Ghoulslayer

A worthy auccessor to the series. More than the usual monster of the week the book explores why Gotrek goes gallavanting around Slaying and why we enjoy the ride

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 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. 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.