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Da Freebooterz Code
- Genres40kScience Fiction
337 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 9, 2026
About the author
Justin Woolley
25 books131 followersJustin Woolley has been writing stories since he could first scrawl with a crayon. When he was six years old he wrote his first book, a 300 word pirate epic in unreadable handwriting called 'The Ghost Ship'. He promptly declared that he was now an author and didn't need to go to school. Despite being informed that this was, in fact, not the case, he continued to make things up and write them down.
Today Justin is the author of the Australian set dystopian trilogy The Territory Series consisting of the novels A Town Called Dust, A City Called Smoke and A World of Ash, the young-adult science fiction adventure We Are Omega, the science-fiction comedy series Shakedowners consisting of the novels Shakedowners, Shakedowners 2: The Vinyl Frontier and Shakedowners 3: Slack to the Future, and is now adding to the darkness of the 41st millennium for Black Library.
Justin lives in Hobart, Australia with his wife and two sons. In his other life he's been an engineer, a teacher and at one stage even a magician. His handwriting has not improved.
Today Justin is the author of the Australian set dystopian trilogy The Territory Series consisting of the novels A Town Called Dust, A City Called Smoke and A World of Ash, the young-adult science fiction adventure We Are Omega, the science-fiction comedy series Shakedowners consisting of the novels Shakedowners, Shakedowners 2: The Vinyl Frontier and Shakedowners 3: Slack to the Future, and is now adding to the darkness of the 41st millennium for Black Library.
Justin lives in Hobart, Australia with his wife and two sons. In his other life he's been an engineer, a teacher and at one stage even a magician. His handwriting has not improved.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 20, 2026
This book was the 50th Warhammer 40K novel I have read and despite the fatigue that has set in I can safely say that this book/author understood the assignment correctly.
If you name the book about a character, or in this case a code, then make the book mostly about that. This book has Freebooter Orks facing off against a Rogue Trader house. Surprisingly, given the code, there is not as much action as one would expect and instead the author spent time building up the Ork captain Skeeg Honrtoof and his code. The Rogue House, Hume, was also explained and developed as well. A rivalry begins between these two captains and they try to outwit each other and gain more loot/prestige. I won't spoil any more of the plot but I was surprised and found it well thought out.
This book opens with a recital of the Freeboterz Code and right away you can tell the book is capturing the quirky and bizarre side of the Ork mindset. This book did not take itself too serious and instead shows the Warhammer 40K universe can just be good, dumb, fun. Justin Woolley is only one of several authors who has had a go at writing Orks and I think he has succeeded very well.
Nate Crowley captured the insane stubbornness and single mindednesses that can drive an Ork to excel and gave a great character study with Ghazgkull Thraka.
Mike Brooks has a knack for giving the readers great Ork action with books like Da Big Dakka.
Justin Woolley has tapped the missing piece of the Ork puzzle, their weirdness and silliness. A few laughs were had while reading Orks doing Orky things.
I rated this book as very good because I was entertained. The author delivered what was promised and certainly has caught my attention. I think there was a lot of setup and a decent pay off story wise.
If Mr. Woolley continues to write more Ork books I will go out of my way to read them.
Lastly, I have to end with an observation. I know it is an inside joke that the word cacophony has to be used at least once in each Warhammer 40K book. However, cacophony shows up I think six or seven times in this book. If I remember correctly, three uses of the word show up in rapid succession. I'd like to think Mr. Woolley was giving the reader a little nod and wink to remind us to have fun while reading this book.
If you name the book about a character, or in this case a code, then make the book mostly about that. This book has Freebooter Orks facing off against a Rogue Trader house. Surprisingly, given the code, there is not as much action as one would expect and instead the author spent time building up the Ork captain Skeeg Honrtoof and his code. The Rogue House, Hume, was also explained and developed as well. A rivalry begins between these two captains and they try to outwit each other and gain more loot/prestige. I won't spoil any more of the plot but I was surprised and found it well thought out.
This book opens with a recital of the Freeboterz Code and right away you can tell the book is capturing the quirky and bizarre side of the Ork mindset. This book did not take itself too serious and instead shows the Warhammer 40K universe can just be good, dumb, fun. Justin Woolley is only one of several authors who has had a go at writing Orks and I think he has succeeded very well.
Nate Crowley captured the insane stubbornness and single mindednesses that can drive an Ork to excel and gave a great character study with Ghazgkull Thraka.
Mike Brooks has a knack for giving the readers great Ork action with books like Da Big Dakka.
