Brutal Kunnin’

[aa.logan]

I’ll be honest, I just wanted to start the (inevitable) thread for this before anyone else.

 

I’ve pretty much cleared my post-Fury of Magnus buying frenzy schedule for the day to devote to reading this book, I’m looking forward to it that much.

 

It’s great to see so many of the things folk have been clamouring for from BL come to fruition in recent publications; what with the great Necron recent stuff and this, I’m hoping that the Xenos protagonists are going to prove as popular as ‘domestic 40k’ has and we get a wave of books comparable to the Horror and Crime stuff...

 

Thoughts to follow...

Edited September 19, 2020 by aa.logan

[Marshal Rohr]

I have a very specific idea of how orks should be portrayed and from the excerpts it is definitely NOT whatever this is.

[Dumah]

I have a very specific idea of how orks should be portrayed and from the excerpts it is definitely NOT whatever this is.

I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. Differing interpretations can be essential for injecting new life into old concepts and generating new excitement. It's been done many ways with many factions and I think it's great for keeping old fans interested and bringing new ones to the table.

 

Edit: spelling

Edited September 19, 2020 by Dumah

[cheywood]

I probably won’t start this for a while, but I’m very excited for whenever I get around to it. Brooks’ Where Dere’s Da Warp Dere’s a Way is the best Ork POV I’ve read. Haley’s Evil Suns work is good, sometimes very good, but Brooks’ is on another level. However, it leans very heavily into the Orks’ humor and I could see it being disliked by those who want their orks more fearsome than funny. Edited September 19, 2020 by cheywood

[Marshal Rohr]

 

I have a very specific idea of how orks should be portrayed and from the excerpts it is definitely NOT whatever this is.

I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. Differing interpretations can be essential for injecting new life into old concepts and generating new excitement. It's been done many ways with many factions and I think it's great for keeping old fans interested and bringing new ones to the table.

 

Edit: spelling

Hey if people like it, awesome. Liking things is great.

[Dumah]

 

 

I have a very specific idea of how orks should be portrayed and from the excerpts it is definitely NOT whatever this is.

I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. Differing interpretations can be essential for injecting new life into old concepts and generating new excitement. It's been done many ways with many factions and I think it's great for keeping old fans interested and bringing new ones to the table.

 

Edit: spelling

Hey if people like it, awesome. Liking things is great.

 

 

I'm very interested to know what your idea for Ork portrayal is (not being prickly, I'm genuinely curious!).

[aa.logan]

So, ‘cleared plans’ became tidy the garden in anticipation of an impromptu visit from the in-laws; I tried to wield the hedge-trimmer in a suitably orky way, but haven’t read as much as I intended to.

 

Quarter in and I’m really impressed with the Ork PoV, but perhaps even more so with the Mechanicus characters that feature.

 

It’s very much written in Brook’s usual style, there’s a lightness of touch and it’s a really pacy story.

 

The contrast between the Ork internal dialogue and the description in text is pleasing- the segue between the two is seamless but the difference really work in conveying it; when I find a suitable passage to quote I will.

[aa.logan]

Ok, so on the next page I read, a Titan is described as stepping “down from a viaduct with a fluid grace that belied it’s size and weight” which sits on just the right side of florid for me.

 

It comes after a passage describing roads as “lines laid down by other humies, instead of driving where they pleased like the boyz did”.

 

It’s feels like it’s about orks, and shows their perception, but doesn’t feel like it was written by an ork, which is a key distinction.

[aa.logan]

Can’t edit on mobile, sorry.

 

Ork terms are used- Knights have Kannons, Choppas and Scorchas, for example, and the universal and uniform nature of the Imperium’s equipment and armaments are derided- it feels natural that battle servitors are ‘tinboys’, but shokkjump dragststas are called by their mork-given names.

[Burni]

Thanks for any thoughts and reviews on this! I’m on the fence on getting it or not but if it’s good I’m there.

 

Of course that won’t help with the internal fight I’m having with my brain about starting an Ork Crusade force...

[Chaeron]

I’ve ordered and am looking forward to reading this! Glad to hear others are enjoying the read so far. I’d quite like to see others in this vein.

[aa.logan]

Brutal Kunnin’ is great.

 

The first Ork-led BL novel has an awful lot going for it. The protagonist, Ufthak, was introduced in an earlier incredibly enjoyable short and this continues his journey as his Waaagh rampages across a Forgeworld. It’s a pretty short book, and is pacy as anything.

