Catachan Devil

Astra Militarum #2

by Justin Woolley

An Astra Militarum Novel

Colonel Haskell 'Hell Fist' Aldalon and the Catachan 57th Jungle Fighters arrive on Gondwa VI, a world ravaged by greenskins. The Catachans prepare to go on the offensive, but can they retake a vital outpost when saddled with the barely-trained Trooper Torvin – the last survivor of the Skadi Second Infantry?

READ IT BECAUSE
Get up close and personal with the ruthless Catachan Jungle Fighters as they prepare to give up everything in order to claim victory.

THE STORY
When Colonel Haskell 'Hell Fist' Aldalon and the Catachan 57th Jungle Fighters arrive on the quagmire world of Gondwa VI, they find it locked in the grip of an ever-growing greenskin threat. Rather than shoring up the meagre existing defences, the Catachans elect to go on the offensive and retake the strategically vital Outpost Four. In the process, they are saddled with the sole survivor of the outpost's fall – the barely-trained Trooper Torvin, of the Skadi Second Infantry.

As the Astra Militarum clash with savage orks and Colonel Aldalon comes to terms with the cost of victory, Torvin finds himself under suspicion of cowardice by the Jungle Fighters. The young trooper's new comrades may be just as dangerous to him as the xenos marauders... unless, that is, he can pass through this trial by fire and earn the respect of the Catachan Devils.

Genres: 40k, Science Fiction

313 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 29, 2022

About the author

Justin 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.

Reviews

[AA_Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catachan Devil is an enjoyable Imperial Guard book that has what feels like three distinct parts to it. We see most of the book through the eyes of Torvin, a refreshingly reluctant and relatable conscripted guardsman. We are also treated to perspectives from a gloriously chauvinistic Catachan officer and an aspirational Blood Axe Kommando. The three aspects marry together well; their contrasts and similarities painting a nice picture of the horrors of 41st millennium life in the frontlines. The ork chapters are more like those in Blood of Iax than those in specifically ork-focused books, but the more Xenos perspectives we get, the better.

IT ISNT OFTEN THAT I EDIT OR UPDATE MY REVIEWS, BUT…

A few days after finishing this, what’s sticking with me the most is how well it nails the *nastiness* of the Imperium; reading it it felt like, for want of a better phrase, (good!) las-porn but I’ve been left with a lingering vibe of the wanton cruelty of the Astra Militarum- from tithing to callous leadership it makes life in the guard look bleaker than any other book I’ve read. The arc of Torvin is a proper tragedy.

The interspersed extracts from the Infantryman’s Uplifting Primer are a nice touch, and Joe Shire’s performance of the audiobook is noteworthy, especially the gusto with which he approaches the Ork chapters; his cries of WAAAAAAGH! in particular are unlike anything I’ve heard elsewhere in the BL stable.

[Kasper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read about big soldiers fighting bigger aliens. This was that.

[Ridel · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Blood!

For me, Catachans are amongst the most lacklustre WH40K concepts. I lack the imagination to enjoy an army of Rambos rampaging through the jungle. In addition, this is the author’s first work in this universe, so my expectations were low. Instead, Catachan Devil blew me away. It shows what can be done with small stakes, low numbers, and a focused plot.

The author understands the grimdark setting, and it shows on every page. There are horrifying odds and devastating losses, but also an undercurrent of parody. Catachan Devil opens with a dispatch from a Lord General that perfectly balances the laughable callousness of the Astra Militarum with an overview of all the major factions on Gondwa VI. Trooper Torvin channels a repeat of Fifteen Hours as he’s tithed into the Skadi Second Infantry and trained as cannon fodder. Readers are horrified by the initial shock of fighting a war while simultaneously laughing at the Imperium’s absurd propaganda.

As the titular Catachans enter the scene, the novel starts to shine. While everyone expects Torvin to become a grizzled fighter, the limited number of main characters allows the rest of the cast to flourish and grow. The Ork perspective provides comedic relief and much-needed personality to otherwise faceless antagonists. Colonel Aldalon plays the straight man in this farce, raising the tension and ensuring the reader understands why every death matters. Between all the action are a string of quiet character moments that elevates this novel beyond mere Bolter porn. Catachan Devil is a masterful piece of writing, and I wish it weren’t a one-shot.

