantly surprised by how accessible it was. Despite knowing very little of their lore, I never once felt lost—Mike Brooks makes the story welcoming without sacrificing depth.

This is an action-packed ride from start to finish, filled with intrigue, betrayal, and of course some well-timed Ork mayhem to make everything even more entertaining.

A fantastic Warhammer novel and a genuinely fun sci-fi read in its own right.

4.5 ⭐️

[Edward Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book, covers everything from the lore, the realistic view of the different ranks and characters fully embracing cultures of the different paths. It touches a bit on romance but not being overwhelmed by it

This is a great book that isn’t obvious at where it is going, is a nice easy book that flows smoothly, to the point I struggled putting it down as one chapter before bed turned into three or four every time

It covered the enemy and switched perfectly between the two races and made both sides enjoyable to read

[Justin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Keep your gay romance out of my sci-fi grimdark

[Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really interesting look at the Corsairs! Mike Brooks continues to be able to write Orks and Aeldari/Drukhari in an incredibly detailed way - honestly this book has made me want to turn my burgeoning Aeldari army into a corsair-themed force!

I enjoyed seeing the interaction of the different Aeldari strands coming together throughout particularly interesting, and the relationships felt organic with genuine growth. The pacing was good too, with the action coming at just the right moments!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be recommending it to anyone I can.

[Vincent Knotley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Betrayal, intrigue and a whole lot of Orky gubbinz weave through Voidscarred. The heavier at at times quite emotional elements of it sit perfectly alongside the far less emotional and far more explode-y Orky parts of the book to create a satisfying and powerful tale viewed through the Make-Bigger Tubes of two subsects of long-standing Warhammer 40,000 factions we've rarely seen much of before.

I truly do have to give props where props are due to Mike's deft hand in writing Orks. While not the core focus of the book at all, they make for a well-timed mixture of comic relief and example of the true darkness of the 41st millennium both.

Not to mention presenting what might be the best potential use for lids since the advent of the jam jar.

[nicholas doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Mike Brooks has done it again. Somehow, he continues to make the most entertaining xeno focused books for the Black Library. Simultaneously, he has written one of the best pirate books I have read in quite some time.

[Josh Bojarski · Rating 5 out of 5]

GAY SPACE PIRATE ELVES YEAHHH!!!

This is probably one of the best 40k books I've read so far. It's an easy read with really fun and compelling characters. I think this is a really good book of your interested in 40k and want to learn more about the Aeldari and their various different sub factions.

Strong recommend!

[AA_Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the marvellous Brutal Kunning, Mike Brooks ushered in a glorious wave of Ork fiction, and I’m really hoping he will do the same here but for the Aeldari.

There has been Aeldari focused novels before, and whilst the two ‘Path’ trilogies have their strengths I feel that Voidscarred has raised the bar in a way that will surely positively impact future titles.

Like most of Brooks work, Voidscarred is a lot of fun. And, as befits a novel about space elf pirates it is gloriously camp. Brooks depicts those Eldar removed from the strictures of the path system as capricious and mercurial allowing the reader to feel the appeal and freedom of such a life to some, but it also illustrates why the path system is needed to curb and curtail a species so prone to wild fluctuations and impulsiveness. The Eldar is this book are certainly relatable but they are also suitably other and feel like more than humans with pointy ears.

By now Brooks is an old hand at writing orks, and the chapters from their perspective run smoothly and add to the story- the Freebooters are far from faceless goons, and there are characters I hope pop up somehow alongside the TekWagggh in future books.

Brooks has written Aeldari before, both of the Craftworld and Commoraghan variety before. I strongly suspect that he is responsible for the shift in ork epithet to ‘Scrawny’, which I really appreciate. Alongside great storytelling, Brooks’ novels are notable for their representation of queerness and Voidscarred delivers on that front too. Sexual attraction is a rarely seen motive in 40k, but is an entirely appropriate factor in this book here. After all, what self-respecting leader of a space pirate fleet wouldn’t risk it all for a pretty boy and what small town escapee wouldn’t fall head over heels for a dashing older man the minute he’s freed from the constraints of his previous life? I know that in either set of circumstances I’d do exactly the same.

Everything is set up nicely for more adventures with the members of the Starsplinters so if the BL commissioning editors are reading- MORE HORNY GAY SPACE ELF PIRATES NOW PLEASE.