 

Brooks handles writing from an Ork perspective fantastically; we see through Ufthak’s eyes, encounter his thoughts and manage to relate to his desires. When he is the focus, Imperial Knights are humie walkers, armed with Kannons and Scorchas, though all of the boyz keep their Mork-given names- the text, however, is clearly written *about* an Ork rather than *by* one, so we get actual description and story rather than a jumbled blur of emotion and explosion. It’s a nice inversion of the death-by-Codex entry that can sometimes detract from a BL story. In his first appearance, Ufthak occupies a relatively lowly role in his Waagh, I’m hoping it’s not giving to much away to say that this book is an account of his ascent through what pass for ranks in Ork society; Brooks is clearly enthused by Ork Kultur, and while we don’t see much about the various Klans, he certainly nails the dynamics of mobs and the mindset of the faction.

 

What was unexpected for me was how refreshing the novel’s take on the Adeptus Mechanicus was; as the novel’s antagonists they receive several POV chapters and they’re brought to life as well as any other incarnation of them I’ve read. The layers of noospheric dialogue, how individuals manage their mix of biological and mechanical responses to events and the hidebound way the Imperium meets threats as well as the consequences of politicking and power grabs are all explored in a nuanced and detailed way; while this is sold as an Ork book, it is also and excellent Ad Mech one. The relative ‘inhumanity’ of the servants of Mars contrasts well with the relatability of the Xenos Orks.

 

Above all else, the book is fun, which an Ork book ought to be. There are the classic pop-culture references- Nizkwik the grot, a chapter entitled Mortal Krumpin’- that have been a part of the faction since their inception, and a humour that belies the horror that encountering them must engender.

 

Several threads are left hanging, leaving me suspecting/hoping that Brooks is working on something bigger and a sequel (or two) is in the works.

[Beren]

I can't really say I share the opinion.

 

Full disclosure, I never was that interested in an Ork novel, and took a look at it just in case there any interesting bits on the Ad Mech. In that I got both more and less than I was expecting. That's obviously something that's going to weigh on my opinion quite heavily, but I nevertheless found myself wondering part way through the book if it was the Ad Mech that had somehow ended up with the plot, complete with multiple interacting perspectives complete compared to the Ork's grand total of one. I also ended up wondering if this being the case for the first(?) Black Library novel branded as an Ork novel from an Ork viewpoint would prove disappointing for Ork fans (pleasantly, aa.logan at least seems to have enjoyed it regardless).

 

To compare viewpoints:

 

Ufthak the Ork.

Mechanicus Secutor Mitranda (gets two characters from her own perspective, interacts with Zaefa and     )

Mechanicus Lexico Arcanus Zaefa (interacts with Mitranda and     )

Princeps Arlost Vast (gets a single chapter before being killed by Ufthak, which robs Daelin of the revenge he wanted)

Iron Warrior Warpsmith Gavrak Daelin (interacts with Zaefa, get's killed by a combination of her and Mitranda, wants revenge against Vast's Titan for destroying a corrupted warlord titan that was his charge)

Daemon Engine Te'Kannaroth (gets two chapters, interacts with Gavrak, is his mechanism for revenge, the Mechanicus characters witness and fail to prevent its birth, is destroyed by Ufthak)

 

As for how much I enjoyed the Mechanicus bits... they weren't really bad, and they were certainly readable, but I enjoyed the single chapter from a Mechanicus perspective in Avenging Son more than their entire story arc here. It could just be a writing style preference, but I didn't experience anything particularly nuanced about the plot, characters or politics. Though they are said to be primarily focused on archaeotech recovery and reconstruction, and have a slightly different colour scheme, they still manage to come across as 'stock' Mechanicus. 

 

Ultimately, if Ork fans enjoy the Ork storyline, then that's great and it's the right book for them. Just don't go in expecting it to be solely the Ork's show.

[Sandlemad]

Reading this now and it's good. Solid humour which doesn't edge into cringieness and I'm really enjoying Blackfang's weariness with humans. They're just so boring.

[aa.logan]

in meeting the initial invasion as an academic exercise, and then allowing their responses the orks being somewhat more than the animals their data led them to expect being guided as much by wanting to preserve or improve on their status I’d say that the Ad Mexh portrayal was politically nuanced. Personality is injected into these characters, even the super-archetypal Titan crew. They’re more than cannon fodder, (literal) diabolical plots exist for reasons beyond ‘ha! We’re evil’. We have characters second-guessing the motivations of others, and even themselves. The Ad Mech are shown as separate in terms of psychology and approaches to the rest of mankind, but still very much part of the Imperium, with all that that entails. Like a lot of the 40k I’m enjoying at the moment, this highlighting of the Imperium’s self-sabotaging nature shines here.

The plot is incredibly linear, but like Harrison’s Mark of Faith I’d say that it is about the journey rather than the route. If this book was about, say, a guardsman and charting his actions through the invasion of a Dark Mechanicus Forgeworld it would be a lesser book. But it’s not. The Ad Mech may have more POV characters, with sub plots of their own, but they, in my eyes, take a back seat. Further ork eyes I think would muddy the story too much.