Highly Recommended.

[Paul Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to this on Audible, interesting and intriguing tale of the elite catachan taking on the Ghost Ork Kommandos and having to babysit a imperial guard trooper at the same time, some really funny sections regarding the imperial guard primer 😂😂 really enjoyed the narration from a new (to me) voice actor

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Main character is legitimately dumb. His two main commanding soldiers die in the first 6 chapters. He gets saved by running to town, gets imprisoned by commissar for being coward, gets attached to some catachan regiment, still useless for most of his time, somehow becomes an honorary badass after knife fighting an ork. Saves his new commanders daughter near the end. Planet’s governor is incompetent. Mission is screwed. Magnetic interference so no communication.

Book ends in a cliff. New ork warband storming city, *fade to message being sent out*… end.

2/5. MC was unlikeable. Catachans were cool. Ork Kommandos. Dumb leaders.

[Unseen Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating of 4.5.

Another iconic regiment of the Astra Militarum is on full display in the new Warhammer 40,000 novel by talented author Justin Woolley, with the intense and action-packed read Catachan Devil.

Deep in the 41st century, where war and death surrounds the fragile Imperium of Man, many serve the Imperium as soldiers of the Astra Militarum. However, not all Imperial Guard are created equal, as Trooper Torvin of the newly formed Skadi Second Infantry is about to find out. Conscripted to fight in the Emperor’s wars, the poorly trained and terrified Torvin suddenly finds himself on the jungle world of Gondwa VI, expected to go up against the brutal and ever-growing greenskin threat. However, fate is about to place him in the path of a far more dangerous group of fighters.

The lone survivor of his regiment after their vital outpost is overrun and captured by orks, Torvin is accused of cowardice and faces death by firing squad. However, he is given a chance at redemption by joining up with the men chosen to retake his fallen outpost, the legendary and lethal men of the Catachan 57th Jungle Fighters. Led by Colonel Haskell ‘Hell Fist’ Aldalon, the Catachans are masters of stealth and jungle fighting, and the 57th Jungle Fighters have a particular grudge to bear against the orks.

Accompanying a small detachment of Catachan Devils to the fallen fortress, Torvin is in awe of the Catachan’s skill and lethality, while they view him with nothing but disdain. Forced into the fight, Torvin soon discovers that the Catachans are just as likely to turn on him for his incompetence as they are to kill the orks they are hunting. If he wants to survive, Torvin will need to forget his standard training and fight his hardest to gain the respect of the Catachans. However, not even the Catachans are fully prepared for the opponents waiting for them; these orks are aware of their strengths and have taken to emulating their tactics and style. May the best commandos win!

To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2022/08/16/...

For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing and character development was good. Very standard 40K with a lot of action. However, Joe Shire (audiobook narrator) did a fantastic job. He made each character come alive and did great with the Orks. I highly recommend the audiobook!

[Warboss Mad Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, Justin Woolley. This is my first book by this author, and I discovered it when purchasing "The Green Tide" Ork omnibus. I can say in the book list for Orks that I made, this will be listed as a standalone novel, and can be read at any point in your Orks journey. There is no mention of Ghazghkull or the precise timeline so its a floater. Anyway- on to the meat of the review.

I loved this book for a series of reasons, however the number 1 reason this is a GREAT book and not just a GOOD book, is the character development on both sides of the battle, and in my opinion, this book had what I would consider (as a major ork fan and someone who, as a human could understand the struggles of the Skardi & Catachans) a happy ending. In the grimdark universe that is warhammer 40k, finding a book with an ending where I can be stoked for both sides, is RARE.

The character development of Trooper Ted Torvin AND Nogrok left me on the edge of my seat as the book came closer and closer to the end. Im "the warboss" but I still wanted to see the success of Torvin & the Catachans. How can you have a war without a true winner? I wanted the Orks to prevail, but I was left divided in my loyalty... for the Astra Militarum.