[Jackson Handley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mike Brooks has written some fantastic Warhammer books and both their orks and inclusivity continue to be extremely welcome. Having said that...

This book sucks, badly. These Aeldari aren't alien, in any way, they're just awful human teenagers and not in the mournful didn't fully develop way of a primarch like Perturabo, they're just straight to streaming children. Every line is snarky, no character demonstrates any intelligent planning or skill expression at all.

They constantly mention humans, despite humanity being a tertiary race at best in this book, whether as an insulting way of trying to ground this melodrama in the 40k universe, or because Mike Brooks doesn't get Aeldari and needs the imperial comparison.

A very disappointing entry for a race that desperately needs good books after being leashed to Gav Thorpe for decades. I'd love more Orks or Humans from Mr Brooks, I would not like another Aeldari book.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

GAY SPACE ELF PIRATESSSSSSS, LETS GOOOOOOOOO!

I could read this series of books forever, so I hope it gets a sequel. This is one of those rare 40K books that I really do recommend to everyone, there's a bit you'll need to know but I feel like everything is setup pretty well to welcome newcomers.

I was already planning on reading this as Mike Brooks is like the premiere 40K writer for capturing the satirical nature whilst simultaneously telling a great story, but the fact that this book made a bunch of manchildren mad, made me add it to my TBR asap. I'm glad I did because this book was magnificent.

[Joseph Dolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Common Mike Brooks W. Channeling Adams and Pratchett deeply and beautifully.

[Sipe · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Mike Brook's Brutal Kunnin' (2020), I went straight to another of his more recent xenos-focused novels, this time about the Aeldari. Denny Flowers' Above and Beyond (2024) had already sparked my interest in the faction, making Voidscarred the obvious next choice. But rather than focusing on the more familiar craftworld Asuryani, the novel follows Aeldari corsairs and their rivalry with Ork freebooters. Two xenos pirate factions engaging in ship combat, plundering and swashbuckling in space? Sign me up! The story primarily follows Baron Myrin Stormdawn of the Starsplinters Corsairs as he sets out to finally defeat his longtime ork adversary, Uzgul da Magnificent of the Badskab Bukkaneers, once and for all. To accomplish this goal, and to save aeldari slaves captured by Uzgul, he joins forces with Admiral Taenar Leotharan of Craftworld Ilmaren, Myrin's former home.

Myrin Stormdawn is the perfect kind of protagonist for a space pirate novel like this; he's carefree yet responsible, pragmatic but he also got his principles he will hold onto even if it means going against his own peers, he got swag, a silver tongue and witty dialogue and is obviously a good and dependable leader. Taenar Leotharan is an exile from craftworld Ilmaren and seemingly seeks to join the corsairs after getting fed up with the farseer council's inaction. But he has to prove himself useful and learn the corsair way of life which is very much different from the craftworlders'. He's torn between personal desires and duty while trying to find where he truly belongs. Myrin and Taenar grow very close over the course of the story. While I, as a straight guy, don't actively seek out gay (male) romance—or any novels labeled as romance in general—I don't mind them in stories. When done well, they can be wholesome and act as the perfect seasoning, adding just the right amount of flavor without overpowering the main course. That's exactly what this romance between Myrin and Taenar does. It never takes over the story but instead deepens the relationship between the two characters, making you care more about them and what ultimately happens to them, both individually and as a couple. Another character I must highlight is Xela, a gladiator fighter escapee from Commorragh and Myrin's second-in-command. She brings a little bit of Drukhari viewpoint to the story. I liked her banter and interaction with Myrin as she worked as his voice of reason and, if not keep him in check, then at least reminded him what their end goals are. I'd even love to learn what happens to her next in a novel dedicated to her character.

The novel introduces the three Aeldari factions: the traditional, conservative and even stiflingly controlling Asuryani of the craftworlds, the sadistic and savage hedonists but still equally controlling and manipulating Drukhari of Commorragh, and the independent, more free-spirited and individualistic bohemian-like corsairs. However, you won't come out as an Aeldari expert after reading this novel because it doesn't delve deep into the Aeldari lore or their cultures other than the corsairs'. The novel assumes you know at least the basics, like who 'She Who Thirsts' is and why the Aeldari are wary of her. It also doesn't for instance explain the significance of the spirit stones many aeldari carry on themselves.

