Outgunned (Warhammer 40,000) [Paperback] Flowers, Denny [Paperback] Flowers, Denny

Product Information

DF: Most of my stories are set on the planet of Necromunda, a Hive World that long since squandered its natural resources and subsists by harvesting its own toxic heritage. I have played the game ever since the original plastic box set was released when I was a kid and I’ve always loved the setting with its 80’s punk/horror/sci-fi vibe. The lore has undergone revision and expansion in the new edition and there is an awful lot to play with. I’ve particularly enjoyed exploring the world beyond the violence in the Underhive (though naturally that comes up quite a lot anyway!). I must admit that while I deeply enjoyed Outgunned’s brilliant narrative, it honestly wasn’t what I was expecting when I first started reading it. Rather than a completely combat/military focused story about battles in the sky, Outgunned is a powerful and intense story that spends just as much time examining the darker aspects of the Imperium of Man as it does facing off against the ork threat. This becomes clear very early on, especially as the opening introduction from Simlex hints at the deceit, cover-up and lies that are to come. However, I was still unprepared for the full extent of the fantastic narrative that Flowers came up with, as he blends a lot of complex themes and components with some exceptional character work and clever universe expansions to create something truly special. Propagandist Simlex has been sent to the (notional) agriworld of Bacchus to make a recruitment film for the Imperium as volunteers are better fodder for the meatgrinder than conscripts. His choice of subject is the Aeronautica Imperialis Ace Lucille Von Shard as who is better than a dashing and faithful hero of the Imperium who daily duels the foul Ork menace in the sky as his focus? At least that what he thinks until he actually meets her... In the far future, the soldiers of the Imperium of Man fight monsters and aliens on many battlefields and there is always a need for fresh bodies to fill the gaps in the ranks. That is where Kile Simlex comes in. A talented propagandist, Simlex excels at creating moving cinematic picts to inspire the people and increase recruitment to the Astra Militarum. However, Simlex desires greater realism and seeks to travel to a battlefield to gain real footage for his greatest pict yet. Braving the foetid waters of Bacchus and its rampaging greenskin hordes, Simlex is tasked with producing a cinema-pict portraying Shard as an Imperial hero. Shortly after his arrival planetside, however, he discovers the war effort is in shambles – the Imperium’s overstretched forces are in full retreat, the local planetary governor is desperately downplaying the conflict at every turn, and Shard is an arrogant misanthrope who only avoids sanction due to her consummate skills.

Denny Flowers Archives - OceanofPDF Denny Flowers Archives - OceanofPDF

ToW: Can you remember a defining moment when you were growing up, or a particular book or author, that steered you towards science fiction and/or fantasy? However, his biggest threat may come from his chosen subject, as Lucille von Shard is an arrogant and disobedient pilot who has only avoided execution due to her peerless flying abilities. Determined to make the situation work, Simlex attempts to chronicle the reluctant Shard’s skills, while also investigating the strange occurrences on Bacchus. But is even the legendary Lucille von Shard capable of defeating the mysterious enemy waiting for them within the clouds? The Green Storm hungers for combat, and the entire Imperium may shake as it approaches. Iktomi, Caleb’s stoic partner, is of ratskin heritage and has little time for the inhabitants of the Hive. Cold, insular and amoral, Iktomi is nevertheless bound to Caleb by their shared history. A nihilist a heart, she has made her choice to stand with Caleb and therefore will do so to her dying breath, despite the annoyance of his company. Without him, she would probably be far richer, but her life would then be without purpose. And this is probably one of the few prospects that actually scares her.DF: I recently took voluntary redundancy, so in the last couple of months I have gone from working full time to being primary carer for my son and being a full-on house husband. So cooking, shopping, washing clothes and/or watching The Lego Batman Movie for the sixty-fifth time are all distinct possibilities. I also read and write, though not usually at the same time. Thanks SO MUCH to Denny Flowers for sending me a copy of Outgunned in exchange for my honest review. Though Simlex is the semi-reliable narrator of the novel, the hero and star of Outgunned is Flight Commander Lucille von Shard. A fighter ace of consummate ability, Shard’s skills are matched only by her disdain for her foes, peers, superiors, acquaintances, and virtually everyone and everything else she encounters. In fact, were she a less capable warrior, she would have long since been consigned to a penal colony. Or more likely an executioner. ToW Do you have anything else in the works (whether for BL or otherwise) that you can talk about at all?

Denny Flowers – Track of Words Author Spotlight – Denny Flowers – Track of Words

ToW: What else can you tell us about what you’re working on, what else you’ve recently had released or what you’ve got coming out over the coming months? ToW: Without spoiling anything, who are the main characters and what do we need to know about them?ToW: What can you tell us about the role of an Imperial propagandist, and the inspirations for the character of Simlex? I read a lot on the train. All sorts of genres and authors; whatever I could find. One day I ran out of books but had some paper in my bag. I decided to try writing a story, which soon became a novel, and then became a completely different novel. I experimented with a variety of genres and formats and was wildly unsuccessfully, but kept trying. Though an exceptional pilot, Shard is not the only hero in her family. Her parents were martyrs who served in the Imperial Guard, and her brothers and sisters are renowned servants of the Imperium, excelling in disparate roles. Though each sibling is an asset, the family’s greater value is as a propaganda tool. The von Shard line is idolised as exemplars of honour, sacrifice, and service to a higher cause. Simlex had previously served in the field with the noble Commissar Tobia von Shard, and it was his recommendation that saw him assigned to Bacchus. Unfortunately, Simlex discovers that Flight Commander Shard has little in common with her brother, and cares nothing for his approval.

Outgunned (Warhammer 40,000) by Denny Flowers | Goodreads Outgunned (Warhammer 40,000) by Denny Flowers | Goodreads

Travelling to the fetid swamp planet of Bacchus, Propagandist Simlex plans to chronicle the adventures of the Aeronautica Imperialis, the brave flying aces who traverse the skies, fighting in deadly aerial combat against the rampaging ork hordes. In particular, he hopes to make a pict about legendary fighter ace, Lucille von Shard, considered to be the greatest pilot in the Imperium, to turn her into a renowned hero. However, not everything is as it seems on Bacchus, and Simlex’s attempts to get footage may cost him everything.ToW: What do you hope 40k and Necromunda fans will get out of this by the time they’ve finished it? I deeply enjoyed the way that Flowers set out Outgunned’s narrative as there are so many great elements to it. Told in a chronicle format from Propagandist Simlex’s perspective as he recalls the events in a more realistic and negative light. This works to tell quite an intriguing tale, especially as you get some hints of the events of the future, and the negative tint that Simlex gives to the book’s narrative was a fantastic overall tone. Despite this interesting narration choice, this novel has a brilliant, fast pace to it and the reader is never left in a dull spot, as there is always some cool action, fascinating intrigue or powerful dive into a character occurring throughout. I loved the balance of story elements, and I must highlight the fantastic moments where Simlex works on his propaganda picts and dives through his recordings of the events around him. I also had a lot of fun with the outstanding ariel combat scenes that are featured through the plot. While they aren’t as heavily featured as you would expect from a book about the Aeronautica Imperialis, there are still some great sequences that were very fun to see. Flowers really captures the magic and brutality of combat in in the air, and I loved some of the crazy scenes that resulted, especially against the ork stronghold. There is also a particularly good fight sequence in the middle of a swamp that was pretty awesome, especially as it showed one character’s particular ingenuity and fighting spirit.