The first novel since 2015 in Black Library’s much-loved ‘Nounslayer’ series, Darius Hinks’ Ghoulslayer picks up after the events of the Realmslayer (see the theme there?) audio dramas and sees Gotrek – minus Felix – roaming the Mortal Realms in a typically bad mood. This time he’s in Shyish, accompanied by the aelf Maleneth and troubled Stormcast Trachos, with his sights set on a confrontation with Nagash himself. A chance encounter with a mysterious magician leads them to the hidden underworld of Morbium in the Amethyst Princedoms, where they battle vast numbers of the titular ghouls as an army of mordants threatens to sweep all before it.
Whether railing at the gods’ broken vows, drunkenly bemoaning the absence of decent ale or browbeating his beleaguered companions, the irascible slayer is on fine form here, though for all the bombast there are endearing undercurrents of compassion, sadness and tragedy in his lonely outlook. Narratively this follows the expected quest structure, albeit (mostly) without an overarching antagonist – Gotrek antagonises everyone he meets, while Maleneth and Trachos are somewhat at odds and both looking to take advantage of Gotrek’s impending (or so they think) demise, but the enemies they face are like a force of nature rather than a traditional military or magical opponent (no spoilers). There’s all the frantic close-up action you’d expect, but it’s as much about the interplay between the three companions as anything else, while in typical Age of Sigmar fashion the people and places in the Amethyst Princedoms add a sense of discovery into the mix.
Gotrek is still recognisably the character he’s always been, despite the Age of Sigmar adjustments, but the world around him has changed and we see him from a very different viewpoint now. Witchblade Maleneth is still trying to work Gotrek out, gradually understanding more about what drives him but also recognising that there’s more to him than meets the eye. In some respects she serves the same purpose as Felix used to – offering an external perspective on Gotrek to tell his story without getting inside his head and losing the mystery – but she’s more antagonistic, less forgiving and ultimately less familiar with him. The dynamic feels different but it works, and offers a fresh look for a new setting, while the addition of Trachos adds a little extra complexity and an interesting little subplot which nicely demonstrates the effect Gotrek can have on others.
Whether you’re revisiting a favourite character or meeting Gotrek for the first time this offers a powerful depiction of a dwarf out of time, taking his anger out on the world around him. Following in some illustrious footsteps, Hinks has big shoes to fill but succeeds almost effortlessly, beautifully nailing Gotrek’s unique personality and tone of voice. The slayer is a deeply unconventional character, remaining largely unchanged throughout the series, but Hinks still manages to instil a satisfying sense of gradual development through the way he views some of the other characters around him. That growing recognition of his place in the Mortal Realms, combined with much more world building than we used to get in the Old World instalments, means this does have a slightly different tone and feel to the earlier novels…but this is still a recognisable Gotrek story. It’s bombastic, hugely enjoyable and often laugh-out-loud snarky, and is a welcome addition to a series which deserves to continue for a long time.
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Click this link to buy Ghoulslayer (or this one for the audiobook).