The Badskab Bukkaneers orks' side of the story is not told from Kaptin Uzgul da Magnificent's perspective, but from that of his mekboy, Gazruk Hackspanna. Reading the ork chapters felt like I was reading Brutal Kunnin' again, which is no surprise given that the author is the same. But it also means that they are so much fun to read. Uzgul is such fantastic antagonist, combining the comedic charm Orks are known and loved for with ruthlessness, making him both hilarious and intimidating threat to all Aeldari. He's also incredibly ambitious. So ambitious, in fact, that even by ork standards his plan borders on the absurd, something Gazruk himself points out. What Uzgul is trying to do is turn an entire world with a volcano into a planet-sized gun (or "gun-cano") with rockets on it, calling it the Dakkaplanet. For that he kidnaps aeldari slaves, believing them resilient enough to work tirelessly in the planet's quarries. That idea was so gloriously hilarious and dumb that even Gazruk, a mekboy who normally embraces orky engineering and considers himself a genius whose death would be a great loss for all Orkdom, couldn't even begin to explain how it couldn't work. Not that he has the guts to say that to the kaptin to his face, and does whatever he can to make himself useful while trying to find a way out.

When I was roughly a third of the way through the book, I remember thinking, "This is going to be a 5/5 book for me", and now that I've finished it, I stand by that. It's a straightforward, easy-to-follow fun swashbuckling adventure with space elf pirates with a sweet but not overbearingly cringe gay romance in it. The ending was bittersweet but I wished we had at least one more chapter that'd tie up and conclude the entire story into a neat knot. At the end of the day, though, it's the characters that truly made this book so enjoyable. I liked all of the main and supporting aeldari characters (except for the callous farseer of Ilmaren) especially Myrin, while the orks were an absolute delight to read thanks to their memorable dialogue and wonderfully silly Ork logic. Uzgul was what I was expecting and hoping from an ork pirate kaptin antagonist. I don't know if Voidscarred is the best Aeldari novel for newcomers wanting to learn about the space elves of Warhammer 40,000, but it's a zogging fun and thoroughly engaging read nonetheless. I really wish Brooks would write a sequel following the next adventures of Myrin and Taenar, maybe even Xela and Gazruk (he could join up with Ufthak?) in their own respective books. What made Voidscarred even better for me was that I tandem-read it alongside the audiobook narrated by Nathaniel Priestley, who does such a fantastic job giving each character a distinct voice, from the refined and proud Aeldari to the deep-voiced Orks speaking in their dumb sounding British accent. He also conveyed their real emotions in their voices when they were upset, delighted, panicked or in pain.

[Kam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer before reading this review! It's coming from the perspective of somone outside of the Warhammer community, I read this because my boyfriend loves Warhammer and said I would enjoy this book. I have very basic knowledge of the Aeldari and the wider world so there are some things that I inevitably didn't fully understand.

Voidscarred is a really fun time! The tone was much lighter than I was expecting from a Warhammer book which in this case was a positive for me. I thought all of the characters, if a little basic at times, we're enjoyable to read about. I loved the perspective changes, especially the Orcs, a very fun tone shift whenever they appeared and it made the ending feel more like two opposing perspectives coming into conflict rather than a standard battle between the protagonist and antagonist. My favorite part of this book by far was Myron and Taynor and their gay ass pirate romance, they had good chemistry from moment one and I really respect author Mike Brooks for leaning in and making their romance a central focus of the book while thematically tieing it to conversation being had about Aeldari culture. The spy plotline was very juicy but unfortunately didn't get the focus it needed after the reveal which I found rather unfortunate. My biggest problem with Voidscarred for me was probably the ending, it tied up the plot threads fine but with such a character driven narrative you really need a longer falling action to properly conclude all the characters arcs. I thought the big plan for the antagonists was absolutely hilarious, making a gun planet is so stupid and I love that for the Orcs. Speaking of which Uzgul the Magnificent was by far the most entertaining part of the book, I love that they weren't afraid to make him and the other Orcs silly while still being very intimidating enemies for our main protagonists.