I loved how this book ended! I loved how my favorite characters developed and I felt their struggles, felt their anger, felt their victories. I need MORE of these characters! (Those who survived anyway)

I loved how intelligent Nogrok was, and as a self proclaimed daughter of Mork, I felt really connected to his mindset. What a fantastic Ork. He was funny, he was a bit of a brat, and he was a true, proppa cunnin, blood axe git!

Trooper Ted Torvin is any of us if we were forced into a tithe to fight- when we didnt want to. Torvin is the force of human will when we are pushed far past our limits. He is an inspiration. True underdog story!

This will go down as one of my favorite ork books ive read to date. I can say I have been let down yet in the black library, but wow. This one delivered yet again.

I thought I was excited for Da Freebooterz Code before- a Freebooterz book?! Sign me up! But after reading this and knowing Woolley's writing style...I am giddy with excitement! Bring it on!

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

You come for the the catachan but you stay for Nogrok. Catachan devil puts two enemies of roughly the same vein against one another, on the one hand you have the titular Catachans who are unapologetically vietnam green berets of the Rambo variety while on the other hand we have Ork Kommando blood axes. In between these two is soldier Torvin, recruited from an ice world and sole survivor of his first regiment, dropped into a jungle war conflict he is mentally not prepared for.

We get a good built up of the stakes and get good insight in the dynamics of this specific war facing the empire in this outpost of its far flung territory, the book never zooms out too much and that suits the nature of the combat which after the first big battle that sets the story in motion, is reduced to small squads. Justin Woolley does a great job of describing the jungle as a feature in this combat, it is not a backdrop or gimmick but a vital component of the story.

Having said all that, the ork Kommandoes led by Nogrok steal the show. He is funny, he is interesting, he is leagues ahead of soldier Torvin and the Catachan colonel Aldalon in charisma. Woolley clearly took this opportunity to not just showcase how and why the catachan are different than most other imperial soldiers but as much or arguably even more so to showcase how an ork kommando differs from other orks. I can easily understand why, the backstory of the catachan soldiers is well known established lore and on that front the story offers nothing new but ork Kommando's are more rare lore wise and I don't think they have ever been given as much attention and love as they have received here. I genuinly want to read more about Nogrok and his mob to find out if his ambitious idea comes to fruition; if that is while in conflict with Aldalon and his Catachan's that is more then fine; the back and forth jungle warfare of these outlier's of their respective factions was a fun and good read.

hoping for more sneaky ork boys! But one small remark, I do hope that at games workshop they finally decide and stick to what language the orks speak and the usage of the ork graffiti is finally settled.

[Jack Noble · Rating 2 out of 5]

3.5/10

So far, this is the worst Warhammer book I’ve read. It still has its moments, but they are few and far between.

It was extremely cliche and the dialogue was very cringe inducing. It reminded me of an angsty teen writing a web-series. I have loved all the Warhammer books I���ve read and I always enjoy the campy one liners or over the top theatrics but they do not land in this book. Every character is such a stereotype and there’s almost no depth to any of them.

The plot and where it’s going is obvious from the 4th chapter and never subverts expectations. It is painfully uninspired and eye rolling pretty much from start to finish.

Also maybe the biggest miss for me was that I read this as a part of the Ork omnibus The Green Tide and It is immediately following “Warboss” by Mike Brooks; an amazing Ork book. This book ,however, is not an Ork book. It is labeled an Astra Militarum book and it that is definitely accurate. After reading this, I think the author must just hate Orks. I won’t get into spoilers but the only Orks who are treated as. Wing competent in any way are the least “Orky” Orks and everyone else is treated as a worthless idiot. The message comes across that the way Orks do things are just incorrect and all Orks should be more like humans. And in case you got the idea, the human characters aren’t written any better.

This one was a huge let down and I think that it definitely shouldn’t have been included in a collection of Ork book next to amazing authors who really respect the Ork lore.