Justin Woolley has tapped the missing piece of the Ork puzzle, their weirdness and silliness. A few laughs were had while reading Orks doing Orky things.
I rated this book as very good because I was entertained. The author delivered what was promised and certainly has caught my attention. I think there was a lot of setup and a decent pay off story wise.
If Mr. Woolley continues to write more Ork books I will go out of my way to read them.
Lastly, I have to end with an observation. I know it is an inside joke that the word cacophony has to be used at least once in each Warhammer 40K book. However, cacophony shows up I think six or seven times in this book. If I remember correctly, three uses of the word show up in rapid succession. I'd like to think Mr. Woolley was giving the reader a little nod and wink to remind us to have fun while reading this book.
May 20, 2026
This was great. Everytime I read about Orks it feels like sitting with my English rugby friends. Orks talks about the same things we do, on the same level that we do. I like Orks.
June 2, 2026
This book is full of vivid action scenes, brillant character descriptions (both Ork protagonists and human antagonists) and proper Orky humour. Moreover Freebooterz Code contains the best description of Ork surgery ever:
‘Right,’ Brokebonez said, ‘so when we do dis, Dok Ded ’Ands and I need to connect da right wires up to da nerve bits comin’ out of da top of ya leg, and so I’m gonna need ya to try and move bits of ya leg as we go to make sure it works like ya normal leg does.’
‘Wotever,’ Horntoof said. ‘Get it done.’
Brokebonez nodded to Dok Ded ’Ands.
‘Okays, boss,’ the painboy said. ‘I’mma start by takin’ wot’s left of ya leg off up near da top. Ya want some squig liquor or somefin’? Sometimes it ’elps to ’ave a grot to bite down on or smash against da wall.’
‘Jus’ do it,’ Horntoof snarled.
‘You got it, kaptin,’ Dok Ded ’Ands said.
The ork surgeon began by placing large metal manacles around Horntoof’s ankles and wrists, locking them in place with thick pins.
‘Just gotta hold you in place,’ the painboy said. ‘Sometimes patients thrash around a bit and it really messes up me cuttin’.’
Then, the dok moved off to another nearby table, returning with a large circular saw close to two feet in diameter. The blade was jagged and rusty, but with orks being almost completely immune to infection, painboyz gave little consideration to hygiene. Ded ’Ands yanked the starter cord and the saw’s engine coughed black smoke and spluttered to life, popping as he revved it enthusiastically. The individual teeth of the blade disappeared into a blur of spinning movement.
‘Last chance for somefin’ to take ya mind off it,’ Ded ’Ands said as he took hold of the mangled stump that remained of Horntoof’s leg.
‘I said jus’ do it.’
‘Righto.’ Ded ’Ands flicked a clear face shield down over his face, gave the saw a couple more test revs and then moved in.
Horntoof watched as the painboy lowered the saw towards the top of his thigh. Dok Ded ’Ands didn’t hesitate as the saw blade contacted the leg, and a rooster tail of green flesh and blood sprayed up, flicking across his body and splattering over the shield he’d pulled down to cover his face. He paused for a moment, the saw blade continuing to spin part way into Horntoof’s leg, as he wiped his sleeve over the plastek visor, smearing ork blood and meat chunks aside before being satisfied he could at least partly see what he was doing and continuing on.
As the saw churned through his flesh, Horntoof felt the familiar pang of his body telling him he was sustaining some injury: just a sensation of ripping and tugging at first, but then, as the saw continued down through his leg, the pain signals continued to increase. It was almost as if the ork nervous system was sluggish compared to that of other species – too lazy to bother providing any feedback until it became apparent the ork in question wasn’t doing anything to avoid harm, then it decided it was time to get up, smack the ork in the forehead with a smash hammer and yell “Ya leg is gettin’ cut off, ya git!”. Consequently, Horntoof felt a growing sting and then, as the blade began chewing its way into his bone, the rising electric zap of nerve pain.
As he hit bone Dok Ded ’Ands had to lean his weight on the saw, pushing down to assist the dull, rusted blade gnaw its way through the remains of Horntoof’s dense ork femur. Horntoof gritted his teeth as the pain, something of a foreign concept to him at this magnitude, eventually reached a crescendo. He growled through his clenched jaw, and as he began roaring, he suddenly regretted not taking the dok up on the offer of having a grot to bite down on.
The saw blade cut through the remains of bone and nerves, sending intense zaps of pain up through his body. Horntoof thrashed on the table, yanking at his restraints.
‘Ah, ya zoggin’ git!’ Horntoof bellowed. ‘I’ll zoggin’ smash ya!’
