nooker's review
4.0
This is the all things Kal Jerico Omnibus. It starts with the comics which are very cool as you can actually see what the Underhive and the residents (human and not) look like. As with comics written & illustrated by different people, they can be hit and miss and there are a few real MISSES. Over all they are very cool and look good too.
One thing that bugs me about the Omnibus in general is that the comics are all at the beginning. After reading it all it doesn't feel like the comics all took place before the novels and it would have been nice to have them inter-spliced accurately.
Blood Royal is the first full Novel in the Omnibus. Before I get into it, because I'm going to nitpick, I did like this book. I've yet to read a Necromunda, or really any book in the 40k universe that I didn't come away with something that made me glad I read it.
Now this is a Kal Jerico book, so it is bounty hunting, only this time the client is his father, Lord Helmwar, planetary governor of Necromunda.
The target is Kal's insane, blood thirsty brother (it seems that there are about 200 offspring). Through the pursuit we get to see pretty much all aspects of Necromund from the upper spire, to the Underhive, to the Ash Wastes (although that was strangely placed within the hive). We also get to see several houses. Delaque have their usual role of spies and assassins and act as antagonists here. Kal is bounty hunting with Yolanda by this point (partners up with her in the comics), so her Escher Gang the Wildcats play a big part, especially towards the end. We also even get a brief glimpse of a Goliath couple and a general idea of how bad it can be living in the Underhive through them. We see an Van Saar gang, but they get torn up before we really get to know them. Lastly, and perhaps unsurprisingly given where the bounty comes from, there are Spyers, but their execution is strange. Explained (thankfully), but strange.
Now the nitpicking. The authors don't seem to really understand how the hives on Necromunda work. First, the Ash Wastes are outside the hive. This can be overlooked given the shear volume of the hive, perhaps there are wastes within, especially in the lower, more run down levels, but this is not the impression I got when I was reading. Next a leader is described as carrying a heavy plasma gun, something you can't do in the game. Lastly & the thing that bugged me the most, Kal is described as carrying a pair of lasguns. In 40k, lasguns are rifles & in his rules, Kal carries special laspistols that fire like lasguns. Yes the potential for confusion is there, but this is a big part of his character, so it really should be gotten right.
Finally a general criticism of the book. It ends with a massive reset button. There is no growth or addition to any of the characters. You learned that Kal was the son of Lord Helwar and that Yolanda descended from the upper hive in the comics, so nothing new there. He's no better off than he was before, not even briefly. Really, while a fun read, you wouldn't loose anything by skipping it either.
Cardinal Crimson
Ok, still not really fond of Kal Jerico, but I liked this story more than the first. It's really interesting to read a story preaching tolerance in the 40k universe. Especially interesting when that story has the Redemption at it's center & is surrounded by Cawdor. Interesting views of how one forgets their roots as they gain power. Fun to see the Wildcats (Yolanda's Escher gang) again and with the Grak gang of Goliath. Weird to see Orlocks engaged in slavery as it doesn't fit in with my view of them, but it didn't really see to fit in the author's view either as one character commented on the strangeness of it. Over all worth the read.
Lasgun Wedding
I'm not sure why Kal Jerico gets his own book, let alone 3. Still don't like him, but the characters around him are cool. Realized when I got to the end that the cover is a bit of spoiler and if I had looked at it closer, I would have realized it. It was interesting just how much info that the story gave about inhabitants of the hive. It explains Ratskin physiology some, more than I had ever had laid out before. Shows in good detail how cyber-mastiffs work on both autopilot and with commands. Shows politics in the uperhive. For that it is a great read. For the main focus of the story, not so much.
One thing that bugs me about the Omnibus in general is that the comics are all at the beginning. After reading it all it doesn't feel like the comics all took place before the novels and it would have been nice to have them inter-spliced accurately.
Blood Royal is the first full Novel in the Omnibus. Before I get into it, because I'm going to nitpick, I did like this book. I've yet to read a Necromunda, or really any book in the 40k universe that I didn't come away with something that made me glad I read it.
Now this is a Kal Jerico book, so it is bounty hunting, only this time the client is his father, Lord Helmwar, planetary governor of Necromunda.
The target is Kal's insane, blood thirsty brother (it seems that there are about 200 offspring). Through the pursuit we get to see pretty much all aspects of Necromund from the upper spire, to the Underhive, to the Ash Wastes (although that was strangely placed within the hive). We also get to see several houses. Delaque have their usual role of spies and assassins and act as antagonists here. Kal is bounty hunting with Yolanda by this point (partners up with her in the comics), so her Escher Gang the Wildcats play a big part, especially towards the end. We also even get a brief glimpse of a Goliath couple and a general idea of how bad it can be living in the Underhive through them. We see an Van Saar gang, but they get torn up before we really get to know them. Lastly, and perhaps unsurprisingly given where the bounty comes from, there are Spyers, but their execution is strange. Explained (thankfully), but strange.
Now the nitpicking. The authors don't seem to really understand how the hives on Necromunda work. First, the Ash Wastes are outside the hive. This can be overlooked given the shear volume of the hive, perhaps there are wastes within, especially in the lower, more run down levels, but this is not the impression I got when I was reading. Next a leader is described as carrying a heavy plasma gun, something you can't do in the game. Lastly & the thing that bugged me the most, Kal is described as carrying a pair of lasguns. In 40k, lasguns are rifles & in his rules, Kal carries special laspistols that fire like lasguns. Yes the potential for confusion is there, but this is a big part of his character, so it really should be gotten right.
Finally a general criticism of the book. It ends with a massive reset button. There is no growth or addition to any of the characters. You learned that Kal was the son of Lord Helwar and that Yolanda descended from the upper hive in the comics, so nothing new there. He's no better off than he was before, not even briefly. Really, while a fun read, you wouldn't loose anything by skipping it either.
Cardinal Crimson
Ok, still not really fond of Kal Jerico, but I liked this story more than the first. It's really interesting to read a story preaching tolerance in the 40k universe. Especially interesting when that story has the Redemption at it's center & is surrounded by Cawdor. Interesting views of how one forgets their roots as they gain power. Fun to see the Wildcats (Yolanda's Escher gang) again and with the Grak gang of Goliath. Weird to see Orlocks engaged in slavery as it doesn't fit in with my view of them, but it didn't really see to fit in the author's view either as one character commented on the strangeness of it. Over all worth the read.
Lasgun Wedding
I'm not sure why Kal Jerico gets his own book, let alone 3. Still don't like him, but the characters around him are cool. Realized when I got to the end that the cover is a bit of spoiler and if I had looked at it closer, I would have realized it. It was interesting just how much info that the story gave about inhabitants of the hive. It explains Ratskin physiology some, more than I had ever had laid out before. Shows in good detail how cyber-mastiffs work on both autopilot and with commands. Shows politics in the uperhive. For that it is a great read. For the main focus of the story, not so much.
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