Gotrek and Felix

Gotrek Gurnisson and Felix Jaeger are two unlikely heroes of the Warhammer world. Gotrek is a slayer, a dwarf sworn to seek death in unequal combat against the mightiest of monsters. Felix is a poet who while drunk swore an oath to accompany Gotrek on his quest and record his doom in an epic poem. The only problem is that Gotrek is simply too tough to die and to make matters worse it seems to be his fate to be drawn into terrifying adventures in the furthest and least hospitable parts of the Old World.

Comments

  1. Fred Newcombe says:
    August 18, 2011 at 5:59 pm

    I don’t know how to express my deep admiration for these books without sounding like a blithering school girl. I didn’t even know I could enjoy reading until I stumbled across Trollslayer about 10 years ago. I have had to re-buy that book for myself at least three times and I buy it or highly recommend it to everyone I know. Your series opened up the literary world to me as well as the Warhammer universe. I am now an avid player of the tabletop game and read almost solely Warhammer books because of what I started with Gotrek and Felix. I have gone out of my way to find any and all merchandise Trollslayer related and the miniatures for my two favorite adventurers are one my prized possessions. I cannot thank you enough to these books, you are truly a brilliant author and should be knighted for your fantastic works. Thank you.

    Reply
  2. Jeff Veit says:
    September 19, 2011 at 1:52 am

    Being an avid fantasy reader, I have read the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Terry Brooks, Piers Anthony, Anne Macaffery, David Gemmell, just to name a few. I can say with the utmost confidance that your Slayer books were some of the best fantasy stories I have ever had the pleasure and joy to read. I have read up to Giantslayer 3 times now and every time I finish it I want to start the series over again. I have to say that I was a bit heartbroken when you stopped writing them years back, but now that you are back with Warhammer, I wont lie to you, there is a seed of hope within me, that one day you will take up the storyline of Gotrek and Felix once again. Barring that, I am looking foward to Blood of Aenarion. Welcome back!

    Reply
    • William says:
      September 19, 2011 at 9:02 am

      Thanks Jeff. Both your comments are greatly appreciated. Here seems to be the appropriate place to respond to them so I shall do so. I am really glad you enjoyed the G&F books so much. Comments like this make my day! Right now and for the foreseeable future, my hands are full with Tyrion and Teclis and the Macharian Crusade books. This takes me right through 2012. I don’t really have any idea what Black Library’s long term plans are after that so I can’t say any more. I think you should keep your eyes open for the Tyrion and Teclis books. They deal with many of the same themes and issues– the opening of the Northern Chaos gates, the return of some spectacularly powerful daemons and the potential end of the world!

      All the best,

      Bill

      Reply
      • Jeff Veit says:
        October 22, 2011 at 7:36 am

        Oh believe me, I am eagerly awaiting “Blood of Aenarion”. What I liked most about Teclis, in Giantslayer, aside from the fact that he is an awesomly powerful wizard who is nearly immortal, was that he seemed to be at long last a font of answers to the many questions I had regarding the “Old ones”, the Chaos wastes, the 4 gods of chaos and the northern portal to the realm of chaos. I found that, as I read Giantslayer, I began to become increasingly drawn into these mysteries, hungry for more information. Now whether or not you intended it, I am officially hooked and look foward to more! And so I am happy to hear that you will be continuing to elaborate on these topics in BOA. Keep up the great work!

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        • William says:
          October 22, 2011 at 11:46 am

          A little of this appears in Sword of Caledor, Jeff. The book opens with our heroes in Lustria investigating a lost Slann city. You’re probably not going to be thrilled to learn I wrote a 20 thousand word section dealing with Caledor and the Old Ones but then I took it out because it was not relevant to the story. Bits of the lore are still visible in a tip of the iceberg sort of way. If you’re looking for answers to those questions Caledor has some of them. Morathi as well!

