Underhive action You can't get much lower than the Underhive, a place filled with scum and villiany and where some go to hide out. It's littered with gangs, bounty hunters, spies, and many more derelicts. Above all this rises the Spires where the wealthy live and manipulate each other in the political arena. Kal Jericho is from the Spire but has spent most his life in the Hive or Underhive because boredom and politics don't agree with him. He's the 'most dangerous bounty hunter out there'. He's just good at what he does (think Mad Max mixed with Beck from 'Rundown') and while his tracking skills tend to get him lost, he certainly knows how to strike a masterful heroic pose, even the wind seems to always help him in that regard. Since his tracking skills aren't reliable, he has partner Scabbs to help him out and they are joined by Amazonian Yolanda, more of a shoot first-then ask questions if the target is still alive. Rounding out the group is Kal's cybermastiff Wotan, a large cybernetic dog that provides some good comedic images. The book has lots of action and a good dose of comedy and is one of the top Necromunda novels.
Kal and company are hired to retrieve an object that was stolen from the Spire "king". Kal is sought out because he's actually the king's son. He's joined by his cousin Valtin and they return to Underhive to find the object stolen by Armand (Kal's half-brother). Meanwhile, it seems there's some kind of vampire having it's way in the Underhive with a large bounty for who kills it. Kal decides to perform both jobs. Kal's group must avoid gang wars, Spyrers sent to also collect the object, and Nemo - self proclaimed master spy. Throw in some hectic action, spies, jealousy, and hesitant truces and you come up with a pretty decent action comedy novel.
While the Necromunda novels aren't fantastic books, for the most part they are good action stories for the weekend escape. 'Blood Royal' may be my favorite Necromunda novel and I'd like to see Kal Jerico and co-horts meet up with Mad Donna sometime. That's part of the fault in this series with a multitude of authors is lack of cross-referencing of their characters. Anyway, you'll like the characters in this ragtag bunch and want more from Kal, Scabbs, and Yolanda. Thankfully, there's another book (Cardinal Crimson) with them. Fun book, worth reading.
Fast paced and lots of action. Kal Jerico may be of noble birth, but he hates the fancy life in the Spire, the top levels of the Hive. Kal has spent nearly his whole life in the Underhive, where seeing someone mugged or killed every few hours is normal. In the Underhive, you live by your wits and weapons. He has two partners; Scabbs is a cunning halfbreed with body odor that makes rotting corpses smell good, and Yolanda Catallus, a noble turned Wildcat ganger. The trio carve out a living as bounty hunters.
Life becomes interesting when Kal is knocked out, kidnapped and taken to see his father. Seems his father, Lord Helmawr, high ruler of Necromunda, is having trouble with one of his heir apparent, Armand. Armand has clad himself in Spyer gear, stolen a priceless artifact that could ruin House Helmawr, and then struck out for the Underhive. It is Kal's royal duty to hunt Armand down and retrieve the artifact. Valtin Schemko, Kal's nephew, is to accompany Kal. But Valtin has never been below the Spire, so Kal has to do some tutoring as they trek down the Hive.
Unknown to Kal and Valtin, a Spyrer until has been sent out to hunt down Armand as well. The race is on to locate the rogue noble first and apprehend him. However, Armand is more than a little insane. Clad in Spyer armor, Armand has been slaughtering just about everyone he has come across and drained all the blood out of each one. Everyone is talking about the Underhive Vampire.
Yolanda and Scabbs cannot locate Kal, so they are after the vampire's bounty too. Yolanda was leader of the Wildcat gang, but left to partner up with Kal and Scabbs. Problem is that a Wildcat leader does not just leave. They either die defending the tribe or at the hands of the new leader in challenge battle. So the current Wildcat leader, Vicksen Colteen, takes her Cats out hunting.
***** There are several other key players in this book. Seems that everywhere you look more spies and hunters are showing up. This story starts out in a sprint and does not slow down at all. Be sure to have plenty of time before settling down to read this adventure. Fast paced, full of action, and a bit of comedy to lighten the darker times, this book will keep you glued. *****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
A Fun Tale, Though Slightly Shallow This tale follows the trail of the infamous bounty hunter Kal Jerico, his comrades Yolanda Cattalus and Scabbs, as well as many members of House Helmawr, ruling house of Necromunda. The setting is Games Workshop's Necromunda, an offshoot game in their popular Warhammer 40K universe.
The book is an action-comedy, similar in feel to the Ciaphas Cain novels by Sandy Mitchell. The plot, while not terribly engrossing, is enough to keep the reader's interest from cover to cover. The characters are somewhat two-dimensional, even Jerico, and serve the purpose to fill in the standard roles of "rakish, unprincipled hero" (Jerico), "passion-ruled pugilist" (Yolanda), and "jester" (Scabbs), far more than they are designed to have deeper motivations or grossly intriguing traits. The supporting antagonists supply even less depth of character, more often than not possessing singular motivations, such as "kill mine enemy" or "weasel out of everything."
Now, all this said, the book still has worth. The plot and characters, while not given to complexity, do roll along smoothly and have fun bits of levity thrown in for a chuckle or two. The background info on Necromunda's Hive Primus, its underhive sections, and its powerful houses is worth the price of admission for "fluff-ologists" of Games Workshop's 40K setting.
Overall, the book is fun and worth reading for 40K or Necromunda fans, but those unfamiliar with the setting may want find greener pastures in their sci-fi selections.
If you're a fan of 40k ... You will enjoy this tale. I enjoyed the whole story from beginning to end. There was good mix of intrigue and humour and unlike with some 40k novels, I came away from this feeling moderately satisfied. This is a pleasant installment in the Necromunda series and if you're interested in reading more about what it's like to exist in the hive city, you won't be disappointed.
Not just for Warhammer 40k fans... I'm not a Warhammer 40k player. I do however like dark gritty, bloody action-filled cyberpunk and sci-fi. Blood Royal follows the infamous bounty hunter Kal Jerico through the Underhive. The Underhive is an undeground, lawless world inhabited by criminals and those who nowhere else to go in the "normal society" of Hive city which is controlled by the ever scheming noble houses of the Spire which looks down on the rest of society.
With over 5 billion souls crammed tight in a hive city where no one can be trusted unless their in your line of fire, is it any wonder Jerico's mission to retireve a missing artifiact that belongs to the ruling house would be fraught with problems?
Jerico is darkly humorous, the story is a pretty decent ride. Ignore the cheesy cover art and enjoy this page turner.. made me pick up the other Necromunda novels. And NO I do not work work any publishers or book companies!
Just try it out. If your looking for hard sf or gone with the wind, keep looking. If you want a vicious slam, fast forward adventure, read this one.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