Overall I thought Voidscarred was good! I don't have much to say about it mostly because I lacked a lot of context for the wider world of the Aeldari which probably would have greatly improved my experience of this, one of the major themes was the cultural differences between the Aeldari and specifically the strictness of the craft worlds which I can imagine is a fascinating read for any Aeldari player. But standing alone from the wider context Voidscarred works great on its own too! It's not the most technically impressive or complex book I've read but for a fun adventure about gay pirates in space I had an excellent time. I will be giving this a very respectable 3.5 Stars

[Nathan Major · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gay elf space-pirates vs orks with a planet they're trying to turn into a gun. What more do you want?

Mike Brooks continues to impress with his brisk pacing, solid dialogue, and great character development (for a Warhammer book at least). He's quickly become my favorite author in this genre.

Voidscarred is the story of the...well, Voidscarred, Eldar who have left the chosen path of their core worlds for lives of piracy and debauchery. Myron Stormdawn is the pinnacle of arrogant, flamboyant piracy, living life one minute at a time. Things change when Taenar, an Eldar who wants to join his crew from the craftworld, becomes his personal project (both to make him more piraty, and for other, more romantic reasons).

On the flip side, the pirate Ork Grazgul and his mek-boy are trying to not only gather Eldar soulstones, but also turn an entire planet into a mobile gun. Think Death Star, only stupider. It's Orky and some of the best bits in the book.

The pacing is extremely brisk, and the storytelling works as Taenar is an outsider to this culture so he (and we) get to see the Voidscarred in all their freebooting and wild ways. Betrayal, assassinations, and even a pirate queen all play into Myron trying to get revenge on the big pirate Ork, with more than a little overt romance on the side (though like most Warhammer books, sex and naughty words are out, while gore-splattering violence is perfectly fine).

The Voidscarred work because they aren't good guys by any stretch. While their freer lifestyle is enviable compared to the normal Eldar craftworld, it's very much a "might makes right" situation, with constant backstabbing and politics. It makes for a tense time as Taenar attempts to navigate this, which leads to plenty of intrigue.

My primary complaint is (like most Warhammer books) the ending, which while better than most, ends the Ork threat fairly abruptly, and if I'm being honest the third act (chasing the Orks down to rescue somebody) is extremely short, which kind of ruins the book's great pacing.

Still, this is a rare book without humans in it, focusing on Eldari and Drukari, as well as Orks (which Brooks continues to excel at writing), and has the rare LGBTQ coupling (as well as many non-binary characters, as is Brooks' specialty) which make it stand out amongst the rest.

An excellent Warhammer book.

[Lane Callahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow I actually really liked this! I had moderate hopes for a 280~ page book about a faction that is often written very poorly in wh40k, but i was pleasantly suprised. overall, the book felt extremely eldar-y with plots upon plots, uncertain allegiances, and the manipulaton of fate and schemes stacked on top of each other. it was done in a pretty realistic way with only vague insights into the future guiding the diff group's attempts to control fate which was, again, very immersive and on brand for the eldar - i saw this with ilmaren originally helping the voidsplinters, then the ilmaren farseer revealing he also gave away myrins location at the start, it was all just tricksy goodness

i enjoyed the pretty overt homoeroticism too - it was pleasant to see romance/sexuality in a franchise that is often just straight man army shooting bang bang vibes, and the eldar thematically fit for a race that doesn't really see gender or sexuality. it added a nice dimension to the combat/plotting.

i also enjoyed the adventure influence here - it was fun to go to different locations (like a black market set on top of a dead space whale the size of a small moon or something, as well as to a maiden world and the corsair princess's lair thing) - again not something I've often seen in 40k books but thematically veryyy fitting for a corsairs book. similarly, it was great to have different perspectives on the different ways of eldar life - corsairs not trusting craftworlders, craftworlders thinking corsairs are uncivilized, drukhi joining the corsairs but fighting the craftworlders, exodites existing the whole time lol. great lore dumps

the action was also primarily pretty good - the final climax was excellent with the void battle, boarding sunstompa, then finally rescuing myrin from sunstompa (and then from falling into orbit??) was excellent. i LOVED the ending with quite a few hints at a possible sequel - xela's disappearance into the warp for a few weeks and sudden return (evidently very traumatised) was pretty sick.

particularly favourite characters/arcs: myrin, taenar, xela, the warlock, farseer caman, visiting diff locales, plots within plots, battle for the rule of the corsair faction, final battle vs urguz

[Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Voidscarred is a wonderful book by Mike Brooks and a great look at how the Aeldari’s different cultures live. The corsairs freewheeling, almost bohemian, lives are a stark difference to the sadism of the Drukhari or the coldness of the Craftworlders. The characters are all very diverse in their perspectives and backgrounds, which is a genuine rarity in most 40k books, and it provides a lot of good conversations and conflict. Though I sometimes thought the cast was maybe too large and I often had trouble keeping track of the many, many side characters. The main antagonists, the Ork pirates, are pretty underwhelming though, and while fun I think we needed more time with Orks other than the Mek.
But who am I kidding, you’re not here for pirate shenanigans, you’re here for gay elf romance! Warhammer novels, mostly because 70 percent of them star Space Marines, are often lacking in romance, so Brooks dedicates the majority of the book to building up the romance and though quite generic it is still very fun. This leads into my other issue though, which is that the first and second half of the books feel pretty disconnected. Once the two leads get down and dirty they practically don’t interact face to face for the rest of the story as we move the focus to politics and the war. This causes issues with the pacing where the last 1/3 of the book is pure action and It feels like we don’t spend any time on what had been up to this point the main plot.
Though I had issues with the pacing at the end of the day this is the best Eldar novel we’ve gotten in years and a great read generally.

[Ridel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a bad history with the author, as I found his original works to be woefully internally inconsistent. Given the constraints of the WH40K universe, the result is a much superior publication. The Eldar are peak selfishness given form, without going so far that it would undermine their ability to survive as a species. There's a few plot twists that were both foreshadowed and able to surprise.

That's about all the good I can say of Voidscarred though. The primary problem is that he never provides consequences. Doubtless he doesn't care about numbers. There's no constraint to our MC Stormdawn's allied ships or allied sidekicks. They die here and there in their unremembered drabs. Does it matter? No. We have no idea how losing three ships impacts Stormdawn. Dozens of ship Captains might die. It still doesn't matter. Maybe Stormdawn has dozens more in wait. Certainly it feels that way. The enemies are also limitless hordes. They die. Their ships explode. Maybe it matters to the course of the battle. It probably doesn't -- everything is author fiat anyways.

You can't write fight scenes if you can't impart a sense of loss. Describing death after death without consequence is bad battle porn. It's a waste of time.

Voidscarred is effectively a character-driven drama set in WH40k. For the two readers of this universe that don't care for military fiction, rejoice.

Not Recommended, with reservations.

[Ian Cranmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I have found I love so much about universes as big as Warhammer 40k is that not every story needs to have a massive impact on the setting. It is just as important -if not more so- to flavor and color the world with stories that are high-stakes for the characters within, but which may not entirely be high-stakes in the grand scheme of things.

Mike Brooks is my favorite Black Library author, by far. He takes any faction and breathes a familiarity and a spirit of determination into characters that are either established or newly created. His books unfold at a clip that keeps things moving without feeling rushed or like you've spent too much time in one place. Voidscarred is another such example of how fun and pulpy the setting can be when it is put into the right hands.

The central conflict revolves around vengeance, and pits different aeldari ideologies against one another in a fantastic look at what can be one of the most insufferably stubborn and arrogant races in 40k. It reminds me quite a lot of The High Kâhl's Oath, which I also loved. Both feel like the sort of stories that enrich the setting as a whole; self-contained, but easily expanded upon. I sincerely hope that we get sequels for both of these books soon!

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got a Kill-Team of Voidscarred Corsairs for christmas and I haven't really engaged with any specific WH40k lore (I mainly played Fantasy many years ago). I knew some basic things, so my hopes were that this book would give me an introduction into Aeldari lore.

It did that really well (plus some Orc Lore haha)
There were many different characters from different backgrounds which made the crew very lively even if some of them were only mentioned in one or two sentences. I got a good grasp of how to imagine the different Aeldari cultures without getting all the answers. It definetely has me interested for more.

As for the story: I first considered giving it four stars, but also there was nothing that made me say "I wish that had been handled differently". It entertained me, the characters were more interesting that I had expected and it was easy to read.

This was a good entry into the literary world of WH40k for me.