Is a lot of my enjoyment down to the novelty of reading an Ork perspective? Absolutely. But that’s no bad thing, since the rest of the writing also hits the mark for me.

The fact that we’re both discussing a book a little over 24 hours after it’s release, however, says more than just it has a low page count- it’s undeniably engaging and written in a mighty readable style.

[Beren]

As to your last point, I wouldn't say that guarantees it's undeniably engaging. There are times when when speeds through a book because they enjoy it, then there are times when one speeds through a book just to get it over with. For readability it does fit the bill admirably however.

 

There's a difference between having a logic overload/break down, callously making analytical sacrifices because of overconfidence or political/material gain, and straight up ignoring the data put in front of you whilst your data-analyst is shoving it in your face. Then you have the Magos that doesn't worship chaos, and apparently suspects nothing when the chaos warpsmith and his negavolt minions come to him with the deal to build a giant warmachine. The political nuance of the Ad Mech leadership came across as four people sitting round a table ignoring what everybody else is saying, with three of them being idiots on top. The second guessing motivations also felt poorly handled, especially as it seems based on the one time those two characters are actually competent in any regard. When Zaefa gives the order it doesn't feel like she's doing what's necessary to remove the slightest possibility of corruption, it doesn't even feel like she's making an expedient claim just to get rid of two incompetent leaders. Instead it felt like a rushed series of thoughts tacked on to the end of the story "they're being competent, what if they're traitors? they're being incompetent again, they're traitors! (never mind the fact that said incompetence would have gotten those characters killed by everyone else).

 

I mean, there's a point where we'll just have to agree to disagree, but I just can't with any truthfulness say that the Ad Mech portion felt top-quality to me.

Edited September 20, 2020 by Beren

[grailkeeper]

Just finished it. Its ok but not great.Parts are excellent but overall I was disappointed.

 

I had for some reason thought that the Ork parts would be written entirely in Orkish talk, a bit like how Irvine Welsh's books are all written in thick Scottish slang. A missed opportunity there.

 

The plot seemed a little all over the place. It seemed very different to that which was advertised. I think he probably went in with a plan and as it was written just decided on a load of scenes that seemed cool. That's more true of the Orky bits than the mechanicus bits. Maybe he's echoing the chaotic unstructured nature of Orks but I think thats a bit generous. Some bits are very funny and there is some great spectacle. 

 

On a stylistic note, some of his sentences could do with being condensed. 

[Roomsky]

Brutal Kunnin’ – Mike Brooks

 

Well, this was a lovely palate cleanser after Godblight.

 

The setup for this book is comedic genius. The non-ork POVs play the orkish invasion completely straight. It’s pure unpredictable destruction and murder and their desperation feels very real as the orks seem to outdo their defenses through pure savagery at every turn. While this is happening we alternate frequently to the orks – and see that all their victories are either exceedingly simple or complete accidents. The juxtaposition is hilarious.

 

With that in mind, it should be noted that this is as much a Mechanicus book as an Ork one, despite what the cover implies (according to Brooks, this was mandated.) But he uses that split extremely effectively – I’m always looking for a good AdMech book and this one was all the sweeter for being unexpected.

The ork stuff is superb on its own as well. Brooks sets a good balance between normal prose mixed with orky nouns, a decision that kept this section entertaining instead of unreadable. They have a good cast as well, all feeling distinct while remaining orky.

 

I also really appreciate that Brooks’ antagonists always have a struggle of their own in his books. His antagonists are not unstoppable until the climax, rather, the protagonists and antagonists are constantly struggling to outplay each other and I really love that in a story.

 

Mike Brooks is running 4/4 for me at this point. Great stuff.

 

8/10 – a high as hell To Taste.

[nagashnee]

Was going to skip this, but all this talk of it being a half Mech book has put it on the buy list.

[Taliesin]

Same here, it sounds interesting and I will get it when the paperback releases later this month ( as per Amazon).

[Dumah]

I need more of this in my life...it's been a few months since I've read it and there's an Ork shaped hole in my heart. Edited June 10, 2021 by Dumah

[aa.logan]

Ghazghkull will fill it perfectly. If I describe it as the best ork book since Brutal Kunnin’ I’ll be missing the point somewhat, but still…

[Burni]

Just finished this and thought it was great. I’ve just struggled through Mortis (and had to take a couple of weeks break with that) and this was a great, fun read to cleanse the palate. I wish there was a bit more Ork and a little less AdMech but that’s a minor complaint.

 

And I loved the Squig and it’s name!