‘Dat’s why you is strapped down, boss,’ Ded ’Ands said as he continued to drive the saw down through the top of Horntoof’s thigh.
Eventually Horntoof felt a sudden sense of release as the saw clunked into the metal table beneath him, throwing up a shower of sparks. Dok Ded ’Ands switched off the saw. It coughed, blew out several puffs of black smoke, and eventually spun slowly to a stop.
‘Here ya go, kaptin,’ Ded ’Ands said. ‘First bit’s done. Cleaned up ready for a new leg.’
Horntoof looked over to see the painboy holding up the last chunk of his upper leg. When he looked down at the saw cut he didn’t think it looked particularly cleaner than the job the humie had already done. Ded ’Ands examined the chunk for a moment before unceremoniously tossing it over his shoulder onto the ground.
‘It’s my turn now,’ Mad Mek Brokebonez said, lifting the metallic leg and dropping it in place on the table, making sure the knee was pointed up the boring way.
‘Alright, kaptin,’ Brokebonez said. ‘I is gonna do da electricals first and den mekanikally attach da leg. Dis is da bit where I needs your ’elp.’
Horntoof looked down at his arms and his one remaining leg, securely held in place with the shackles. ‘I can’t do much like dis.’
‘I’m just gonna need ya to test bits as we go.’ The mekboy turned his attention to the painboy. ‘Okay, Ded ’Ands, you grab dem nerve endings – tell me wot you fink dey do and I’ll connect it to da right mekky bit.’
‘You don’t know wot bits in me leg do wot?’ Horntoof asked Ded ’Ands as the painboy slipped on a black rubber glove.
‘Dey don’t got labels or nuffin’,’ Ded ’Ands replied. ‘Sometimes ya got to use a little trial an’ error. Dis might feel weird.’
Without hesitation the painboy drove his fingers into the open stump of Horntoof’s leg. He felt odd sensations of pushing and pulling as the painboy manoeuvred his thickly gloved fingers inside what little remained of Horntoof’s hip. There was the occasional jolt of pain or a weird rippling twitch of a muscle. He even felt the odd sensation that his leg was still attached and he could feel pain and tingling sensations right down in his toes, but it was when Ded ’Ands grabbed the nerve endings that Horntoof really felt a zap of pain that caused him to arch his back and call out.
‘Got one,’ Dok Ded ’Ands said.
Mad Mek Brokebonez moved into position and took hold of a bundle of different coloured wiring that extended from the top of the mekanikal leg.
‘Which one?’
‘I fink da little toes,’ the painboy replied.
Brokebonez flicked through the wiring until he found the one he was looking for, a yellow-sheathed wire. Using his teeth, he stripped back the insulation to reveal the internal copper and then touched it to the organic nerve.
‘Can ya move your little toes, boss?’ Brokebonez said.
Horntoof tried to do so, attempting to wiggle his nonexistent toes. The leg jolted as the knee flexed and opened slightly.
‘’Ang on,’ Brokebonez said, searching through for a blue wire, which he stripped and touched to the nerve. ‘Try again.’
This time, one of the large metallic toes on the end of the leg twitched.
‘Perfect. ’Ang on. ’Old dis in place, Ded ’Ands,’ Brokebonez said. The painboy took hold of the wire, keeping the nerve and wire together while Brokebonez reached for a soldering iron. Using the hot iron and solder filament the mekboy soldered the wire directly to the kaptin’s fat nerve ending.
And so it went for the remainder of the half a dozen wires. The painboy and mekboy would work together, figuring out which nerve drove which part of the mekanikal leg, creating a symbiosis of flesh and metal.
Once Mad Mek Brokebonez and Dok Ded ’Ands were satisfied they’d connected everything correctly they began the process of mekanikally attaching the leg to Horntoof’s hip.
Brokebonez grabbed the hacked-off remains of Horntoof’s femur bone and yanked it out of his hip socket. He pushed the ball joint of the new leg up into the joint and then carefully fixed it into place by whacking it as hard as he could with a massive hammer.
The entire bench shook violently with each strike as Brokebonez joyfully slammed the leg into place. Once the joint had been inserted, Brokebonez grabbed a large, rattling drill and drove several large screws into place. Then, with a few strategically placed staples pinning Horntoof’s flesh and skin down to the leg, the operation was complete."
‘Right,’ Brokebonez said, ‘so when we do dis, Dok Ded ’Ands and I need to connect da right wires up to da nerve bits comin’ out of da top of ya leg, and so I’m gonna need ya to try and move bits of ya leg as we go to make sure it works like ya normal leg does.’