[Leion Menionson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meiner Meinung nach ein guter Einstieg, für alle die Interesse an 40k haben, aber bisher wenig oder keine Erfahrung mit dem Setting. Im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen 40k Geschichten sind die Hauptcharaktere hier fast gute Leute, die sich tatsächlich um das Wohl anderer kümmern.
Es geht um Elfenpiraten, die im Weltall gegen Piratenorks kämpfen, zu der Realisation kommen, dass sie eigentlich kein Interesse daran haben in ihrer strikten Kultur zu existieren und das Sklaverei zu beenden ein echt guter Grund für einen Coup ist. Das sie zusätzlich Queer sind ist ein netter Bonus, vor allem weil das im 40k Setting immer noch eine Seltenheit ist.
Während der Großteil des Buches guten Gewissens als Drama bezeichnet werden kann, wird es jedes mal zu einer Komödie, wenn der Fokus darauf gelegt wird, was die Orks gerade tun. Denn auch wenn sie die ungefragten Antagonisten des Buches sind, sind sie auch der lustigste Teil.

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

again, this is proof that everyone has different tastes. everyone i know, and every review i’ve seen about ‘voidscarred’ talks about how amazing it is. but this was not the book for me.
it felt like more of an angsty teenage drama than 40k. the pacing was off and story was pretty predictable. sure the characters had their moments but i didn’t find myself getting overly attached to any of them.
i think my biggest gripe was this just felt like a “& then. & then. & then” type book. something happens. then something happens. and again and again x100, but at the end of the day, their were no consequences.
we’d lose ships or people and i’d feel nothing.

however, this being a brooks novel, you know the ork sections of this book were perfect. i would forget that orks were in this and then start an ork chapter and be so stoked! i wish the perspectives were flipped. mainly orks with a splash of eldar vs mainly eldar with a splash of orks.

[Chace · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best Eldar novel yet. Mike Brooks has done a wonderful job writing a book from this species perspective. He delivers a captivating story with good character development, while also providing enough background lore and exposition to make this a suitable first foray into Eldar lore and novels.

Also, it has to be said. There is some controversy about the fact that two of the male Eldar characters in this book have a love affair. I'm a straight man and this didn't bother me at all, Mike Brooks doesn't "shove it in your face" or "cater to the wokes". It's mostly an emotional bond and at no point does it enter smut territory. So if for some reason you want to hate this book because "muh hobby is being destroyed by gay tourists", you're wrong. These characters are aliens that live for millennia and experience life entirely differently from us. Does it really matter that much?

[S. Stone Remembrancer · Rating 4 out of 5]

an epic pirate adventure!
The swashbuckling elves versus the brutal yet cunning orcs!

honestly I really like this one.
You get a small glimpse into the Corsair life.

It felt like it could be a bit longer like they rushed a few of the ideas. but it was overall solid.

The orcs were an absolute delight! Don't get me wrong I love the elves... but every time they cut back to the orcs I was just like, THE BOYS ARE BACK!

now there was some controversy with this book having some LGBT themes.
All I say on that is it shouldn't be a controversy. And it's actually a very little part of the story, not the main focus.

their needs to be a second and possibly third book!! I need closure with these characters XD

[Seb Vanbesien · Rating 4 out of 5]

GODDAMMNIT MIKE BROOKS! You made me care about the Eldar! First things first: I adore the work of Mike Brooks and I really liked this book as well despite it being about the Aeldari/Eldar/Craftworld Eldar/Corsair Eldar..the space elves! I never really cared about the space elves as a faction, they felt too snooty and arrogant to be enjoyable and most of their lore books were..not good. This book however…I really liked this book. It has ork shenanigans, swashbuckling gay pirates, characters setting their own course and taking control of their destiny, epic space battles…it drew me in and never let go. And somehow Mike Brooks has made me care for Eldar and now I want to learn/know/read more. Great read!

[Matthew Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is your path, and how much will you compromise to tread it? Fantastic read. We follow Taenar, an upright Aeldari Captain who comes to the rescue of Baron Myrin, a swaggering Corsair (aka space pirate), rescuing him from a bunch of Orks (whose little PoV chapters are hilarious). Shenanigans ensue. What really hooked me is Taenar's journey and his relationship with Myrin as he experiences the freedom and the life of a Corsair. It's a great exploration of all the different ways Eldar live in the 40k setting, the strengths and stereotypes of each and how they get challenged and changed. There's loads of intrigue and political manoeuvring, alongside a great supporting cast, action, and honestly everything you could want from a 40k book. Definitely one of my top reads.