[Atz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoilers

Catachan Devil is one of the more interesting Warhammer 40k books out there. It follows the Catachan as they try to retake a fortress from the orcs, but with a unique twist. Some of the orcs aren’t the usual dumb brutes, they’re smart, tactical, and capable of learning from their enemies. That idea alone makes the story stand out, because once you have powerful orcs who can also think strategically, they become an almost unstoppable force. It’s a dire situation for the Catachans, who not only have to reclaim their outpost but also deal with the possibility that these smarter orcs could spread their methods to the rest of the horde.

There’s a lot of action, tension, and back and forth moments that keep the story moving quickly. The pacing is strong, and there’s a nice mix of chaos, intensity, and the kind of rough humour that comes with orcs in 40k. It’s not as grim or heavy as some of the darker xenos focused books, but that actually works in its favour. Overall, it’s a fast, exciting, and well-written story with great narration and strong momentum—definitely one of the more engaging and memorable 40k reads.

[Jacob Bennike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is some excellent military science fiction, if half of it wasn’t told from the side of the ORKz it would be right up there with classics like Armor or Starship Troopers. Of course the ORKz side of it is part of what makes it such an awesome 40K book.

It’s a book with great characters, every single one of them, and their development is nice and felt less forced than in some BL books where the universe sometimes dictate a little too much. I hope we will see more of the ones who survive in future books.

If you like the imperial guard or ORKz you should read this book. If you don’t, then there probably isn’t much for you here, except maybe to apologize to GORK, MORK and E Money.

The audiobook has awesome narration, or whatever it’s call in English.

[Jordan Capasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed every minute of reading this. Catachan vs Ork is such a brilliant combination and it’s really refreshing to read a book involving Orks that doesn’t just make them easy cannon fodder.

The Catachan soldiers actually show the difficulty of facing a race like Orks and they go through actual struggles trying to fight them

On the Ork side it’s brilliant to see such a well written and in-depth story about the Greenskins and showing actual character development from them!

This is what Brutal Kunnin should have been. Two armies represented incredibly well, written in a really interesting way that made it difficult to put it down

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable read. I found myself heavily invested in Torvin, Colonel Aldalon and how their relationship changed, as well as both of their character developments. Woolley does a great job at setting the scene with some wonderful descriptions of the world of Gondwa VI. Although happy with the ending and how it's left as a single book, it has set itself up for a potential sequel which I'd more than welcome.

[Jason Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is how you write a warhammer book! Interesting characters, brilliant plot and great set pieces.

The story follows three different character viewpoints and let me tell you, I was invested in all three characters, Torvin, our cowardly guardsmen, being by far my favourite, closely followed by Nogrot, a sneaky ork!

Honestly, do yourself a favour and read this book. Justin Woolley really shows just how excellent the warhammer setting is. He's got himself a new fan here!

[Sipe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book of the Astra Militarum novel series and that I've read takes place on the backwater jungle planet of Gondwa VI where the Imperium of Man is facing a growing Ork menace and an elite squad of Catachan 57th Jungle Fighters led by Colonel Haskell ‘Hell Fist’ Aldalon are sent there to deal with the xenos threat. What made this book interesting and really enjoyable to read for me was the fact that Colonel Aldalon is not the only main character of the novel. The story is told not only from the perspective of Aldalon, but also from that of Torvin, a forcefully conscripted and barely trained guardsman trooper who really doesn't want to be there but is forced to join the more experienced and deadly jungle fighters to fight the Orks anyway. And lastly ork 'kommando' Nogrok of the Blood Axes who admires and mimics the stealthy Catachan battle tactics, and for that is being shunned and abused by his Deathskulls brethren and warboss for his 'un-orkish' ideas of Ork waaaaaaghware.

So the novel lets us experience the conflict from both the Imperium of Man and the Orks’ perspectives. All three main characters stood out, each offering a different view of the war while dealing with their own struggles. Torvin is focused on simply surviving the jungle and keeping up with the Catachans, while Aldalon grapples with a personal vendetta against the Orks and grows as a character, father, and commander. Meanwhile Nogrok pursues his own Orkish ambitions, aiming to rise through the ranks by killing rival orks and proving his sneaky, brutally cunning 'taktiks' of Mork superior to the more simpleminded Deathskulls’ reliance on raw force and numbers.

