Outgunned (Warhammer 40,000)

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The reality is an Imperium in full retreat, while Shard’s arrogance threatens to derail Simlex’s tales of glorious inspiration. The ace would surely wind up behind bars were it not for her piloting skills, and the squadron must rely on her to save the day when the Green Storm approaches from the clouds. DF: Propagandists sit somewhere between journalists and filmmakers, though their outputs must of course align with the interests of the Imperium. The picts they produce act as sanctioned entertainment for the masses, allowing them to witness the glory of the God-Emperor’s forces with their own eyes. Picts also serve as recruitment tools, with viewers aspiring to enlist and become dashing fighter aces. In truth, the closest the majority of them will get to flying is scrubbing promethium stains off the planes’ hull, but by the time they learn the truth it is too late. The book begins as a fairly typical wh40k war story, but not about a typical commissar and not about a military person at all - protagonist is a film director whose specialization is propaganda movies (or picts as they are called in the book), more precisely - biopics about lives of heroes of the Imperium and imperial saints. And that is the starting point from which "Outgunned" ceases to be a typical grimdark war story and begins to be something new.

With his second novel, Outgunned, Denny Flowers really showed the world what he is capable of as a Warhammer 40,000 author. With its outstanding and captivating narrative, Outgunned rose above the author’s previous novel and was one of the better Warhammer 40,000 novels of 2022 so far. The author wove some brilliant layers into this impressive read, and I loved the incredible characters, memorable setting and fascinating Warhammer elements that enhanced the clever story. A must-read for all Warhammer 40,000 fans, Outgunned was an absolute pleasure to read and I can’t wait to find out what Flowers has planned next.

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. Outgunned served as an impressive standalone entry in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and I deeply enjoyed how self-contained the narrative turned out to be. Flowers also did a great job explaining most of the relevant Warhammer 40,000 elements featured within Outgunned, and I felt that this book can be easily enjoyed by most science fiction fans, although established Warhammer fans will probably get the most out of it. I loved some of the very unique Warhammer 40,000 aspects that Flowers featured in Outgunned, as the author came up with some fantastic new elements that added so much more to the story. I personally thought that Flowers did a really good job examining the Imperium through his character’s eyes, and you really get to see a fun new edge to it. Not only do you get to see the Aeronautica Imperialis in action, which will appeal to many Imperial Guard fans, but you also get a cool viewpoint of the Imperium’s propaganda department. Watching the protagonist dive into the techniques and motivations of the Imperial propagandists is quite fascinating, and it gives another great edge to the already dark and gothic Imperium that make you understand that deep down, they really aren’t the good guys they try to make out. Throw in a fun blast of Imperial politics, as a corrupt planetary governor can manipulate the Astra Militarum for their own selfish ends, as well as some dark viewpoints of the brainwashing of young soldiers that occurred to certain characters, and you have a great, cynical view of the Imperium that I deeply enjoyed. Thanks SO MUCH to Denny Flowers for sending me a copy of Outgunned in exchange for my honest review. ToW Do you have anything else in the works (whether for BL or otherwise) that you can talk about at all? This was a superb and deeply impressive Warhammer 40,000 read that really highlights Flower’s growing skill as a science fiction writer. Containing a unique and highly addictive narrative, Outgunned was an outstanding read that blended an exceptional story with some impressive glances at the wider Warhammer 40,000 universe. I had an amazing time getting through this book and it was one of the more exciting and compelling Warhammer novels of 2022 so far.

ToW: Could you give us an overview of your general writing process, in terms of how (or whether) you plan your writing, when you find the time to write and so on? I also deeply enjoyed how Flowers paired Simlex with three servo-skulls who are linked to him mentally. These skulls (literal skulls that have been turned into drones) are specifically altered to act as Simlex’s cameras, and he uses them to record the combat footage and gather information as he attempts to unravel the conspiracies of Bacchus. The powerful link he has to these skulls ensures that his mind is often split between different perspectives, and he often views the world through these robotic eyes. This unique method of viewing the world becomes a key part of Simlex’s character, and it was fascinating to see how connected he was to his floating skulls, who almost become characters in their own right. Simlex proved to be an impressive centre for this entire narrative, and his dark and compelling view of the world really helped to shape this awesome book. ToW: To start things off, how would you describe Outgunned, and what readers can expect from it? What sort of story is it?

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. But these skills may prove the only hope of survival, for something vast and terrible lurks within the clouds. The Green Storm approaches. DF: Caleb Cursebound is the Underhive’s ninth most dangerous man, and a skilled thief, fighter, lover and liar. Probably. There are certainly plenty of stories that paint this picture, though the origin of most of these stories appears to be Caleb himself. He is prone to arrogance, greed, drunkenness, and not considering the consequences of his actions. However, Caleb has one redeeming quality, something rather unusual for the Underhive; in his heart he is a hero. Not because of a desire for glory and fame (though that certainly is a driving force too), but because somewhere under his neuroses and insecurities is a spark of goodness, and an unwillingness to look the other way. Denny Flowers: Outgunned is the story of Propagandist Kile Simlex’s attempts to produce a cinema-pict depicting the brave pilots of the Aeronautica Imperialis. Simlex has lofty aspirations for the pict, envisioning it as his magnum opus, featuring the fearless Flight Commander Lucille von Shard’s victory over craven ork invaders. 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.

I enjoy the subtext of a story, especially in dialogue, where characters may converse on one topic whilst something else unspoken is nevertheless being actively discussed. I also enjoy the moments within stories where a twist changes everything yet makes perfect sense, to the point where you almost want to start the story over just so you can see how the idea was foreshadowed. I would not in any way say I have mastered this skill, but I do enjoy seeding hints and writing the payoff.ToW: What do you hope 40k and Necromunda fans will get out of this by the time they’ve finished it? Yes, we had a Sabbat Worlds Crusade story "In Remembrance" about a sculptor, but "Outgunned" is the first 40k novel (at least of those I read) which protagonist is a man very, very far from military. Kile Simlex is a typical imperial upper middle class member - he doesn't know how to use any weapons, he has never been in a battle, always filming battlefields after end of hostilities, he never experienced travelling through a warp storm. He doesn't know Gellar Field can malfunction, all his knowledge about orks in the start of the book stems from a single recruitment video (and very, very derpy one). He is not a hero, and his appearance is unremarkable. But he also can be called a privilleged person - he is very far relative of a subsector governor, has made himself quite positive reputation in imperial cinema circles by filming a succesful biopic about an imperial saint who bludgeoned 300 traitors with his own severed leg and important enough to own three servo-skulls made from heads of famous imperial propagandists who died on work. Thematically it is a story about stories; the tall tales that are told throughout the Underhive, and what happens when myth meets reality. It is also a story about keeping your word, where most of the main characters are in some way bound by a promise or oath which may not be in their best interests. But honour is at stake, and even in the Underhive giving your word is taken very seriously.

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. DF: The initial appeal was less the aerial combat and more the tone. The novel was pitched as a satire somewhat in the vein of Ciaphas Cain. That part really appealed to me, but I actually had reservations concerning the aerial battles. I’ve been a Warhammer fan for a couple of decades, but Aeronautica Imperialis was one of the few games I’d never played (my main experience with Valkyries was being gunned down by them during 5th edition 40k; those things were beasts!). ToW: Can you share any insight into what you’ve learned since then, whether in terms of pitching, writing or generally just working with editors, as advice for anyone wanting to write professionally?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.