Ghoulslayer

Gotrek Gurnisson #2

by Darius Hinks

A Gotrek Gurnisson Novel

Gotrek Gurnisson, last survivor of the world-that-was, seeks the Undying King himself amidst the bleak underworlds of Shyish. Surrounded by the ghosts of the past, can Gotrek achieve his goal, or will his soul be forfeit?

READ IT BECAUSE
It's Gotrek's first full-length novel in the Mortal Realms, and it pits him against all the horrors of the Realm of Death, as he seeks almighty Nagash!

THE STORY
In the bleak, haunted underworld of Shyish, a vengeful Slayer seeks the Lord of Undeath. Gotrek Gurnisson returns, his oaths now ashes alongside the world-that-was, his fury undiminished. Branded with the Master Rune of Grimnir, the God that betrayed him, and joined by Maleneth Witchblade, a former Daughter of Khaine turned agent of the Order of Azyr, the hunt has taken them far and wide through the Realm of Death. Will Gotrek find a path to the Undying King or will the underworlds claim him as their own?

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Fiction, Science Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 14, 2019

About the author

Darius Hinks is an author, writing primarily in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He was born in Birmingham, England, in 1972. He works and lives in Nottinghamshire. Hinks' first novel, Warrior Priest, won the David Gemmel Morningstar award.

Reviews

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a rousing example of why I read Black Library novels. It’s action packed, fast paced and full of interesting characters and their pithy dialogue. Gotrek tries to get to Nagash and is complicated in a war between death kingdoms. His character arc continues to develop and I’m glad it’s not a simple rehash of seeking a good death. It’s good to have Gotrek back.

[Jason Ray Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first Age of Sigmar Gotrek Gurnisson novel I have read. I had previously read all of the Warhammer Fantasy Gotrek and Felix novels and loved them. Prior to this, I listened to a few audio dramas set in the Age of Sigmar that featured Gotrek and detailed his appearance in the Mortal Realms. I am not sure if Hinks wrote those dramas, but they were great. In any case, I approached this novel with a lot of nerd baggage. I have spent a lot of time with this character and in the various Warhammer worlds. This novel didn’t let me down. Gotrek felt right. The Age of Sigmar realm of Shyish was intriguingly rendered and vivid. Maleneth Witchblade and Trachos the Stormcast Eternal were interesting travel companions for Gotrek. The Flesh Eater Courts were also compelling, with their characterization being surprisingly tragic. Hinks’ prose style is very readable and balanced: there’s the right amount of dialogue, description, and action. I’m not sure what else to say. I see Hinks has written another Gotrek novel, Gitslayer, and I’ll definitely be checking that out.

[Trey Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure, undeniable fantasy. I loved it.

This is the first warhammer book I've read, and I got it for two reason: 1) it was on offer, and 2) I love warhammer and everything about. I never used to play much other than a few stints while I was at uni, but I loved the models and I used to collect them when I was younger. I still have a few in the attic somewhere, and I've played a lot of the video games from the series.

But I'd never read any of the books, so I didn't know what I was in for.

You might be able to tell from the cover that this is a 'Gotrek Gurnisson novel'. He's the beefy guy with the mohawk, and he's awesome. This is evidently a book in a series, about him, and when the book starts we're kind of in the middle of a whole series of adventure. He's being followed by a couple of people, two of which make it very clear that they don't want to be there, and Gotrek is trying to find Nagash, a God that has promised him his doom. Gotrek wants to die.

In one sense, jumping into a book in the middle of a series like this was a bit confusing. On the other hand, it was amazing. It was so pure, so fun, so entertaining. I had to pay close attention to pick up all the details that I probably should already know, who people were, where they come from and all the world building and stuff, but once I did, it was amazing.

There was a feeling that this novel didn't waste any time. And I'm not just talking about the pacing and the flow of the plot, it was more of you're either in or you're out, sort of feeling. It was great. And it's really well-written!

Highly recommend this for fantasy lovers and warhammer lovers alike. I think I'll be on the lookout for more Gotrek Gurnisson novels. He's pretty awesome.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really heart wrenching ghoul love story to be honest.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gotrek's back but is that a good thing?

