The Warhammer 40,000-set Warhammer Adventures series Warped Galaxies (for readers aged 8 and above) opens with Cavan Scott’s Attack of the Necron, a planet-hopping tale of action, danger and bravery in the face of an ancient alien menace. Zelia Lor and her mother, along with Lexmechanic Erasmus and young Martian tech-savant Mekki, travel the galaxy excavating ancient technology and unearthing pre-Imperial history. When their latest expedition is curtailed by a devastating alien invasion, Zelia finds herself torn from her familiar life and thrown into a perilous journey through the void of space with the relentless Necron threat looming ever-present.
Yes, it’s a children’s book set in the 40k universe, which is about as grim and unpleasant a setting as you can imagine, but it’s handled well, maintaining a sense of 40k’s overall tone and aesthetic whilst focusing on elements which will appeal to younger readers. The whole ‘there is only war’ aspect is gently adapted into a galaxy where war and violence are present and visible, but these particular characters experience it as conflict and danger rather than all-out relentless darkness. It doesn’t pull its punches, however – bad things happen, and people die once the Necrons turn up, but it’s leavened with enough optimism to suit (and avoid terrifying) a younger audience. It’s definitely a slightly sanitised version of 40k, but largely by virtue of not lingering on the grimdark, and focusing on the opportunities for adventure. Magnus Norén’s illustrations help visualise the characters, locations and overall 40k stylings, as well.
The cast of characters clearly focuses on less militaristic archetypes – explorers and scientists for the most part – with only young gang member Talen taking an overt soldier role. Zelia is the focus of the story, and she makes for an engaging protagonist who’s bound to appeal to youngsters looking for characters to relate to. Much has been made of the idea that she dislikes weapons, but in context of the story it’s much more natural than the bald fact suggests, and works well as part of the dynamic within the group. Talen’s aggression clashes with Mekki’s logic-first approach, while Zelia’s ethos adds an interesting element to the way in which they work together. There’s also the added bonus of a Jokaero character, who adds a little bit of deus ex machina but is also instantly entertaining (why aren’t there more Jokaero in 40k stories?!).
Interestingly, while the two adult characters play important roles in the story, some smart plotting from Scott allows them to take a back seat and let the younger characters be the focus of the story. The Necrons, meanwhile, are suitably implacable if a little less scary than in main-range BL stories – largely because they’re slightly humanised, which actually works quite well in context of the target audience. Narratively it’s brilliantly pacy and full of excitement as events quickly move from location to location, and while it works well as a standalone tale, it’s clearly setting the scene and kicking off a wider story (to say more risks spoilers). As an introduction to 40k it’s cleverly constructed and well thought out, as well as being tremendous fun – and yes, 40k CAN be fun.
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