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So I may have mentioned once or twice my Civilian Life project

http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Civilian_Life_in_Warhammer_40%2C000_AD

I wonder do the various Necromunda books offer anything worth reading or checking out?

I've not read any of them and am not familiar with the authors.

The Kal Jericho books weren't bad at all. You do get to see some of the vast difference between underhive scavengers and the high nobles that live up in the spires. There's insane and deadly bounty hunts, crazed cultists, tough-as-nails gangs going head on, strange conspiracies... The only thing you might find a bit missing is the oppressive GrimDark one expects of WH40K - the title character is a rogue that goes for style and is happy to make enough money to live comfortably for a few days. Comfort meaning the ability to buy some cheap booze and have a bar wench sit in his lap.

Incidentally, they've collected them (and the graphic novels) in one omnibus on Black Library.

I've read a few of them- Blood Royale, Junktion, Salvation, Status Deadzone, and the first one with Mad Donna, Survival Instinct. Each writer certainly has their own view of what the various layers of the hive is like and I don't agree with some of them.

I'm going to go against the grain and state that the Kal Jericho book Blood Royale was a really terrible cliche from beginning to end. My understanding is that other stories with him as a character are better. Really, the writing is terrible and the excuse that it's meant to emulate hack pulp writing is no excuse at all.

Salvation starts off great, with an interesting description of a library in a noble sub-spire. As the novel progresses it gets more and more goofy. As I recall it seems to imply that noone ever goes back uphive past the wall, which is simply untrue. Also disappointing is the way the lower hive houses are described- they're almost overlooked entirely, suggesting that underhive gangs are the ones making contract with the noble houses. It's been a while since I read it so I might be off.

Junktion is great. I think it has the best story and description of what it is really like culturally, economically, and visually downhive. I'd recommend that one highly. I noticed that reviews of it on Amazon aren't that great compared to other Necro books, but quite frankly I believe it requires more thinking and has a more complicated interwoven plot than the others. I think you'll enjoy it based off your writings here on Dakka.

I enjoyed Survival Instinct as well, for its overview of hive life. Status Deadzone in an anthology of stories ranging from headshakingly bad to very interesting.

Kid, send me PM and I'll post some of them along to you if you'd like.