The book is engagingly written, and I have to admit that listening to rainforest ambience while reading helped with immersion. I particularly enjoyed the guerrilla tactics and survival skills of the Rambo-like Catachan Jungle Fighters, who feel both badass and human, with emotions that Aldalon must learn to control. Torvin’s transformation from a “softworlder” into a more capable fighter is compelling, albeit his character arc and rapid change may be hard to swallow. The orks provide a great contrast: often humorous and chaotic, yet still genuinely brutal, especially from the human perspective. And I think that works, Nogrok’s attempts to learn from the Catachans and teach the Deathskulls more sneaky commando “taktiks” were especially entertaining. I found myself rooting for all three main characters. Experiencing the war from both sides creates a strong contrast between the gritty realism of the Jungle Fighters and the dark humor of the Orks. Now I wish more novels did this (not only in human vs. Ork stories, but in conflicts with other xenos as well).

Out of all the Astra Militarum novels I’ve read so far, Catachan Devil is my most favorite. My only minor criticism is that I would have liked one final chapter from Torvin’s perspective, to better compare him to his initial introduction and see how much he had changed as a character. Some may argue that his development, particularly his rapid improvement as a fighter, is a bit hard to believe, but it didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the book. This was also my first proper introduction to the Orks, and I enjoyed it so much that I’ve since started collecting, and plan to read, more Ork novels.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's nice to take a break from the Space Marines and show some love to the grunt work of Imperium, the Astra Militarum, especially everyone's favorite Space Rambos - the Catachan Jungle Fighters.

I could have done without the cliff hanger-ish ending, but I feel like this isn't the last we've seen of Nob Nogrok Sneakyguts.

[Tarash_bulba · Rating 3 out of 5]

An average Imperial Guard novel which, despite the inclusion of the fan favorite Catachans as protagonists, is saved from ignominy by the inclusion of the ork's perspective through the eyes of a kommando which, as a worshiper of Mork, is a bit above the run of the mill Gork worshiper in the intelligence department. Kunnin' and brutal ;)

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an Ork player and reader, I must say that this book was truly fantastic. View points from a soft worlder, a Catachan leader, and an Ork Kommando. This book was action packed pretty much from the start. I truly couldn't put it down. I know this book is a couple of years old, but I do hope that Justin Woolley writes a follow up book.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a farce; a piece of Imperial propaganda. It was definitely hilarious especially the Ork bits. The action was fine and some of the parts about a guardsman life really reminded me of my short time in the military. This was a good read.

[Andrew Hines · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the Best Imperial Guard books!

Lets go! This book was of the chain! Justin Woolley is a master at telling a good story. I love the Catachan! And this was a really good book.

[Kossie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story of the Astra Militarum (warhammer 40k). This time about the legendary Catachan Devil's... and an unlikely trooper in their mids.
Great story and a hard to put down book.

[Michael Botterill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good, enjoyed the different narratives, and kinda want to see a follow up

[Alexandre Mainaud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Récit un peu bateau sur les Catachans de l'AG garde impériale mais la description des Kommandos Orks est intéressante.

[Pål Røtnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good guard vs ork action!

[Michael Knolla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manages to make both the Catachans (humans) and Blood Axe Kommandos (Orks) feel like legitimate threats. This avoids the inevitability of success or doom that Black Library books too often fall into. As importantly it allows characters, both human and ork, to come into their own and drive the narrative.

[Magicswordz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This isn't a guard book despite the title, this is an Ork book.
Every chapter of this book that follows the point of view of a human is painful. The main character is an idiot, completely incompetent, but magically transforms into a badass because he camped in a hole in proximity to the catachan for a night. I hated every moment of it.

The Orks were at least fun. I was rooting for them to crump the humies and end my suffering.

This isn't good military fiction if that's what you thought it was.