Bloody Books Review: The Arkanaut’s Oath
If there is any true failing when it comes to Age of Sigmar as a setting, it is that there is yet to be much in the way of home grown heroes. Whilst true that there is a collection of now familiar faces, they are either ported from the WHFB setting and reintroduced, or being left by the wayside when it comes to the narrative that Black Library brings to us. We can all enjoy The Further Adventures Of Gotrek as he explores the new Mortal Realms, but the true stand outs such as Lady Olyander, or Callis and Toll seem thin on the ground. This tide is turning though, as new names are seeping in, first through the short story collections, and then into full novels. Characters like Cado Ezechiar in the Hollow King, or Prince Maesa in his self-titled release. Its fun to note that coming to a full novel from anthology is very much the way that the Felix and Gotrek books began, or that much missed Dark Elf Malus Darkblade started his career. Indeed, those names we hold dear begin in very small beginnings, coming from the pages of an armybook, or from White Dwarf itself.
This may seem a meandering start, but this is very much the mindset that the first (of many I truly hope) Drekki Flynt novel puts me in. In many ways, it feels like a throwback to those days as well, telling a rip-roaring yarn of pulp adventure and sky-high mystery without finding many ways to slow itself down. There’s more here of William King’s shadow than that of any other Black Library writer, with Guy Hayley (a writer I have always enjoyed for many years for Skarsnik, Bozgat’s Big Adventure, The Great Work and many others) finding a confidence to open up with both barrels to make a true steampunk style pulp adventure. Drekki himself is a marvel that solidifies my love of the Kharadron as one of the “great concepts” of Games Workshop, sitting alongside the Skaven and 40k Orks as very recognisably “warhammer”. What hekps in this case is having an Ogor in the skydwarf crew that desires nothing but more food. Drekki’s history kicks off the tale, and weaves in and out of it, of an ancient artifact that our mostly band of Duardin need to find on pain of pain, before taking a few moments to assess a more serious concept and then kicking it all back into high gear to see how much the engine has in it. This tale shows off Hayley’s deft of hand in getting that level of mileage out of a story that could very easily have been something forgettable, but with the easy charisma of Drekki, and the solid characterisation of his crew, becomes a wonderful time to be had.
It is worth mentioning as well, that the novel has a direct translation for any and all Kharadron swears and curses, and that is just krahazi good fun!
An Arkanaut’s Oath is a cracking good time, and I eagerly await the follow ups that are hopefully incoming ASAP.