‘Wotever,’ Horntoof said. ‘Get it done.’
Brokebonez nodded to Dok Ded ’Ands.
‘Okays, boss,’ the painboy said. ‘I’mma start by takin’ wot’s left of ya leg off up near da top. Ya want some squig liquor or somefin’? Sometimes it ’elps to ’ave a grot to bite down on or smash against da wall.’
‘Jus’ do it,’ Horntoof snarled.
‘You got it, kaptin,’ Dok Ded ’Ands said.
The ork surgeon began by placing large metal manacles around Horntoof’s ankles and wrists, locking them in place with thick pins.
‘Just gotta hold you in place,’ the painboy said. ‘Sometimes patients thrash around a bit and it really messes up me cuttin’.’
Then, the dok moved off to another nearby table, returning with a large circular saw close to two feet in diameter. The blade was jagged and rusty, but with orks being almost completely immune to infection, painboyz gave little consideration to hygiene. Ded ’Ands yanked the starter cord and the saw’s engine coughed black smoke and spluttered to life, popping as he revved it enthusiastically. The individual teeth of the blade disappeared into a blur of spinning movement.
‘Last chance for somefin’ to take ya mind off it,’ Ded ’Ands said as he took hold of the mangled stump that remained of Horntoof’s leg.
‘I said jus’ do it.’
‘Righto.’ Ded ’Ands flicked a clear face shield down over his face, gave the saw a couple more test revs and then moved in.
Horntoof watched as the painboy lowered the saw towards the top of his thigh. Dok Ded ’Ands didn’t hesitate as the saw blade contacted the leg, and a rooster tail of green flesh and blood sprayed up, flicking across his body and splattering over the shield he’d pulled down to cover his face. He paused for a moment, the saw blade continuing to spin part way into Horntoof’s leg, as he wiped his sleeve over the plastek visor, smearing ork blood and meat chunks aside before being satisfied he could at least partly see what he was doing and continuing on.
As the saw churned through his flesh, Horntoof felt the familiar pang of his body telling him he was sustaining some injury: just a sensation of ripping and tugging at first, but then, as the saw continued down through his leg, the pain signals continued to increase. It was almost as if the ork nervous system was sluggish compared to that of other species – too lazy to bother providing any feedback until it became apparent the ork in question wasn’t doing anything to avoid harm, then it decided it was time to get up, smack the ork in the forehead with a smash hammer and yell “Ya leg is gettin’ cut off, ya git!”. Consequently, Horntoof felt a growing sting and then, as the blade began chewing its way into his bone, the rising electric zap of nerve pain.
As he hit bone Dok Ded ’Ands had to lean his weight on the saw, pushing down to assist the dull, rusted blade gnaw its way through the remains of Horntoof’s dense ork femur. Horntoof gritted his teeth as the pain, something of a foreign concept to him at this magnitude, eventually reached a crescendo. He growled through his clenched jaw, and as he began roaring, he suddenly regretted not taking the dok up on the offer of having a grot to bite down on.
The saw blade cut through the remains of bone and nerves, sending intense zaps of pain up through his body. Horntoof thrashed on the table, yanking at his restraints.
‘Ah, ya zoggin’ git!’ Horntoof bellowed. ‘I’ll zoggin’ smash ya!’
‘Dat’s why you is strapped down, boss,’ Ded ’Ands said as he continued to drive the saw down through the top of Horntoof’s thigh.
Eventually Horntoof felt a sudden sense of release as the saw clunked into the metal table beneath him, throwing up a shower of sparks. Dok Ded ’Ands switched off the saw. It coughed, blew out several puffs of black smoke, and eventually spun slowly to a stop.
‘Here ya go, kaptin,’ Ded ’Ands said. ‘First bit’s done. Cleaned up ready for a new leg.’
Horntoof looked over to see the painboy holding up the last chunk of his upper leg. When he looked down at the saw cut he didn’t think it looked particularly cleaner than the job the humie had already done. Ded ’Ands examined the chunk for a moment before unceremoniously tossing it over his shoulder onto the ground.
‘It’s my turn now,’ Mad Mek Brokebonez said, lifting the metallic leg and dropping it in place on the table, making sure the knee was pointed up the boring way.
‘Alright, kaptin,’ Brokebonez said. ‘I is gonna do da electricals first and den mekanikally attach da leg. Dis is da bit where I needs your ’elp.’
Horntoof looked down at his arms and his one remaining leg, securely held in place with the shackles. ‘I can’t do much like dis.’
