Book Review: 'Warhammer 40K: The High Kâhl’s Oath'
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In November 2024, The Black Library published its first novel focused on the Leagues of Votann. A new faction to Warhammer 40,000 derived from some of its oldest lore, these space dwarves are far more than their old influence and are a unique society of artificial beings, the stout Kin made of flesh, and the Ironkin, sentient machines. As a newcomer to Warhammer novels but an enjoyer of the world’s lore and various settings, this reviewer wanted to highlight this novel as an excellent piece of media to get fellow newcomers interested in Warhammer 40K. So, without further ado, here is our review of The High Kâhl’s Oath in audiobook format, narrated by Debra Michaels.
WARNING: This review contains LIGHT spoilers for The High Kâhl’s Oath due to the novel slowly beginning its narrative.
Summary
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The High Kâhl’s Oath is a very dwarven tale, one familiar to anyone who has engaged with the lore of Tolkien and the other universes he’s helped spawn, including Warhammer Fantasy. Our main character, Myrtun Dammergot, is the leader of a prospecting ship far from her home and her fellow Kin from the Kindred of the Eternal Starforge. Many intriguing side characters travel with her, but two of note are her long-time companion, the Ironkin Lutar, and the Grimnyr, Jôrdiki. The Grimnyr are those Kin given just a touch more connectivity to the Warp compared to other Kin, whose connection to this source of dangerous power is stunted due to their nature as genetic creations, clones, assembled from hundreds of thousands of templates stored by the Votann, vast ancient supercomputers that offer guidance to Kin society. Ironkin, meanwhile, are robots with significant intelligence to the point of sentience. They are considered equals in Kin society, and can form lasting friends given their mutually long lifespans.
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At the start of the novel, we see Myrtun engaged in a conflict with the Tyranids, the well-known world-devourers of 40K, and a plague on the Kin as much as anyone else in the galaxy. As combat begins, a messenger arrives calling her back home on urgent business. A taciturn, independent Kin (so many of them are), Myrtun is reluctant to return until she learns the message being brought to her. Following the mysterious death of their High Kâhl (the leader of a Kindred of Kin), the council that leads her people has elected her to serve as the next High Kâhl. Shocked by the honor and more than a little unprepared despite her advanced age giving her a great deal of life experience, Myrtun returns to a raucous welcome. Then, on her first day, she finds another messenger waiting.
The sole survivor of the previous High Kâhl’s expedition, he reveals that the man found a lost settlement of the Kin in a hazardous region of space, only for Orks to have overwhelmed the adventuring Kin. He carries with him the dead man’s Oath, to locate the lost hold and learn the reason why the Kâhl was directed to the site by the Votann and seeks to pass it on to another. What is Myrtun to do?
Pros And Cons
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The High Kâhl’s Oath is an excellent story for newcomers to the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Because the subject matter is the Leagues of Votann, a recently returned faction with a lot of fresh lore, Gav Thorpe’s work is the perfect entry point, introducing readers to a variety of concepts in this world. While the Kin gets the focus, other factions do appear, with enough details to intrigue a reader into wanting to learn more if they don’t already, while at the same time providing them the necessary basics.
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The characters are a great part of this, introducing the concepts of the Leagues and their culture through each of their distinct points of view handling a particular role, while also being compelling features of the story. Myrtun is stubborn and long-lived, with a great deal of experience and firm opinions because of that experience. She is an excellent leader, though she also has many doubts and struggles she keeps close. None of those people is closer than Lutar, who has been at her side for perhaps centuries.
Their history goes back to one of Myrtun’s earliest trips away from her Kindred, and this novel does an excellent job both setting up that age-old connection and showing how it is starting to change due to the events of the story. The last character to note for this review is Jôrdiki, a loyal crew member but one who nevertheless disagrees with Myrtun on several occasions. Her background is unique, both due to her work and due to the origin of her skein, the Kin term for cloning template used to create them all. But we won’t say more nor will we comment about the other point-of-view characters who appear. All of them are excellent and present a range of different characteristics for the Kin.
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One last trait to praise about the novel is its setting. It can be difficult to make adventures spent over long periods onboard starships exciting, but the way the Kin have enhanced their environment to make those spaces comfortable is a joy to read about. They freely have wood aboard their starships, benches, tables, and more as decoration, alongside carpeting and plenty else that strongly reinforces these ships as homes, more than just a method of transportation.
Finally, one of the few flaws with the novel is how metaphors and similes can sometimes be repeated close to each other. While the exact wording is rarely used, descriptions of a singular object in two different ways, within perhaps a page or two of each other when it is the same character perspective, is strange. It, fortunately, does not happen much, but was clear to hear in the audiobook.
In summary, the novel is excellent, both for newcomers to the franchise and for long-time fans who might be looking at the new Leagues of Votann lore with interest or who want a different flavor of Warhammer narrative. We look forward to there hopefully being more Votann novels in the future!
Rating: 9/10
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Source(s): The High Kâhl’s Oath
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