Like most warhammer fans I have a soft spot for the Gotrek and Felix series, a fantasy version of Don Quichot and Sancho Panza but a Don Quichot whose glare makes demons pause and a Sancho Panza educated and balancing refinement with rugged survival instincts. Gotrek and Felix series of books and stories allowed more then any other series to explore the living conditions of the warhammer fantasy universe. They encountered monsters,warlords, gruesome vampirelords, mighty wizards and kings but also beggars, thieves, peasants, miners and children. Their unique position as heroes without an army allowed them to switch back and forth fluently and they traveled to so many locations in warhammer universe that only a few characters could claim to have seen more of their former world.

But here's the thing, their story alongside their world ended. Felix perished and Gotrek was stuck in the demon realm to fight in Grimnir's place, that was a tragic and satisfying ending. So you can imagine how ambivalent I was when I heard Gotrek's back. So what's next? This book seems to me to be based on that question what's next for Gotrek? I can't help but feeling that the author and the warhammer story/lore writers themselves are still unsure and that has to do with something unforgivable about the age of sigmar universe, its inconsistency with survival. The idea behind Age of Sigmar is good, it is a retelling of the Norse world universe with its different worlds connected with the roots of the world tree. If the survivors of the old world had been those who had gained godlike powers (or had been gods when it happened) then this return of Gotrek would have been an amazing twist. But Neferate survived, so did Morathi, Teclis and Mannfredd and Arkhan the black, a whole buch of chaos related characters are still there, so Gotrek's return is not that special as it should or could be.

I will also say that as a story teller and companion Maleneth is a mixed bag, yes she has her moments but the fun thing with Felix (who we can't help but compare her to) was that he was a regular guy who got sucked into Gotreks story and their bond was special and heartwarming, their break up painful. This Maleneth is out to use/kill/manipulate (I am not sure she herself knows) Gotrek; it simply isn't as engaging as Felix desperate stay close enough to watch his doom but far away to be able to write it down later. Unlike Felix whose character allowed readers a POV view of the warhammer world, this Maleneth with her reports doesn't reach Felix ankles (something Gotrek himself would agree with) in particular I don't like the side story of her master she murdered, I really don't see where they are going with that. Then there is the broken stormcast eternal Trachos. I'll be honest he is kinda growing on me and I am genuinely interested to read more of him.

I wish that I could like this book more but it's not enough. In particular I would like a new Gotrek book where he does encounter someone who did make the crossing but did not become a god. Perhaps that could still be a twist if spread out and into hiding there are those who knew what happened, like their knowledge made them dangerous or something. That would be great story arch, Gotrek uniting those who know this is a second world and how even more then before everyone is but a pawn in the game of angry self-absorbed gods. That would rectify the whole who survived and who didn't thing and allow for some anchor points to pin this world down. Because more then anything does the mortal realm need some anchor points, as of now its kinda all over the place and I can't quite get my head around how it works, but then again this fluid world building was what they wanted, to be able to write whatever you wanted as long as general rules of the realm it is happening in are respected. That might be, but still it would be nice to have something to hang on to.

I hope the story and Gotreks arch allows the warhammer lore writers to fix the flaws and ill fitting pieces of the mortal realms in age of Sigmar, although I won't get my hopes up, but who knows maybe the warhammer team can surprise me yet.

[Fredrik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ghoul times in the realm of Death.
Excellent narration.
Surprising bit of pathos from the Flesh Eater Court perspective.

[ElGoblinVolador · Rating 4 out of 5]

MARAVILLOSA!!

Me ha encantado volver a encontrarme con este personaje de mi juventud y que esté tan vivo como en sus primeras novelas de William King.

Un Gotrek que a pesar de la perdida de su poeta compañero, Felix Jaeger, es lo más parecido que un autor que no sea su creador ha estado más cerca de él.

Confieso q esta novela la cogí con mucho miedo después de la gran desilusión que tuve con David Guymer, pero Hinks hace revivir a este personajes como se merece.