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          • Jeff Veit says:
            November 22, 2011 at 10:52 pm

            Noooooo! LOL ahh well, Ill just have to keep on reading your works and take what I can get. :-) I cant wait, Im getting my copy of BOE on the 29th and will probably be done with it on the 30th. I have little doubt this book will be as action packed and enthralling as all of your other books!

          • William says:
            November 22, 2011 at 11:01 pm

            Thanks Jeff,
            I think Blood of Aenarion is in a slightly more epic style than my normal Warhammer fantasy novels. Gotrek and Felix are classic somewhat seedy sword and sorcery heroes. Tyrion and Teclis are a bit more upmarket. That said, the books are pretty action-packed!

  3. Pedro says:
    October 31, 2011 at 10:33 pm

    Hi William, first of all sorry for my bad english (i’m from Spain). I want to say that I love your books, especially Gotrek and Felix because they have epic battles against epic “monsters” and have some hilarious moments. In my opinion you are the best writter in Black Library close to Graham McNeill. Also i am waiting your new trilogy, i love elfs and i love daemons then… but please, please, return to write Gotrek and Felix books; Nathan Long G&F books are good but they are less epic and less comical. Anyhow, welcome back to the Warhammer worlds.

    Reply
  4. ulyssees says:
    January 11, 2012 at 6:42 pm

    Mister King Ulyssees from Greece here.i ll skip the pleasantries and say that please please please we would like to see a gotrek and felix book by you.i think i speak for a lot of people when i say that.like my predecessors said your G&F books were both comical and epic.

    to be honest when they brought me your book as a gift i tossed it aside.had other things at the time.that was 5 years ago.one afternoon i started reading your book.after 5 6 hours i had finished it.next morning went to store and bought the other omnibuses.havent read any of your other books yet.but i will at some point definetly.

    to keep it spartan thank you for the adventures you have given us,and i think Snorri would also like you to write something about him :)

    Reply
    • William says:
      January 11, 2012 at 6:55 pm

      Hi Ulysseees! Thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately I am no longer the writer on Gotrek and Felix, and there are no plans for me to write any more books about them at the moment. Sorry about that.

      Reply
  5. Tito says:
    April 15, 2012 at 4:59 pm

    Mr. King, a friend of mine lent me the first g&f book about half a year ago, and from then on I kept reading! Now I am saving to buy Beastslayer (yep, I am a poor man…), but I look forward to keep reading them!
    The funny thing is that I stopped reading fantasy books after high school, and somehow I though I was too old for them; thank you for showing me I was wrong!

    Reply
  6. Doug says:
    May 11, 2012 at 2:15 am

    I have read thousands of fantasy books and enjoy the Felix and Gotrek novels most of all. You are an excellent writer and I look forward to your next work.

    Reply
  7. roback says:
    May 19, 2012 at 12:18 am

    The only thing I found disappointing in your G&F works is that you no longer work on them. I wonder why it it so? I couldn’t find any information about the reason…
    The G&F novels by Nathan Long are good, but the real awesomeness of the series ended with the very last page of Giantslayer.

    Reply
  8. Daniel Scott says:
    May 24, 2012 at 1:21 pm

    Hi William, i’ve been a long time lover of Gotrek and Felix, reading them growing up. I have enjoyed both your story and Nathan’s but from Nathan himself i’ve been told that there has been no word of commission for the next in the series. i’ve been stuck with deadends with both the publisher and Nathan as he is just as clueless about the situation as i am. I am Wondering if it was possible for you to shed any light on the matter of the next installment, even conformation of the series still being alive would be more than enough.

    Thank you and i hope to enjoy your books feauturing the Elvish very soon.

    Reply
  9. Dominic Brooks says:
    June 5, 2012 at 2:31 pm

    Heya Will,

    Just stumbled upon this thread and thought I would leave you a glowing review of everything of yours I have read! However assuming that wold take me the best part of the day i’ll try and keep it short. Gotrek & Felix is one of my all time favorite reads, from Troll to Vampire slayer I could barely put the books down and have spent the last few weeks lost in adventures with some of the most bad ass characters I have ever encountered in fiction. Sad as i am to hear you wont be doing anymore I’m sure there is a good reason! or one thats out of your hands! Never the less, i am endeavoring to to keep the tale going by attempting to convert your fantastic novels into a fan made screen play. Because some of the imagery and battles are to good not to be envisioned for screen. Keep up the good work, and do let me know if there is ever a petition to get you back on the slayer!

