Title SkavenslayerAuthor William King
Pages 310
Year 1999
Publisher Black Library
Reading time 15 days (Mars/April 2007)
Rating 10 / 10
This was the second book depicting the adventures of the Dwarf Gotrek and his human sidekick Felix. Of all the seven books William King penned this was my favourite. Well I loved them all too much but this one was the better because it introduced Thanquol, one of my favourite character along Gilead's (Gilead's Blood). William King could really write good books... It was a shame that he stop doing it.
Well as the previous this was a compilation of short stories but all tied-in together. They were all in Nuln and depict Skavens. Interesting or not each "adventure" or short story was a battle against one clan of skavens. It was in the end a great place to read about skavens. I learned a lot about the society and the way they think.
C L Werner penned a book with Thanquol as the main character and I think he understood how William King did it. I have failed to read any of the Nathan Long books by Gotrek but I really hope that he has done a great job as C L Werner did. Well he already wrote 4 books so I think someone liked it.
Well within this book we get to learn a bit more about Gotrek and Felix. One thing that is common in all 6 books I read is that William King starts in the first couple of chapters tell the story so far. We learn how come Felix is hanging with Gotrek and we still don't know why Gotrek is looking for a glourious death.
Each book he fights a different kind... We have already Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer, Dragonslayer (Well that was Felix doing but okay), Vampireslayer, Beastslayer and Giantslayer. Then with Nathan Long's Gotrek goes around with Orcslayer, Manslayer (Which he had killed before), Elfslayer, Shamanslayer and now the next book coming out Zombieslayer. How many species more can they kill? It leaves us what? Mummieslayer, Dwarfslayer (well Chaos Dwarves), Goblinslayer, Lizardslayers? What else? No matter what I would read it...
Now coming again to the book...
Well now for the stories themselves...
Skaven's Claw - They are working in the sewers of Nuln hunting goblins and we find out more about Felix family (which will feature in later novels)
Gutter Runners - They are attacked by skaven assassins of clan Eshin as they work as bouncers at the Blind Pig.
Night Raid - In this story Thanquol helps our two heroes as he warns them about an attack at the college of Engineering (doing so also helps himself). Here we find more about Thanquol character. Good story.
Plague Monnks of Pestilens - Again Thanquol warns our duo that the Clan Pestilens are trying to spread a disease with the Caldron of a Thousand Poxes.
Beasts of Moulder - The Clan Moulder has another tactic. Starve the human city by releasing rat-like monsters into the city eating the food supplies within days. As they are arriving at the port our duo is helped yet again by the mysterious stranger.
The Battle for Nuln - This was the last story and it has a great ending. Thanquol finnally reveals himself and tries to take over a ball held by the Elector Countess. As the leaders of the other skaven who had their plans stoped, learn that Thanquol was the one to blame, they make their own plans...
Don't know why but I feel that Thanquol and Boneripper are based on a cartoon I watched a couple years back about a mouse who wanted to take over the world... Can't remember the name of the rat but... Oh well...
In the end I was pretty darn interested on these novel and these short stories worked out perfectly. They didn't felt like short stories but as chapters... I would hope that William King would return but I bet he isn't going to come back.
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