La novela, aunque no es la primera de este personaje en este nuevo universo (y cosa que dudo que Timun Mas se moleste en traducir las anteriores, gracias jefes de Timun Mas🤬) si que es la primera que nos llega en español. Nos cuenta la forma de ver y vivir de Gotrek en este nuevo mundo donde parece que prácticamente todo le molesta (😂). Aparece dos nuevos compañeros de aventuras que le siguen a todas partes, una aelfa de Khaine&Sigmarita (una elfa asesina) y un guerrero de sigmar (un sigmarine), por motivos personales con su propias deidades. Es una pena q no nos los hayan presentado como se debía porque seguro que aparece en anteriores novelas y sus historias serán también interesantes.

Como el nombre de la novela indica, en esta ocasión el enemigo principal son los necrófagos y como son en este nuevo mundo. Los capítulos dedicados a ellos y a su visión me han parecido EXTRAORDINARIOS. Gotrek trata de llegar hasta Nagash y partirle la cara esquelética que tiene pero para llegar hasta el Dios de la Muerte deberá de hacer un trato con unos humanos del Reino de la Muerte para poner a salvo las almas inmortales de sus antepasados de la marea necrófago que los amenza.

El ÚNICO “pero” que pondría a la novela son los combates con los “jefes finales” que son muy cortos, extremadamente cortos, y no te dejan disfrutar las peleas como hacia el grande de William King. Aún así, creo q es un buen escritor después de William King y Josh Reynodls que ha puesto ls manos sobre este personaje

4/5

[Γιώργος Χαζίρης · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Warhammer novel I truly enjoyed. Thanks to the special character of Gotrek, the author couldn't take himself or the plot too seriously and the result was genial. The highlight for me was the plot device where part of the plot is narrated as seen from the deluded eyes of the Flesh Eater Court nobility believing themselves to be gallant knights on a noble quest. This is going maybe too deep into geek lore for the uninitiated but nevertheless it a was wonderful device.
After reading several Age of Sigmar novels and being appalled by most, this is finally a book I can eagerly recommend as an easy and fun read that is not too naive. Consider me a Gotrek convert :)

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gotrek is back baby...I can't help but love the dwarf...if you enjoyed any of the previous slayer books this will be right up your alley.

[Mark German · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cool book got me into reading about gotrek and age of sigmar

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Нічого не зрозуміло першу третину книги. Хто? Що? Люди, коні, пломеноборці, ельви, намішано все в прологу і завʼязці. Сили і сам розбирай, шукай.

Це дуже псує враження від історії і знищує атмосферу. Вже в останній третині ти трохи втягуєшся і хоч трошечки відстрілюєш, що відбувається.

Дві книги про Гурні - відірвані одна від одної та починаються десь з середини. Тому вони не дуже контексту, і не тішать майбутніми очікуваннями.

Тож в загальному, рвано, незрозуміло, але захопливо

[Peter Buckmaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun! Gotrek, Malaneth and Trachos make a great "team", with the dwarf yearning for vengeance, Malaneth seeking redemption and Trachos singing battle hymns...badly. Throw this trio into a wriggling mass of undead and you get quite a tale.
I'm slowly becoming more familiar with the Warhammer world, learning the names of gods, heroes and monsters, but I've still got a way to go with understanding how the realms exist and connect. But Dariius Hinks does a fine job setting the scene that you don't really need an in-depth knowledge of the universe.
I think I'm a bit slow to realise what was going on in the other thread. I could tell something was off but I didn't connect the dots for a while. Once I did, it did an element of "Oh... Well, this is pretty dark!"
I've just ordered Gitslayer, which sounds like a story where many Greenskins will lose their heads!

[Dominic Trump · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun little romp through a fantasy realm! Gotrek provides the perfect counterpoint to the high fantasy shenanigans of the realms of Sigmar, humorous and tragic in equal measure! Vastly enjoyed the novelty of this little corner of the underworlds, and I was really taken back by how compelling the villains' "perspective" was. I perhaps only wish that, as is so often the case, I did not have to track errant short stories down in order to know the state of play in each major installment!

[Thomas Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is perfect slayer fun. Felix just needs to come back to fight by Gotreks side one last time for his final doom. Read the old work books first else this is super confusing.

[Connor Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun read! Great fantasy, with a fun plot and multiple characters, each with their own motivations and character development.

[Mramorealskaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Зупинилась на 50%. Далі читати не хочу, дуже нудно. Можливо якби я мала бекграунд до книги, героїв, то було б цікавіше, а так ніц не розумію, та й просто ніяк мені історія.

[Riccardo Paul A G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il nano sventratore Gotrek Gurnisson si trova catapultato nel mondo di Shyish ed è disposto a tutto pur di uccidere Il Signore della non morte, Nagash. Del resto cosa deve fare uno sventratore se non cercare una morte eroica in battaglia per riconquistare l’onore?
Nel petto di Gotrek è ora incisa la runa di Ur – oro di Grimnir, il Dio da cui si sente tradito. Non ha più la vecchia ascia di ferro meteorico ma impugna la stessa bipenne dei pyrosventratori. Nella sua folle e suicida ricerca lo affiancano l’aelfa Maleneth Witchblade, agile, flessuosa, capace di parlare con la sua vecchia Maestra che a quanto pare ha ucciso e Trachos, Lord Ordinator, Figlio della Tempesta, un uomo ferito dentro e fuori, coperto da una spessa armatura che non può proteggerlo dal tumultuoso passato che gli ha corrotto la mente e l’anima. I due, Maleneth e Trachos, seguono Gotrek perché vogliono rubargli la runa di Grimnir e consegnarla agli altri seguaci di Sigmar, ma per qualche motivo non riescono a provare davvero ad uccidere il nano.
Intorno ai tre scoppia il caos quando un’armata di mordrant (Ghoul – zombie) mette a ferro e fuoco la regione, puntando al cuore stesso del popolo di Morbium.
Ѐ stato speciale, per me, tornare in questo mondo, ed è stato sconcertante trovarlo così cambiato. Quando ero molto giovane i vecchi libri di Gotrek & Felix hanno rappresentato uno dei primi contatti del sottoscritto con un fantasy più cupo, violento e, diremmo, “dark”. Erano storie di guerra e mostri, ma non mancavano i sentimenti, i dialoghi apprezzabili e personaggi dal carisma troneggiante.
Con Sventraghoul ho dovuto affondare le mani nel mondo di Age of Sigmar (per farla breve, il nuovo Warhammer fantasy) senza conoscerne bene le coordinate. Ho provato a scrivere ai tipi di Alanera che hanno tradotto il romanzo chiedendo se ci fosse una pagina o un sito dettagliato che poteva servirmi per comprendere meglio il contesto della storia, ma non mi hanno risposto. Per cui forse qualcosa me lo sono perso. In fondo, comunque, non fa niente.
Questo, come le altre produzioni letterarie legate a Warhammer, è quello che chiamo un “romanzo industriale”, cioè scritto per mostrare gli Eroi e gli eserciti del gioco da tavolo per far appassionare i fan e fargli spendere denaro. Eppure alla fine è meglio di buona parte del fantastico che ho letto fino ad ora, i cui autori si affannano e sudano per innovarsi, essere originali, inserire tematiche moderne e tutto il corollario, con risultati altalenanti.
Perché un romanzo come Sventraghoul, invece, funziona? Perché non vuole rinnovare forzatamente ciò che già funziona. L’autore attribuisce caratteristiche abbastanza comuni ai suoi personaggi, senza cadere nello stereotipo. A Gotrek basta un sospiro, uno sguardo malinconico mentre è ubriaco, un grugnito, per comunicare che non è solo un bruto, un ammasso di muscoli assetato di sangue e violenza. (anche)
Gotrek Gurnisson è un personaggio titanico, si erge sul mondo con forza e carisma e potrebbe, come si dice dalle mie parti, “campare di prepotenza.” Potrebbe essere un Gary Stu muscoloso, con la panza e la cresta di capelli arancioni tirata su con grasso di maiale, eppure non lo è.
Ultimamente ho guardato la prima stagione della serie Reacher il cui protagonista è perfetto a livelli macchiettistici. Bello, muscoloso, alto, duro, serio, abile nel combattimento, arguto investigatore, tutte le donne svengono ai suoi piedi taglia 48 senza mai sciogliere il suo sguardo di ghiaccio.
Gotrek poteva essere qualcosa del genere ma invece non lo è. Gotrek è duro, ma ha bisogno degli altri. Gotrek è un bruto che può sottomettere chiunque con la forza, ma ha un cuore che batte e dei sentimenti. Ha degli scrupoli, un realismo intrinseco nel suo sguardo sul mondo e che non ha bisogno di palesarsi con cattiverie, eccessi di budella, sangue e relativismo. (Ok, ci sono anche quelli).
I nostri tre protagonisti si troveranno davanti ad una decisione difficile: sacrificare i vivi per salvare i morti. Cosa sceglieranno?
Immaginate che Batman riesca finalmente a superare il lutto per l’assassinio dei suoi genitori e trovi un altro scopo per vivere, per combattere o per smettere di farlo. Questo libro mi ha fatto un po’ lo stesso effetto. (Nella DC non accadrà mai, lo so)
Gotrek è sempre Gotrek, ma grazie a ciò che accade e soprattutto ai suoi compagni e alle persone che incontra supera dopo trent’anni il suo difetto fatale, cioè l’unico anelito di ottenere una morte gloriosa in battaglia, riuscendo a intravedere finalmente qualcos’altro e ritrovando un pezzo di sé che credeva perduto, forse addirittura antecedente al suo giuramento da sventratore. Una motivazione per vivere, non per morire. Non lo reputo uno spoiler perché la costruzione dell’evento inizia fin dalla prima pagina, eppure non me lo aspettavo nel modo in cui si è concretizzato.
Infatti un altro aspetto che ho adorato è che i comprimari non fossero degli inutili cartonati, sia Maleneth sia Trachos sono abilmente costruiti nei loro pregi e difetti, vederli cambiare grazie non alle parole, ma alle AZIONI di Gotrek, è stata una bellissima esperienza narrativa.
Con la runa di Grimnir il nostro Sventratore acquisisce un potere che non aveva mai avuto, si perde un po’ il concetto dello Sword and Sorcery della forza bruta e dell’arroganza contro la magia, ma a pensarci anche Elric utilizzava demoni e magie, quindi alla fine non mi disturba più di tanto.
Ho apprezzato tantissimo la caratterizzazione dei mordrant, i ghoul – zombie. Per la prima volta ho visto una personalizzazione e una profondità nei soliti mostri che dovrebbero essere solo carne da cannone. Un espediente narrativo nuovo (per me), molto coinvolgente. Per questo non ve lo spoilero, leggetevi il romanzo.
Due note dolenti, a parte qualche refuso strano (le R maiuscole in mezzo alle parole) ci sono a mio parere degli errori di traduzione. Faccio un paio di esempi che mi sono segnato: in uno dei primi combattimenti Gotrek spacca il cranio ad un ghoul con l’ascia. La traduzione proposta è: “L’ascia si accartocciò attorno al cranio.” Ecco, sono abbastanza sicuro che nel testo originale sia il contrario, è il cranio semmai che si accartoccia intorno all’ascia. Così è una bella descrizione che mi fa vedere la scena, al contrario non vuol dire nulla.
Un altro esempio è quando, per sfidare i nemici, Gotrek passa l’ascia “di mano in mano”. Ecco, io francamente mi sono immaginato lo sventratore che passava la scure a gente x lì accanto a lui. Anche qui credo che l’originale fosse “from hand to hand”, quindi “da una mano all’altra”, gesto che lo sventratore compiva sempre anche nei vecchi Gotrek e Felix, oltre a tagliarsi un pollice con l’ascia per saggiarne il filo, cosa che qui non fa più purtroppo. (Perdonate il nerdismo).

Sembreranno appunti pedanti, lo capisco, ma il testo è disseminato di queste sbavature (anche i sia – che in luogo del sia – sia, per dire, errori grammaticali veri) che un po’ rovinano l’immedesimazione.

Sui combattimenti ho qualcosa da dire. Il libro è pieno zeppo di duelli, botte, sangue, azione, magia, fantasy vero. Solo che molti di questi combattimenti sono in raccontato. Se tu, caro autore, mi scrivi “piroettò con i pugnali tagliando le gole dei mordrant”, cosa mi stai dicendo? Cosa mi stai facendo vedere? Io, francamente, non vedo nulla nella mia testa. Assimilo l’informazione che Maleneth è agile e sgozza i nemici piroettando con i pugnali ma niente di più, niente immedesimazione, paura per lei etc, ANZI, l’effetto contrario. Se l’aelfa può piroettare e uccidere senza richiedere nemmeno una descrizione allora è proprio immortale. Questa risoluzione narrativa non incontra i miei gusti.
Detto questo, prima del finale ero convinto ad assegnare al libro 3 (solide) stelle su 5, ma le ultime pagine mi hanno talmente convinto, stupito (ho riletto i dialoghi quattro o cinque volte di seguito per essere sicuro di averne goduto al massimo) che la votazione conclusiva è 4 / 5, must read. Questo libro è un caso di studio per il Dark Fantasy e il Grimdark. C’è il realismo ma anche la magia, c’è l’incubo ma anche l’emozione, ci sono le battaglie e il cinismo ma anche il cameratismo sincero. Non ci sono giochi di parole e battutine, questo no. É da qui che il grimdark nasce ed è questo il modello che a mio parere dovrebbe tenere, una evoluzione moderna dello Sword and sorcery.

Stay Malebolge, viva i nani e il metallo.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't know what to think about this book. I think the story had potential for sure, but I simply couldn't get into the writing. The characters didn't connect with me and I was pretty annoyed at their behavior at times. It did bring across the warped minds of the mordant pretty well, but I found most of the descriptions dull and had trouble picturing what was going on. This was my first Darius Hinks novel and I'm somewhat concerned about reading further material from this author, as I'm worried it will be more of the same.

[Edward Winkworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun example of the warhammer genre. Fast paced and direct.

[Swords & Spectres · Rating 4 out of 5]

As ever, if I see something with Gotrek's name on it, I have to dive in as he is one of my favourite characters the Black Library have ever produced. I also have a very iffy relationship with the Age of Sigmar (I'll never truly like it and will always see it as the crappy actor that replaced your favourite actor for the same character in between seasons of your favourite TV show) but thought maybe a Gotrek novel would be what I needed to get me a little closer to the setting.

Although it was by no means my favourite Gotrek novel, it was certainly enjoyable. I love the fact that Gotrek shares my dislike for the Age of Sigmar setting as he frequently calls things by the names they were known as in The Old World rather than the silly names they are known by now.

His quest for vengeance upon the gods sets him on the trail of The Great Necromancer, the god of the dead, Nagash. His single-minded hunting of the gods is enjoyable and, when paired with his gruff, brutish character it works incredibly well. 

The partnership with Maleneth Witchblade is by no means as satisfying as the partnership with Felix, but his comradery with the Stormcast Eternal they are with is an enjoyable one. I didn't hate Maleneth but I just couldn't get into her as much as I did Felix. That's the problem when a character has shoes that are far too big to be filled by those that come after him. I'm not sure what it is, whether it's the characters, the setting or some mixture of the two, but there was something that just rubbed me slightly the wrong way and left it feeling less like a Gotrek novel and more of a novel that Gotrek appeared in. Whatever the reason, I just couldn't bring myself to give it the full five stars.

I'd not recommend this to anyone who isn't familiar with Gotrek. My advice would be to pick up the books set in the Old World before trying to enjoy these. You may not enjoy them as much, but you'll certainly have an easier time of it. You also can't really get a sense of what Gotrek has lost by starting here.

[Michael T Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hinks is quickly becoming one of my favorite of the Warhammer authors. He still feels like 'the newer generation,' but I guess I just wasn't paying attention for a while and there's possibly two waves since Hinks came on the scene at this point. In any case, this was good.

I couldn't much stand Realmslayer. Everything just felt ... confused and meaningless, and EVERY TIME someone said 'aelf' I had to hold back vomit. But my ire has cooled over time, and now there's an out-of-sorts Stormhost traveling with Gotrek & Malekith--I mean, MaleNETH (right?) Their duo DESPERATELY needed a third, since her interactions w/Gotrek are so one-note & uninteresting.

I am starting to wonder, did I ever actually read Slayer? Because people keep referencing events that I'm unfamiliar with. And, like ... I know WH is pretty notorious about just focusing on moments, not necessarily giving you the full picture, but there are some things that seem PRETTY unbelievable if they didn't cover them .... hm. I definitely recall Kinslayer, but ... I think I might have accidentally never read Slayer. Not really pertinent, but on my mind.

This book is unabashedly rebellious in that it dares to ask: is it possible for Gotrek to reach a point where he can move past being a Slayer? Like, the point of a Slayer is to die a glorious death to atone. But ... Gotrek DID that. Now that he's been brought back ... is there any point in still being a Slayer? There's no one around anymore to really care one way or another, no one to judge him or absolve him, so ... what IS he, now?

I'm very curious to see where things go after this.

[Nerd_Rage_Dad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced, catchy and left me wanting more.

Now for anyone who is slightly confused when they pick up this book it’s actually part 3 the first two are audio dramas not books. However it includes the title character from another series that has lots of books in it though you can just pick the story up here. Which I did.

Now I was lost at the start as the book dives into a world with little to no explanation of what’s going on. Even with some knowledge of the law I was a bit puzzled at the start but once The three main characters enter its go go go. And it was a pretty good ride.

To be honest I think the lack of explaining some law would of made me rank this lower. Though the lore of the country they are in isn’t really necessary to know but would of made it more catchy to me. The reason I’m giving it 4 stars is the ghouls and the only reason it’s not getting 5 stars is there wasn’t enough chapters from their perspective.

They could of carried the story alone and left me wanting a book just about them. However I did find the three main characters well done and there motivations believable even the storm cast eternal grew on me by the end of the book.

I hope they continue the saga and I will definitely be picking up more books in this setting if they are as all as good as this book.

Cons
- huge lore that isn’t always well explained for new readers.
- first two books are audio dramas

Pros
- good simple story line
- easy read
- ghoul chapters

[Gareth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a while since I last read a Gotrek book. In fact, the Old World was coming to an end and Felix was still alive! While I do have a copy of Realmslayer on Audible to listen to at some point, this was my first go at seeing Gotrek in the Age of Sigmar universe.

First of all, I quickly came to realise that I need to listen to Realmslayer in order to catch up on what's happened up to this point. Gotrek's got two new companions who are after a powerful rune forged onto his chest and I have no idea what happened to get to this point. So don't expect to understand straight away without some catching up.

The story itself was straightforward, which I won't go into for spoilers. I felt there could have been more to it, more drama leading to a climax rather than what the book gave. However, I did enjoy seeing more of Shyish and how death worship was done with the main culture of the book. In particular, I must say how much I enjoyed reading the sections of the mordants/Flesheater Courts and how their delusions make them see the world compared to reality.

Gotrek and his companions I felt made a good match for one another. Maleneth provides a dry wit and sharp tongue while Trachos is the honourable warrior who has lost parts of himself due to being reforged at death and is worried about losing more. I look forward to hearing more about them and Gotrek as well.

[Rafael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if I liked it, but thinking a bit about it had its merits. Malaneth and Trachos feel a bit bland in the beginning, but both show quite some progression. And Gotrek is Gotrek, even if looking back to the first books back when he's obviously somewhat different.

The whole story about Morbium and his prince was a bit weird, with their unburied, but the characters were interesting enough. While Gotrek has his goal of getting to Nagash, to me the story felt a bit meandering at times.

The narrator was as good as ever, which makes this enjoyable enough to listen to. Not sure if I'm going to continue with the series though. Definitely going for a break now.

SPOILERS

But seeing the view from the deluded ghoul leaders was certainly fun. And Gotrek calling the mordents morons instead as it was close enough. Throw in some Kharadron tech, the Stormcast can actually work with, and you get some points to attach Gotrek to parts of the world (literally in this case, using him and his rune as a battery).
I wasn't really convinced by the prince being a traitor or coward, but then again condemning his kingdom to Nagash was understandably nothing the others could be happy about. I didn't get that nobody except the people in that bigger city knew the Unburied couldn't be moved. Sure, the prince said he knew, but kinda didn't believe it. That was weird.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gotrek is an iconic character in Warhammer fantasy and this is my first time reading a book about him. 20 pages into the book, I could tell why this suicidal dwarf berserker is beloved by so many. There is a certain charm to Gotrek and he is a very impressionable character. In this book there are two other characters who got themselves entangled in Gotrek's misadventure; Maleneth, a red-handed assassin, and Trachos, a damaged Stormcast Eternal. While Gotrek took the centre stage of the story but these two support characters shined equally bright. Together, this trio formed a bizarre but likable fellowship. The story also moved at a very good pace. I never experienced a moment of bore while reading this book. The book has plenty of actions but it did not dominate the story. In between the actions, the quieter moments provided rooms for the breathing space while furthering the character developments. The banters between the characters were humours and fleshed out the characters.

Ghoulslayer is a pleasant surprise. However I lament that the sequel is not available already. The Black Library has some good stuff here, and I hope it won't be long before we can read the next chapter of Gotrek's adventure.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book in the Gotrek series I felt falls a little short of expectations. The new writer seems to lack some fundamental understanding of Gotrek and Malaneth - namely their relationship and each of their motivations and growth that were established in previous novels. The writer does explore the world in an interesting way, and the pacing makes sense/is easy to follow. The surrounding characters are interesting, but also ultimately fall a little short in character development and interest beyond their initial concept.

Overall, not a terrible read but not the greatest. If you really like the setting of the realm of death, boneshapers and the delusional flesh-eater courts, it is fun and interesting, but if you’re a fan of Gotrek and his companions from the previous novels, you may find this one a bit difficult to push through.

[Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gotrex is back. For me I didn't get the true Gotrex feel in this book. As a massive fan of the Gotrex and Felix series I felt slighty let down in this book.
The writing style in itself is well written the story just didn't pop for me.

I like the fact that Gotrex shares my dislike for the age of sigmar as he calls for things as what they were know as and not what they are renamned as. Gotrex is back. For me I didn't get the true Gotrex feel in this book. As a massive fan of the Gotrex and Felix series I felt slighty let down in this book.
The writing style in itself is well written the story just didn't pop for me.

I like the fact that Gotrex shares my dislike for the age of sigmar as he calls for things as what they were know as and not what they are renamned as.

[Declan Waters · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the heroes from The World that Was, continues his adventures in the Age of Sigmar. In this adventure Gotrek is searching for Nagash, but stops along the way to help a town besieged by the undying dead... the ghouls.

A fun adventure, probably best suited for those who know Gotrek and want to know more about the Age of Sigmar. Adds additional depth to the lore of Age of Sigmar, wihout advancing any of the main story lines being run by Games Workshop.

[JP · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Sterne, einfach weil es so eine Überraschung war. Ich habe keine Ahnung vom Warhammer-Universum, meine einziger Zugang ist, dass ich die Miniaturen toll finde. Dann habe ich mich zum Kauf dieses Buches überreden lassen, und ich bin sehr dankbar, dass es so gekommen ist, denn die Geschichte, um Gotrek ist lesenswert. Sehr happy herauszufinden, dass es noch viel mehr Bücher über seine Abenteuer gibt!

[Oleksandr Yakubchyk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Важкувато зрозуміти всесвіт, де відбуваються події. Кожен має по 3-4 імені і це дуже плутає.
Спочатку не дуже цікаво, потім чіпляє, згодом стає нудно, через кілька сторінок ти думаєш - такого крутого ще не читав... знову нудно, знову цікаво.
Але зрештою, залишає чудовий післясмак та цікаві роздуми.