    Much love,
    Dom Brooks

    Reply
  10. ethan schroeder says:
    October 13, 2012 at 8:11 am

    First off, I would like to say that NEVER have I been able to pick up a book and be so instantly attached to a group of characters and so captivated with any book I have ever read than after reading my first Gotrek and Felix adventure. It is hard to find good fantasy now a days and you my friend are a gift to us lovers of fantasy with a dedication to worlds rich and complex like that of the World of Warhammer and its occupants. I attend one of the best music schools in the country and the only reason I say this is because after a long day of analyzing Operas and Reqiuem Mass’s all day(which i love yet gets rather taxing at times), I can come how and delve into a book that is written as well as the Gotrek and Felix series, and delve into a story with fantastic writing, character development/interaction and in depth love of lore and its complexities! I sincerely thank you with all of my artistic being that you continue to allow me to join you on these masterfully weaved beauties of fantasy literature. All I can hope is that you know how much it means for people like me to be able to sit back in a chair and have the comfort of the friends you have created for us. If you ever feel down or something stupid like that ( not saying you do ) just please know that you have given me and many other a gift that few have the skill or talent to give. Continue your fine work and know that your fans admire you dearly.

    sincerly,
    Ethan Schroeder

    Reply
  11. Rastislav says:
    October 27, 2012 at 1:53 pm

    Right now I’m reading again Dragonslayer and I realize how very few authors I can fully drawn into the plot and what was extraordinary series of Gotrek and Felix. It also deepens my sadness over the fact that this series ended without end. Continuing that writes Nathan Long is a very poor attempt. But secretly hope to ever live to see the continuation of King William pens. All the best.

    Reply
  12. Paul says:
    November 1, 2012 at 11:05 am

    Hello Mr King,
    Firstly I just want to let you know that your Gotrek and Felix novels are the most enjoyable fantasy books I’ve ever read. My favourite is no doubt Skavenslayer, which I’ve reread more times than I can count (though I’ve reread the other books quite a bit as well). It’s a real shame that you seem to have finished with the series, is there any possibility that you could ever go back to it? Or at least have you ever explained where you were going to go with the series? It’s a real shame as the series just kind of ends with the Giantslayer cliff-hanger. I do know about the Nathan Long “continuation” of the series but really it’s not a continuation, just people with the same names in a story that’s really quite different in just about every way it could be without being completely unrelated.

    Regards,
    Paul

    Reply
  13. Erik says:
    December 6, 2012 at 1:39 am

    I really enjoyed the Gotrek and Felix series, my favorite was Elfslayer, due to the fact that there is a good explanation between the two sides of Elves. Overall I think that you are probably one of the best authors at taking characters and building them to make a story. You really are an inspiring author!

    Reply
  14. Andres says:
    December 30, 2012 at 3:52 pm

    Hello Wiliam.

    My name is Andres and I’ve been reading your work since 1993 when I first started playing and reading the W40K material back in Norway, where I was born,

    It was in fact an excerpt from Skavenslayer that got me interested in the Warhammer novels and years later when I had moved to London I began reading the Gotrek and Felix books.
    All I can say I was very impressed and proceed to read them all and enjoyed them greatly. Not only was there plenty of action but great characters you actually cared about and I especially enjoyed Felix’ more reflective moments (and that he doesn’t come across as a whimp even when compared to Gotrek)..

    I think Nathan Long is a good author but the books do seem to miss the ‘magic’ that were present in your books.
    Fingers crossed that you’ll one day return to the series!

    Thank you for all your hard work!

    Andres

    Reply

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