Dead Drop

Necromunda

by Mike Brooks

Summer of Reading 2019 – Day 3

A daring raid on a moving transport puts the Road Dogs Orlock gang in danger as rivals seek the same prize and the unexpected strikes.

READ IT BECAUSE
Get to grips with a fast-paced (literally!) tale from the underhive, packed with twists, turns and mysteries.

THE STORY
The Road Dogs, an Orlock gang in the depths of Necromunda's underhive, are on the trail of a big score. Danner Grimjack, the gang's leader, has planned meticulously, and now it all comes down to the execution. As they go into action, the Road Dogs tackle the Steel Crescents, their Van Saar rivals, on a moving transporter. Danner can only hope the prize is worth the hassle…

Written by Mike Brooks

Genres: Short Stories, Science Fiction

29 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 21, 2019

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

[Lenny]

As a first introduction to Necromunda I think this was a wrong choice. I had to do a double take when the third person plural was used when someone pulled out a gun. After rereading the pages up to that point I found out that I had completely misinterpreted the scene since I hadn't interpreted Danner as a gestalt entity earlier. But even if he is, I don't think the third person plural s the right choice.

I stopped reading when the truck flipped and I needed to reread the scene again to make sure the people inside the truck where being referenced. I like playing with words just as much as the next guy but having to reread everything multiple times did my head in. Maybe native English speakers don't have this problem since I don't see this being referenced in other reviews. I'm not invested in Necromunda and it was a free Black Library Celebration story so I don't mind abandoning it.

[Michael Dodd]

Danner Grimjack and his Road Dogs, a close-knit gang of Orlocks, launch a carefully timed ambush of a rival gang. Their goal is to relieve the Van Saars of what they hope is a valuable piece of cargo, recently arrived on Necromunda through illicit channels, and sell it on for a tidy profit.

Opening with a daring, breakneck action sequence as the Road Dogs launch their high speed ambush, this packs a lot of variety into a short word count. It’s the sort of story you wish wouldn’t end, and it demonstrates once again that Brooks has the knack for bringing low-key, everyday characters to life in powerful, engaging stories.

Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/08/...

[nooker]

Fun kinda road warriors type story. Too short. Was surprised by the nonbinary character, but if anyone would have them, it would be Orlock

[Declan Waters]

A Necromunda gang 'stumble' across (read: fight for), some goods which were on their way to a local fixer. Can they get the goods to him without dying in the process?

[Mark]

“None of them would surrender; none would sell out in the hope of receiving the Enforcers’ leniency. Crew first. Always.”