‘I’m just gonna need ya to test bits as we go.’ The mekboy turned his attention to the painboy. ‘Okay, Ded ’Ands, you grab dem nerve endings – tell me wot you fink dey do and I’ll connect it to da right mekky bit.’
‘You don’t know wot bits in me leg do wot?’ Horntoof asked Ded ’Ands as the painboy slipped on a black rubber glove.
‘Dey don’t got labels or nuffin’,’ Ded ’Ands replied. ‘Sometimes ya got to use a little trial an’ error. Dis might feel weird.’
Without hesitation the painboy drove his fingers into the open stump of Horntoof’s leg. He felt odd sensations of pushing and pulling as the painboy manoeuvred his thickly gloved fingers inside what little remained of Horntoof’s hip. There was the occasional jolt of pain or a weird rippling twitch of a muscle. He even felt the odd sensation that his leg was still attached and he could feel pain and tingling sensations right down in his toes, but it was when Ded ’Ands grabbed the nerve endings that Horntoof really felt a zap of pain that caused him to arch his back and call out.
‘Got one,’ Dok Ded ’Ands said.
Mad Mek Brokebonez moved into position and took hold of a bundle of different coloured wiring that extended from the top of the mekanikal leg.
‘Which one?’
‘I fink da little toes,’ the painboy replied.
Brokebonez flicked through the wiring until he found the one he was looking for, a yellow-sheathed wire. Using his teeth, he stripped back the insulation to reveal the internal copper and then touched it to the organic nerve.
‘Can ya move your little toes, boss?’ Brokebonez said.
Horntoof tried to do so, attempting to wiggle his nonexistent toes. The leg jolted as the knee flexed and opened slightly.
‘’Ang on,’ Brokebonez said, searching through for a blue wire, which he stripped and touched to the nerve. ‘Try again.’
This time, one of the large metallic toes on the end of the leg twitched.
‘Perfect. ’Ang on. ’Old dis in place, Ded ’Ands,’ Brokebonez said. The painboy took hold of the wire, keeping the nerve and wire together while Brokebonez reached for a soldering iron. Using the hot iron and solder filament the mekboy soldered the wire directly to the kaptin’s fat nerve ending.
And so it went for the remainder of the half a dozen wires. The painboy and mekboy would work together, figuring out which nerve drove which part of the mekanikal leg, creating a symbiosis of flesh and metal.
Once Mad Mek Brokebonez and Dok Ded ’Ands were satisfied they’d connected everything correctly they began the process of mekanikally attaching the leg to Horntoof’s hip.
Brokebonez grabbed the hacked-off remains of Horntoof’s femur bone and yanked it out of his hip socket. He pushed the ball joint of the new leg up into the joint and then carefully fixed it into place by whacking it as hard as he could with a massive hammer.
The entire bench shook violently with each strike as Brokebonez joyfully slammed the leg into place. Once the joint had been inserted, Brokebonez grabbed a large, rattling drill and drove several large screws into place. Then, with a few strategically placed staples pinning Horntoof’s flesh and skin down to the leg, the operation was complete."
May 28, 2026
solid ork fun !
June 18, 2026
Simply: WAAAGH!
Since this was a story he enjoyed telling (past events) I look forward to two things-
🌟 More stories with Horntoof
🌟 An epic second battle, where the Orks win of course, and he takes the warrant of trade and becomes a Rogue Ork Trader. (This was my desired ending TBH, even though I knew it was only a dream. OR- them taking over the station 🤣)
I am proud of my boy, even though he trusted Brokebones over his first mate! Lessons learned.
Since this was a story he enjoyed telling (past events) I look forward to two things-
🌟 More stories with Horntoof
🌟 An epic second battle, where the Orks win of course, and he takes the warrant of trade and becomes a Rogue Ork Trader. (This was my desired ending TBH, even though I knew it was only a dream. OR- them taking over the station 🤣)
I am proud of my boy, even though he trusted Brokebones over his first mate! Lessons learned.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2026
As someone that love Pirates and Orks this was brilliant, Horntooth is such a great character and I was really rooting for him. The other side of the story with the Rogue Trader gave it a nice balance and I enjoyed both characters. Some good twists and turns and I hope this isn’t the last we see of Kaptain Horntooth.
June 12, 2026
Este pasó a ser uno de mis libros de orkos favoritos. Tiene el sinsentido característico, pero a la vez está ordenado y los sucesos son claros y fáciles de seguir. La verdad me sorprendió para bien. No me lo esperaba.
May 28, 2026
Nothing better than a ship full of mad orcs, laugh out loud funny.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews