Review: Orcslayer - Nathan Long

Title - Orcslayer
Author - Nathan Long
Year - 2006
Stand Alone or Series - 8th Gotrek and Felix
Pages - 416
Reading Time - 10 days


Review
This was the eight book in the Gotrek and Felix Saga. The first was Trollslayer, followed by Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer, Dragonslayer, Beastslayer, Vampireslayer and Giantslayer. They were all written by William King but unfortunally he left and for four years there wasn't a Gotrek & Felix book. And so Nathan Long appeared and start writing them. I've already read BlackHeart trilogy and I really enjoy his writing style so I start reading this one with the same professionalism expected but of course I knew it wasn't William King (whom for me is one of the best writers on role in BL). Beastslayer, Daemonslayer and Skavenslayer are on the top five books published by Black Library and probably in the top ten of all time favourites.

But what can you expect from this book? Gotrek and Felix return from travelling to Ind, Cathay and Araby and are back to the Olde World. I really wanted to read about their adventures on that distant lands but that won't happen. They arrive in a Dwarf port and there they find out that the Empire, Dwarves and Elves are fighting Archon so Gotrek want's to travel north but due to the invasion of the Orcs and Goblins they can't leave the port of Barak Varr. There they met Hammir, a long friend (now feud) of Gotrek. Gotrek treats Hammir as an Oathbreaker (the worst name you can give a Dwarf) but Hammir enlists Gotrek help due to an old pledge made by him. With the help of several hundred dwarves they travel to Karak Hirn to take back the hold from the Orcs.

From this moment on we are present with several tries made by the duo and several other characters to open the gates to let the main army in but the Orcs are behaving almost un-orcish style giving the dwarves trouble after trouble.

I think for a being (Gotrek) that defeated Daemos or Dragons - orcs aren't that hard but Nathan Long brought an ancient being to life. This being remind me of HP Lovecraft deity but maybe I am wrong.

With this novel we don't get the humour William King gave us with each book but there is a change to the grim world Warhammer is and we get to see a lot more interaction from Gotrek with Felix. We also learn more about Gotrek past before Felix. 

The ending was good, the main evil character, as I said was in my opinion not has hard as other beings and Gotrek is still invicible and I wonder if anyone can defeated him because he already survived a single combat with a Bloodthirster of Khorne, being hit by a stone hurled by a trebuchet, being catapulted into an orc ship and falling three hundred feet off a cliff (these last ones were on this book).

Would I recommend it? Yes. Of course. It's not William King but Nathan Long is quite a good writer 8.5/10

Comments